Review of To Live and Die in L.A. (1985) by Tom B — 13 Sep 2010
Let's watch it, my son said. I recalled it as unpleasant and was reluctant. Then we watched and I realized it's not because it's dark and cynical, it's the bloody Wang Chung soundtrack I was wary of.
..and several days later Waiting On You is still stuck playing in my brain. Will it ever stop? As for the movie, yeah, well, it's Friedkin. It's The French Connection in LA, but maybe some things are better.
Warning, once this movie starts it's kind of hard to stop watching. There's not a lot of exposition, it could run silently and you'd be able to follow it, and it would be tense. Solid all the way through, intriguing performances, tight story, great direction.
Fantastic chase scenes, serious reversals and twists. It packs a punch. The downside is the downside: it's grim. But it feels real. I was surprised as I kind of remembered it being a bit throw-away.
It isn't. We had fun watching it. We're still singing the songs around the house. Those are some catchy numbers.
This review of To Live and Die in L.A. (1985) was written by Tom B on 13 Sep 2010.
To Live and Die in L.A. has generally received very positive reviews.
Was this review helpful?
