What makes it different from others?

Truly Dreadful Film

It's fun, it's light, [but] it has a hard time when its tries to get heavy.

I cannot think of one single thing that I would change about this film. The acting is incomparable, the directing deft, and the writing poignantly brilliant.

Despite a cast of young hopefuls and established actors, "A Show of Force" from 1990 did not hold my interest. To me this looked like a TV movie, and the script was weak.A Show Of Force is a fictionalization of an actual incident that took place in 1978 in Puerto Rico. At that time on Puerto Rico's Constitution Day, the police allegedly shot and killed two Independista Terrorists who were planning a big attack, one that would arouse the Puerto Rican people to revolution.The film purports to tell the true story of a planned coup in Puerto Rico by those who wanted independence. The so-called terrorists, on Constitution Day, were going to take over the main TV station and broadcast a message for independence. It was actually organized by an undercover cop, Jesus Fuentes(Lou Diamond Phillips), who had infiltrated the group. Twp students are killed, and some influential people seem to be sanctioning his activities.A reporter, Kate Melendez (Amy Irving) is a fictional character created for the purposes of the film. She plays a widow from the states whose husband was a lawyer for the Independence movement. She suspects some dirty work, and though Fuentes attempts to frighten her, his tactics don't work. To protect her, her boss (Robert Duvall) takes her off the story, but she goes to another network and convinces them to televise the trial.This film is violent and cheap-looking. Kevin Spacey, around the time his work in "Wiseguy" brought him fame, has a supporting role. In smaller roles: Irving's mother, Prscilla Pointer, Erik Estrada, and Andy Garcia.The acting is very good, and all the actors deserved better. Amy Irving is a wonderful actress and an underrated one. Phillips, Duvall, and Phillips each do a great job.Very gritty - not for everyone.

We know that bad things happen and we get treated like mushrooms, but most of us probably prefer not to hear the all truth as it maybe too uncomfortable for us to accept. In this film which takes place in Puerto Rico,two young men are shot dead by the police because they where supposed to be terrorists who where planning an attack. In truth, this was not the case and reporter Kate Melendez played by Amy Irving sets out to prove that the two young men had been murdered. Kate who is the sort of Journalist who "Will not drop the case" even if she herself is in danger is played pretty well by Amy, but Lou Diamond Phillips takes the acting honours as Jesus Fuentes the police undercover agent. The film boasts a good cast which includes Robert Duvall, Kevin Spacey and Andy Garcia who sports a huge black beard which almost covers his entire face. I never really felt that the film dragged although there is not a lot of action in it. An interesting movie yes, but not I thought a particularly memorable one.

While 'A Show of Force' portrays fictional characters, the movie is based an actual cover-up of the shooting deaths of Carlos Soto Arrivi and Arnaldo Dario Rosado at the Cerro Maravilla mountain July 25, 1978. The scheme was concocted by the Puerto Rican Govenor, Carlos Romero Barcelo (who was elected as a result of the events), and United States FBI to throw political support for the governor during the election year. The justification was that the United States supported Barcelo's Anti-Communist views. Thus, Puerto Rican policeman and FBI agents shot to death two members of the Independence Party who sided with the views that Puerto Rico should become an Indepenent country rather than remain a U.S. Commonwealth or become a 51st state. With the help of local policeman and political initimidation, the two men were made out to be terrorists, and the Governor and the policeman that he said should be regarded as "heroes" were able to make it look like they were protecting the people. Sound familiar? The story is told primiarly from the point of view of the reporter who risked her job and her life to cover this story. Amy Irving portrays reporter Kate Melendez who was able to get the hearings publicized and was willing to continue with the story when all other reporters (and the public alike) considered it old news. Quite possibly, it was Melendez's husband, a lawyer for the Independce movement, and his activism that helps her maintain her conviction in going to all lengths to uncover the truth. The movie, however, doesn't create much of that gripping suspense as other political thrillers do. This one is more dramatic and less suspenseful, though Melendez does encounter quite a bit of hostility and threats from those who do whatever they think will keep her from pursuing the investigation. It appears more realistic, not full of high action car chases. Actually, even though they were so sleazy and corrupt, Melendez's hostile adversaries are surprisingly more diplomatic than would be required of them had this been a big thrills political thriller. And that keeps from detracting from the story at hand, because why shouldn't it? Afterall, they're making a point about an actual historical event. I think, despite the movie dragging along at certain points, it is a pretty decent movie worth seeing if political dramas are what you're in the mood for.

This movie was an attempt to portray actual events, but it fictionalized the story and the locales so much that it detracts from the movie. In addition is what I perceive as the pro-nationalist slant of the script.All in all, the movie presents great examples of early work by Andy Garcia, Lou Diamond Phillips, Kevin Spacey and also has Robert Duvall.If you can stand the inaccuracies, watch it for the cast of then future stars, and for Robert Duvall in a solid supporting role.