La balance

I had a tough time giving this an 8 or a 9--it was very close. I finally decided on a 9 because the last 15 minutes of the film are about the most tense and riveting I have ever seen--talk about a suspenseful and satisfying ending! So, what is this movie like? Well, it is a lot like a better written and more interesting episode of "Miami Vice"--complete with blaring early 80s music, living-among-the-scum cops and LOTS of realistic violence. This is definitely NOT a film for the kids, as it is way too sleazy and intense--with hard-core violence, language and sex scenes. While this USUALLY turns me off, it was done so well that I could not stop watching--plus the level of realism seemed very high as the cops, like the bad guys, were prone to screw-ups. And you have to watch it just to see the police chase scene--it's amazing.

FYI--Although I don't know if it was intended, this movie seems to be a reworking of the movie "Kiss of Death"--a great American film noir film.