Forgotten Films: To Live and Die in LA

This movie was huge when it came out and was lauded by just about everyone in the business, but when it comes to people talking about great crime or cop movies today, it never seems to be remembered anymore, and I think that's a huge crime unto itself. Perhaps because so much of it's style and atmosphere is just dripping in the 80s may have made some people think that it has aged poorly, but I happen to think it just makes it a stronger period piece, and has made it even more fun to watch now.

Without giving too many spoilers for those that haven't seen the movie, it's about secret service agents investigating a counterfeiting operation that is responsible for the death of an agent. The great Willem Defoe plays the villain, and the movie also features John Turturro, Robert Downey Sr., and Dean Stockwell. 

The movie is most notable to me for a few reasons, but the most interesting points to me are that despite the fact the Feds are still the good guys, the film doesn't shy away from showing them massively screwing up due to hubris and outright stupidity, as well as blatantly doing bad and illegal things to get their man. It also really delves into showing the slow corruption of a good cop into a crooked one over the course of the story. 

The film also has one of the best car chases committed to film, and there is just an immense amount of style to it that is unmistakably forever cemented in the 80s. I mean, come on, the entire soundtrack was done by Wang Chung and it's absolutely great! Another reason I love it, is that is shows LA for what most people really know it for, in that it's a dingy, dirty, and nasty city, instead of glorifying it, like an overwhelming majority of movies set in LA do. 

The movie's tone is dark, gritty, and unapologetic about it (and that's how crime movies should be IMHO, and that's just another reason I love it), which is a great contrast to the very bright and upbeat visual and audio style of the time it's set in. So if you like dark crime or cop movies go check it out and you won't be disappointed. Normally, this is where I'd put a trailer for the movie here, but I figure I'll put the music video for the theme song here instead, as that really sets the tone for the film.