Tequila Sunrise (1988)

Sometimes there are films that are so bad, you don't even know where to start. This one is just bad - you know where to start. Hence, I give it two stars, although, maybe I am just in a good mood...By now, most people know this is about crime, buddies and a girl. The story could have and should have worked. That part was not terrible, although it probably needed a bit of massage.But everything else was your typical film school example of "how not to make a film". Let's see: - On the nose dialogue - check. - Changing the tone from action to drama to comedy to tragedy - check. - Actors have no motivation for their emotions - check. - Characters that get out of character all the time - check. (e.g. Joanne or Jovana starts of as super-self-confident only to end up insecure and then over emotional and as a result entirely unbelievable) - Boring editing and direction - check (even the love making scene was too forced in terms of visuals) - Forced story and forced dialogues - check. - Too contrived - check. - Plenty of bad acting (due to bad script) - check. - Predictable - check. (my friend even guessed the key point of the film some 30 min into it! I only guessed the general setup, but within first five minutes) - No chemistry whatsoever between ANY of the characters - check. - I could not really care less if any one of them lived or died - check. And so on. This is one of those films that deserves to be seen as an excellent example of how not to write, direct and generally make a film. I don't care how famous or big Robert Towne is, he managed to make a piece of junk that is barely watchable. Some of the dialogues I thought were written by a teenager and not a very smart one. The score was entirely forgettable. Photography too, even thought it was shot in S. California where there is plenty of opportunity for good images (seems it was shot in Long Beach judging by some of the oil rigs in the film). I could go on and on about all that is wrong with the film but I will not. I will leave it up to you, a true film lover, to analyze this film and learn from it. Yes, we all benefit when a director/ writer screws up a decent idea. So, bad film, but educational.

My second viewing to this film. It had a good 80s feel to the film, and set in a nice sunny location. The conflict between Kurt Russel and Mel Gibson was good, and kept it interesting throughout the film. There is a decent amount of action involved, but wouldn't say it was an action packed film, more of a film if you just want something to watch and be entertained by. As i said, i liked the 80s feel to the film, and had a great cast involved as well. I think Kurt Russell and Mel Gibson are top-notch Actors, and they both did a great job in showing their talent in Acting within this film. Wasn't the best performance by Gibson over the years, but if you want to watch the film if you like that summer 80's style like Tony Scott's 'Top Gun' then this might be the film for you. I think the best performance given by Gibson over the years would either be 'Lethal Weapon' or 'Braveheart' Overall, i enjoyed this film on my second viewing and could definitely watch it again somewhen. Like i said, if you like that 80s summer feel to a film, then definitely check this one out!

Well, this movie was released before Pacino's movie and Pam's show but it hasn't their fame: in one word, it's about an ex-drug dealer who tries to lead a honest life but his past world wants to drag him back. If "CW" is a serious drama, this one is rather lighter as it happens in sunny Malibu (even if reading the title, i had always thought it was rather Miami). It allows a beautiful scene with figures against the sun and above all, it has an amazing quartet of cast: Mel, Michelle, Raul Julia and Russell, tangled with an interesting love triangle.However, if i don't give "7" but "4", it's because the story was a bit boring and very usual: cop vs dealer! For me, when we have watched one movie in this genre, we have watched them all. When we think about how old and how much money this fight has cost whereas the market is still dynamic, you can come to the conclusion that all this is simply irrelevant and wasteful: as written in Schiff's book "Real Crash", the government should think maybe to legalize drugs and become the one and only dealer. With that, maybe, there would be fewer victims, fewer crimes and fewer empty cop movies...

First off Michelle Pfeiffer in the hot tub scene is worth at least 2 points right of the bat.. Raul Julia steals the show with limited time on screen,, that's 2 points. beautiful camera work and scenery 1 point. interaction between Mel Gibson and Kurt Russel and their constant arguing,, and their solid friendship worth 2 points,, and the storyline,, a drug dealer a cop,, a sexy young woman who both are in love with ,,3 points.. so there is how I get a 10... Mac is looking for one final score so he can retire,, but his best friend is a cop and is highly suspicious of Mac,, they are both in love with a local restaurant owner Jo Anne,, J.T. Walsh also plays a great supporting role in the movie,, but for me Raul Julia just steals the show he plays two parts,, a Mexicali federale and a drug lord.. this movie is great to watch,, part action, thriller drama love story,,