So much average

A Disappointing Continuation

While it doesn't offer any answers, it both thrills and makes you think.

The movie turns out to be a little better than the average. Starting from a romantic formula often seen in the cinema, it ends in the most predictable (and somewhat bland) way.

"Q&A" is ostensibly about an investigation into an incident during which a small time drug dealer was shot and killed outside a nightclub by a street cop. In fact though, the movie's about something far more profound as it portrays New York City and its justice system as being inherently racist on every level and also asserts that the type of justice dispensed is determined predominantly by the ethnicity (and corrupt interests) of the people involved on both sides of the line.Homicide Bureau Chief Kevin Quinn (Patrick O'Neal) appoints Assistant D.A. Al Reilly (Timothy Hutton) to head up an investigation into the shooting of a Puerto Rican by NYPD detective Lieutenant Mike Brennan (Nick Nolte). Quinn makes it clear that Reilly only needs to collect some witness statements and then present them to the Grand Jury because, in his opinion, the case is so straightforward that it doesn't merit any greater attention especially as he regards Brennan as an excellent cop who gets results. Things get complicated and dangerous, however, when Reilly and his fellow investigators start to unearth evidence of corruption and suspect that Brennan may not be blameless for what happened.Reilly is young, inexperienced and eager to do well in his career but nevertheless (despite the steer he was given by Quinn) feels duty bound to pursue his inquiries thoroughly to discover what actually happened on the night of the shooting. It's soon revealed that the drug dealer was working for a major operator called Bobby Trexador (Armand Assante) who has Mafia connections and Reilly is surprised to find that the girl who was the love of his life is now involved in a relationship with Texador.Reilly meets Nancy Bosch (Jenny Lumet) on her own and wants to get back with her but it emerges that they had separated after Nancy had seen the expression on Reilly's face when he discovered that her father was black and despite every explanation he'd given her since, Nancy had been haunted by the experience and couldn't consider a reconciliation under any circumstance.The investigation doesn't go in the way that Quinn had ordered but also ends unsatisfactorily from Reilly's point of view. The experience brings the young investigator into contact with a whole range of people from a variety of different ethnic groups and also culminates in him becoming considerably less naive than he was at the start of the process.Nick Nolte's portrayal of Brennan (who is corrupt, bigoted and extremely threatening) is incredibly powerful as he looks physically imposing and capable of extreme brutality. Brennan is coarse and very dangerous because he operates by his own rules and is especially adept at covering up his wrongdoings. In situations where his superiors become suspicious of his methods, they quickly decide not to take any action because in a city where the threat of crime getting out of control is always present, his methods at least provide good results.Patrick O'Neal is perfect as the autocratic, smooth and calculating Quinn who doesn't intend to let principles or regulations get in the way of his political ambitions and Assante is impressive as Trexador who's a very non-stereotypical crime boss. Timothy Hutton also does well in conveying the idealism and gullibility of a young man who like Quinn and Brennan is an Irish American."Q&A" is extremely thought provoking as it provides an uncompromising depiction of a situation in which any efforts to control crime and corruption (especially by orthodox methods) are inevitably hampered by the deleterious effects of rampant racism. This problem is portrayed as being intractable with no potential solutions being readily available.

The one thing Q & A has going for it the entire time is in the form of its atmosphere; it's utterly, utterly effective atmosphere that is very much present due to one thing: we know exactly what the character of Brennan (Nolte) has done but Reilly (Hutton), who is supposed to find out exactly what the situation is, doesn't. This is an interesting idea and a bit of a spin to put on the pretty bog-standard situation of your standard, 1980s to early 1990s internal affairs cop thriller. What works is that we, the audience, have a position of power that the characters in the film do not; thus the hero (Reilly) has to work things out but we don't, however we will be with him all the way to see if he is able to crack it. Alternatively, what the audience do know is exactly what Brennan knows which perhaps lures the audience into false identification.I think director Lumet, who is certainly well accomplished; most definitely by the time this was made, wanted to make a bit of a noir out of this idea. He shoots the film in such a way that has the hero go on his own personal quest of discovery, even if that discovery is one he might not even want to discover given the truth behind it; Lumet also injects several different types of characters into the story: the hard bodied cop in Brennan who is harder than the hero himself (an interesting spin on things); a South American drug baron and his bodyguards; an old flame who is somehow connected to the baron; a homosexual singer/performer and some allies to the upstanding hero, two of whom are 'Chappie' Chapman (Dutton) and Luis Valentin (Guzmán). Q & A works as a noir-come-internal affairs crime story because it combines things we're familiar with but injects them with, arguably, an auteur's own personal approach. Reilly as a hero seems venerable but smart given his history with the female character now connected with the drug baron and the script consistently pumps out quality one-liners, the majority of which are spouted by Brennan.Adding to the noir pointers, it rains a lot in the film but it's significant as to when it rains. Reilly's reunification in the car with his old flame happens after the baron has threatened him to stay away from her thus creating tension; he has done something he shouldn't have after someone of a superior rank has told him not to. But the meeting in the car, although very well placed given the inclusion of the rain, allows us to see deeper into the past of said couple's relationship. It turns out the flame mistook (or perhaps she didn't) a look Reilly gave her father upon seeing he was black, something that obviously points to bigotry. But then again, the film is racist without ever really demeaning any race, religion or ethnic group. Certainly, the level of racism in the dialogue is rather high but when one of Reilly's friend's is in the bar telling him how much of a 'great man' the chief of homicide is, the element of hate is built up through the script and our opinions of a character alternate without him even being on screen. It's also worth saying that when you have a film which contains a character both black and homosexual, one of which is also physically weak the majority of people will have a field day going up in arms over it; but I felt the film steered away from any sort of stereotyping and thus does its best to create a realistic character without any aim to offend. It's worth saying here that director Lumet directed 12 Angry Men, a film that was all about fighting for what's right whether black, Spanish-American or whatever.So Q & A is a courtroom drama set outside the court; a noir that it in colour and made in the 1990s; your not so average, everyday cop thriller from the 1980s-90s and your entertaining, compelling detective novel stretched across 130 minutes complete with colourful characters, hate, love, regret and humorous one-liners and insults. Brennon is perhaps the star but given the audience know exactly what he knows throughout several of the scenes, it's almost as if he's the star. Yes, he's mean and spiteful; yes, he intimidates and goes below the belt but if anything, I read people saying: 'watch it for Nolte'. Good call, he's almost the hero given what we know and Reilly doesn't but that's the apparent genius of Q & A: you have your detective cordon, your love cordon and your hard bodied bully cordon. I could recommend Q & A for a number of things, including a re-watch just to clarify a few things but do not let a complicated plot at all put you off seeing it.

I very much enjoyed this little Sidney Lumet gem from 1990, it certainly exceeded my expectations. Timothy Hutton and Armand Assante are first-rate, but the real thing that had me fixed to the screen was the powerhouse performance from Nick Nolte as deranged police Lieutenant Mike Brennan. I've seen scary cops before, but not like this. He is like a rabid dog. He is what GG Allin would have been if he was a cop instead of a rocker. A 6 foot, hulking monster who would tear Dennis Peck (Richard Gere's slimy cop in 'Internal Affairs) a brand new a**hole. If you're looking for a vile, unrestrained and unpredictable villain who kicks ass, look no further. Lots of good twists, with a tense atmosphere and a cheesy albeit humorous soundtrack, give Q & A a watch if you come across it.

Messily written film about an internal investigation of a murder by a star police officer. The film takes it's point-of-view from the investigator, and creates it's drama by following him deeper into the case.The poor screenplay and over-complication lets this film down. Nick Nolte's character is pretty much the only thing that will you keep you interested, as unlikable as he is.The side-line love story adds nothing to the film, apart from adding to any impatience you may be experiencing about the conclusion of what should be a very simple story.Armand Assante is very good in this also, and you can't help but wonder why they didn't exploit his talents a little more, and the lead character's a little less.