Mulholland Falls (1996)

Director:

Lee Tamahori

Writers (WGA):

Peter Dexter (story) and
Floyd Mutrux (story) ...

Release Date:

26 April 1996 (USA)

Genre:

Crime | Drama | Thriller

Tagline:

This isn't America, this is Los Angeles

Plot:

In 1950's Los Angeles, a special crime squad of the LAPD investigates the murder of a young woman.

Plot Keywords:

1950s | Corruption | FBI | Moral | Murder Investigation

Awards:

1 win

Cast

Nick Nolte	...	Max Hoover
Melanie Griffith	...	Katherine Hoover
Chazz Palminteri	...	Elleroy Coolidge
Michael Madsen	...	Eddie Hall
Chris Penn	...	Arthur Relyea
Treat Williams	...	Colonel Nathan Fitzgerald
Jennifer Connelly	...	Allison Pond
Daniel Baldwin	...	McCafferty
Andrew McCarthy	...	Jimmy Fields
John Malkovich	...	General Thomas Timms
Kyle Chandler	...	Captain
Ed Lauter	...	Earl
Larry Garrison	...	Perino's Maitre d'
Chelsea Harrington	...	Lolita
Johnna Johnson	...	Bar Woman

MPAA:

Rated R for sexuality, violence and language.

Runtime:

107 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

DTS

Certification:

Argentina:16 | Iceland:16 | South Korea:18 | Australia:M | Finland:K-16 | Germany:16 | Spain:18 | Sweden:15 | UK:18 | USA:R | Canada:13+ (Quebec) | Canada:14 (Nova Scotia) | Canada:R (Manitoba) | Canada:AA (Ontario)

Filming Locations:

City Hall - 200 N. Spring St., Downtown, Los Angeles, California, USA

Company:

Largo Entertainment

Trivia:

Cameo: [Virginia Madsen]Opening credits when her brother Michael's name is shown.

Goofs:

Audio/visual unsynchronized: During the fight in the plane, two gunshots are heard before anyone draws a gun. Later, two muzzle flashes are visible (including the one that punctures the cockpit), but no sound effects accompany them.

Quotes:

General Timms: A hundred die so that a thousand may live.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in Open Water (2003)

Soundtrack:

That Certain Party

Nice Nostalgia piece

Nick Nolte must have thought he died and went to heaven when he was offered the part of Max Hoover in Mulholland Falls. Consider, in the film Hoover is married to the lovely Melanie Griffith while simultaneously involved in a torrid affair with ultra sexy Jennifer Connelly. Now I ask you, what sane man could turn down such a part? To Nolte's credit he kept his mind on business and turned in a excellent performance.

As Hoover, Nolte is head of a post world war 2 Los Angeles police division assigned the task of keeping organized crime out of the city of Angels. Given cart blanch by their superiors Hoover's crew often resort to brutal even murderous means in carrying out their duty. Their favorite disposal site for human garbage is Mulholland Falls; a rocky cliff nestled in the hollywood hills.

One day the squad investigates the death of a young woman found in the nearby desert. To Hoover's horror he discovers the body to be that of Allison Pond, (Connelly), a pretty prostitute who was his former mistress.

Finding no clues on the murder site Hoover checks out Allison's apartment. While there Hoover realizes the apartment is the site of sex film anonymously sent to him days before. Hoover quickly discovers the films origin point in a neighboring apartment. He then just as quickly makes contact with the individual who took the films. Said person was secertly taking the movies to blackmail some of Allison's more influential clients including Hoover himself. Unfortunately, for Hoover the films are stolen before he can take them into custody.

Later, when Hoover begins zeroing in on one of Allison's especially influential clients as a possible suspect in her killing he is pressured by everyone from the FBI to his superiors to backoff. He refuses but soon has second thoughts when a mysterious source threatens to use the missing film to reveal his affair to his wife.

As previously stated Nolte's protrayal is top notch but he is not alone. Several solid supporting performances including Griffith, Connelly, Bruce Dern and Chazz Palmeterri lend quality to the proceedings.