Back in his "French Connection" mode, director William Friedkin delivers an intense, action filled thriller with 1985's TO LIVE AND DIE IN LA.
William Petersen (Gil Grissom on the original CSI) stars as Secret Service agent Richard Chance. After Chance's partner is killed investigating a counterfeit ring, Chance becomes obsessed with getting to ring leader Eric Masters (a young Willem Dafoe).
Petersen brings a lot of swagger and style to his role as he finds himself willing to break every rule and every law to gain revenge against Dafoe's oily, evil forger.
Friedkin nearly matches the brilliance of his French Connection car chase when Chance and his partner find themselves on the run, driving over 100 miles an hour the wrong way on a crowded LA freeway. Along with an exciting sequence in the LA train station, Friedkin shows his chops for perfectly edited & designed action.
80's rock group Wang Chung wrote the music score, which alternates between dated and clever in accompanying the film's long, dialogue-free scenes depicting the creation of seemingly endless supplies of faux-$100 bills.
TO LIVE AND DIE IN LA is a neon bright, violent, adult action flick and a smarter, grittier, west coast spin on Miami Vice. We'll buckle up and give it a solid B+.
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