Angry and unbalanced bigoted cop Lacy (a fine and credible performance by Don Murray) gets hailed by the press as a hero after he saves beautiful cellist Sally (an appealing portrayal by fetching redhead Diahn Williams) from flaky kidnapper Rabbit (delightfully played with witty relish by James Earl Jones) by gunning the man down. However, after discovering that Rabbit was unarmed and that Lacy is a volatile racist, Sally starts to have second thoughts about Lacy's newfound "heroic" status.
Director Ivan Nagy relates the engrossing story at a steady pace, maintains a tough gritty tone throughout, and makes nice use of grimy New York City locations. Don Peterson's gutsy script tackles the potent issues of racism, misguided hero worship, and abuse of authority head on. The sound acting by the able cast keeps this movie humming: Lilia Skala as pesky landlady Mrs. Broderick, George S. Irving as smarmy opportunistic politician Reilly, Hank Garrett as sympathetic detective Buckley, Charles Siebert as the boorish Baker, Dick Anthony Williams as no-nonsense D.A. Winston, and Treat Williams as Lacy's easygoing partner Billings. Conchata Farrell has a funny small role as cheery barmaid Slugger Ann. Both Andrzej Bartkowiak's proficient cinematography and the funky-throbbing score by Brad Fiedel and Tom Mandel are up to par. Only the dissatisfying ending leaves something to be desired. A solid little film.
Director Ivan Nagy relates the engrossing story at a steady pace, maintains a tough gritty tone throughout, and makes nice use of grimy New York City locations. Don Peterson's gutsy script tackles the potent issues of racism, misguided hero worship, and abuse of authority head on. The sound acting by the able cast keeps this movie humming: Lilia Skala as pesky landlady Mrs. Broderick, George S. Irving as smarmy opportunistic politician Reilly, Hank Garrett as sympathetic detective Buckley, Charles Siebert as the boorish Baker, Dick Anthony Williams as no-nonsense D.A. Winston, and Treat Williams as Lacy's easygoing partner Billings. Conchata Farrell has a funny small role as cheery barmaid Slugger Ann. Both Andrzej Bartkowiak's proficient cinematography and the funky-throbbing score by Brad Fiedel and Tom Mandel are up to par. Only the dissatisfying ending leaves something to be desired. A solid little film.