- Title: Tequila Sunrise
- IMDb: link
Written and directed by Robert Towne, 1988’s neo-noir Tequila Sunrise gives us a love triangle between longtime friends in a former drug dealer (Mel Gibson) attempting to go straight, a narcotics cop (Kurt Russell) who fears busting his friend, and restaurant owner (Michelle Pfeiffer) who both fall for. Never quite willing to get bleak or tragic enough to enter true noir territory (partly due to studio interference), the film still makes the most of its stars (even if if this one wouldn’t rank among the best on any of their filmographies).
There’s plenty of back-and-forth between Mac (Gibson) and Nick, most of it good-natured, but our true antagonist is J. T. Walsh as a DEA agent with a burr up his ass about never being able to convict Mac, despite willing to take any shortcut he can find, who now sees his chance when the man’s longtime Mexican drug cartel buddy comes to town.
Russell plays the solid cop caught in a bad spot while Gibson plays the good-guy criminal wanting out of his former life despite everyone, both friend and foe, attempting to pull him back into it. Pfeiffer dates both, leading to her offering a pretty smart critique of the difference between the two old friends and their mutual interest in her. By the end of the film, she only has eyes for one.
Better known for his screenplays than his attempts to step behind the camera, as with the other films Towne directed, Tequila Sunrise is a bit of a mixed bag. It has some gorgeous shots of both stars and the various beaches of Los Angeles where much of the action takes place, especially those shot by 3-time Academy Award winner Conrad L. Hall that capture the sunset glow of the beach that really sets the film’s overall vibe.
Both 4K and Blu-ray versions are included along with audio commentary and an interview with producer Thom Mount, trailers, a collector’s book, and featurettes on the film and Robert Towne.
