Plot Details: This opinion reveals major details about the movie's plot.

"Sure you can trust me - I'm a cop." Dennis Peck

What happens when a police officer goes bad? Lost Angeles Police Department's answer is to investigate, using Internal Affairs Division. Detective Ramon Avila (Andy Garcia - Jennifer 8 , The Untouchables) is newly assigned to IAD and his commanding officer gives him a glowing description of the Division, his important new duties, and how he will be admired by his fellow police officers. His new partner Det. Amy Wallace (Laurie Metcalf), is more down to earth: "The other cops hate our guts, that is when they credit us with having any," she says.

But good guy Andy Garcia is only a supporting player. The real star is antagonist Richard Gere who plays Officer Dennis Peck, the crooked cop Andy is after. The two run afoul when Garcia starts investigating Gere's partner (William Baldwin), who is accused of planting drugs on a suspect. Baldwin also has a drug problem himself, and Garcia notices. Through his investigation he uncovers connections between lots of officers and Gere and decides to take a look at him. Gere, however, is a master at exploiting weaknesses in people and nearly cleans up all the loose ends before the end.

Director Mike Figgis did a good job of providing atmosphere in Internal Affairs. The way he showed how Gere and Garcia were really more alike than different despite their opposite sides. The little snippets of home life are enlightening; how both men's marriages are crumbling; in fact Gere's character has been married four times with about a dozen children to show for it. It also seems his former? wives still welcome his embrace, as do a host of other women in the story. The viewer watches Dennis Peck (Gere) with fascination tinged with horror, like a rabbit watching a snake. "What will he do next?" you're thinking. Figgis also wrote the score, and the sparse instrumentation does a good deal to contribute to the tension.

Gere really lights up the screen in this one, in a negative sort of way. This is one of his finest roles in a career that started out with a bang (An Officer and a Gentleman) and quickly became forgettable with Gere seeming to think that just showing up on screen was enough of a performance. He redeemed himself in my eyes with the excellent police thriller No Mercy (1986) and carried on the fine acting in Internal Affairs. Both of these films are must-see, folks!

Andy Garcia, has always been one of my favorites, from the vastly underappreciated crime drama Jennifer 8, The Untouchables, and the excellent Godfather, Part 3, he has given memorable performances. In this one, he plays the good guy, and as everybody knows, the bad guy is much more fun to watch. Kudos on a solid portrayal. The supporting cast, particularly Laurie Metcalf as Garcia's partner, gives the right formula for a bit of subtle comic relief. Watch as her character - a lesbian - and Garcia's both ogle a shapely feminine posterior. Nancy Travis and William Baldwin also lend good support with their brief appearances.

If there is a weakness in Internal Affairs, it is the screenplay. The pace lags a bit from time to time and some of the set ups don't pay off. But the biggest disappointment is the weak ending which does not do justice to the finely leveraged tension built throughout. Still, about 90% of the story works so it is a minor con.

The Paramount DVD is presented in color, in 1.85:1 theatrical format with three language choices and English subtitles. Not recommended for kiddies as the themes are a little too adult. Fans of strong police dramas will find Internal Affairs an undiscovered gem, as will fans of Richard Gere and Andy Garcia.

Also recommended are the police dramas:

Richard Gere in No Mercy

Kurt Russell in Dark Blue

and Ray Liotta in Narc

Thanks for reading. Enjoy a good film tonight!

Recommended: Yes

Viewing Format: DVD
Video Occasion: Fit for Friday Evening