|
Wednesday, 06 July 2005 |
  In 1971, director William Friedkin made The French Connection, a film which became known for its outrageous car chases. He apparently wanted to outdo himself in a later movie and the result was To Live and Die in L. A. which was released in 1985. This crime drama about a pair of Secret Service agents chasing a particularly successful counterfeiter has a very 80s look, as well as soundtrack by pop group Wang Chung. This was my first viewing of To Live and Die in L. A. in probably over 10 years and I was surprised to see it holds up pretty well.
Richard Chance (William Peterson) is a Secret Service agent who likes to live life on the edge. He is an avid bungee jumper years before most people know what bungee jumping is. When Rick Masters (Willem Dafoe) the counterfeiter he has been chasing for years kills his partner, Chance embarks on a no-holds-barred, vengeance filled mission to bring him in, or preferably, kill him. At first, his new partner, John Vukovich (John Pankow) is a bit put back by Chance's zeal to bring in Masters, but eventually he is mostly on board himself.
To Live and Die in L. A. is a movie with a strong 80s style, much like Miami Vice, but where Vice tends to look dated and a bit silly now, L. A. manages to have enough timeless elements and genuine style to stay reasonably fresh. The performance by Peterson is quite good as the agent bent on vengeance and Pankow is unconventional enough in his role to make his hesitation toward Chance's behavior believable. The dialog, in true 80s cop drama tradition, is often a bit over the top, but it ends up fitting into the whole aura of the movie.
Like many crime dramas, the good guys don't seem to be much better than the bad guys, but that just lends more friction and tension to the story. There is also the standard, misogynistic behavior by the male characters. Masters is actually better toward his female companion Bianca (Debra Feuer) than Chance treats his girlfriend/snitch Ruth (Darlanne Fluegel) who he constantly reminds can have her parole revoked at any time. Masters even brings over female co-worker Serena (played by Jane Leeves in a decidedly un-Frasier role) as a little birthday present of her own.
Then there is the focal point of the movie. The big car chase. It is definitely a good one. There are no shortage of stunt drivers in that scene, which goes on for several minutes. Throw in the fact that every time our main characters seem to evade one chaser, three others appear and it's perfectly fitting Chance keeps uttering "who are those guys?"
To Live and Die in L. A. is one of the best crime dramas of the 80s, which makes it a shame it is so little known. Dafoe makes a wonderful criminal and the style of the movie is quite an enjoyable watch.
Starring: William Peterson, John Pankow, Willem Dafoe, Debra Feuer, Dean Stockwell, Darlanne Fleugel.
Director: William Friedkin
Studio: MGM
Rated: R
Running Time: 116 mins
Release: 1985
Reviewer: John Rice
|
Movie Review List 
