TO LIVE AND DIE IN L.A. (1985) ¢ ¢ ¢ 1/2
D: William Friedkin
William Peterson, Willem Dafoe, John Pankow,
Debra Feuer, John Turturro, Darlanne Fleugel,
Dean Stockwell, Steve James, Robert Downey Sr.
Willem Dafoe plays an artist whose primary source of income is printing $20 bills. Of course, printing your own money is a form of creative enterprise the Treasury Department does not favor, and government agents led by hotshot BASE jumper William Peterson go after Dafoe. So Dafoe makes money (you can see step-by-step how he does that) and Peterson drives the wrong way on the freeway in a slam-bang car chase and John Barry's jazz score pulses along and cinematographer Robby Müller paints the sky orange over some of the bleakest parts of Los Angeles, while Friedkin keeps things moving at a relentless clip. Welcome to L.A.
