Internal Affairs (1990)

This clever, smart, under-stated story displays much of the style and cinematic genius that director Mike Figgis would show for "Leaving Las Vegas" only 6 years later. The actors are well-cast in their roles and all of them give stellar performances no matter how minor their part. The many gears and wheels that are grinding in this story, of beat cop Dennis Peck (Richard Gere) and his shadow fiefdom of criminals in blue, are mostly just hinted at rather then explained outright. It takes a perceptive viewer to get all the subtle nuances the story constantly is presenting, and to do it in only one viewing ( it took me the second viewing before I got many of them but it was worth it - there's a lot of elements to this story and most of them are interesting). I'm not sure why this movie is rated so low on IMDB, I'm tempted to think that many viewers didn't like seeing Richard Gere as villain; or perhaps it was the great subtlety which the story is told. Even so, this is one movie that no Richard Gere fan should miss - it's one of his strongest, most under-stated performances..

Internal Affairs is really nothing new and it adds no interesting takes to an already worn-out genre of cops. That being said, this is a watchable film thanks to Richard Gere's crazy performance. There is plenty of action and creative scenes of dialogue. Despite the worn-out tropes, the film is thrilling at times and even downright scary, which is a plus for an action-thriller. This film is about a young cop named Raymond Avila who joins the LAPD. Dennis Peck is a veteran cop who does things his way and in essence, is a crooked cop. Now Raymond has Dennis in his sight as he will investigate him and try to bring him down. Richard Gere's excellent performance is the one thing that carries the film. He is often cast as the good guy, so it's a good change of pace here. He is portrayed as normal, but he has an inner evil self and when that side emerges, all hell breaks lose. Andy Garcia as Raymond also does a swell job and he shows great chemistry with Gere. Overall, if you're looking for something new in the genre of cops, Internal Affairs is not for you. If you're looking for an action-packed, entertaining film that has a great lead performance by Richard Gere, then this film may be for you. It's nothing new, but I had a rather good time watching it.My Grade: B-

This was one of the best, underrated movies. It is appalling to me that this movie scored only three starts. It is a study in the psychology of power, sex, and money. One of the best scenes is the one in which Raymond Avila goes haywire because of love.One definitely sees the hot-Latin temperament.I love the contrast between Dennis Peck sitting with his daughter for tea or with his wife in the bathtub and, then, being absolutely cold-blooded. Finally, with the sexy Richard Gere and Andy Garcia (oh, and Baldwin is not so bad, either), how could it not be the best ever movie for "not-so-proper" English ladies?

(Credit IMDb) Keen young Raymond Avila joins the Internal Affairs Department of the Los Angeles police. He and partner Amy Wallace are soon looking closely at the activities of cop Dennis Peck whose financial holdings start to suggest something shady. Indeed Peck is involved in any number of dubious or downright criminal activities. He is also devious, a womanizer, and a clever manipulator, and he starts to turn his attention on Avila.Everyone talks about how good Richard Gere is in this movie. He is solid, but if you wanna see how good he can be with an underhanded type of role, watch Arbitrage. That movie is far more suspenseful. This one kept putting me to sleep. I had a lot of trouble paying attention. I like dark cop thrillers, but this one is so murky and dreary. There is nobody to root for. Andy Garcia isn't exactly likable himself. Everyone has a right to their opinions, so feel free to check this one out. It wasn't for me3/10