Tequila Sunrise

Robert Towne writes and directs this American crime thriller starring Mel Gibson, Kurt Russell and Michelle Pfeiffer. Best friends Dale ‘Mac’ McKussic (Gibson) and Nick Frescia (Russell) have grown up on opposite sides of the law. Mac is a cocaine dealer, trying to go straight, and Nick is a drug-busting detective for the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department, determined to nail his friend if he insists on doing one final deal with Mexican drug lord Carlos (Raul Julia). Both men have fallen for restaurant owner Jo Ann Vallenari (Pfeiffer) and when she succumbs to their respective charms she finds herself caught in the middle of their dangerous game of cat and mouse.
Robert Towne is one of Hollywood’s most celebrated screenwriters, but because his directorial efforts have been few and far between, anticipation was high when this star-powered crime story was released in 1988. Critical reaction was decidedly mixed, but there’s plenty to admire in this silky, visually seductive film about a drug dealer (Mel Gibson) whose best friend from high-school (Kurt Russell) is now working for the Los Angeles sheriff’s drug detail. Their personal and professional conflicts are intensified by their love for the same woman, a waitress (Michelle Pfeiffer) at the Italian restaurant they both frequent. There’s a big deal going down with a drug lord (the late Raul Julia), but as it twists and turns, Towne’s story is really more about personal loyalties and individual honour. And even if it doesn’t quite hold together, the movie’s got a fantastic look to it (courtesy of the great cinematographer Conrad Hall), and the three stars bring depth and dimension to their well-written roles.