Mulholland Falls (1996)

Corruption and the history of Los Angeles seem to be inextricable, at least as presented in the narrative reconstructions of Roman Polanski’s Chinatown (1974), Curtis Hanson’s L.A. Confidential (1997), and Lee Tamahori’s Mulholland Falls (1996). The latter flick takes place in the 1940s when rackets, extortion, and exploitation are homegrown affairs in the City of Angels. Out-of-town gangsters are discouraged from making inroads on the lucrative L.A. action by a special squad of detectives (Nick Nolte, Chazz Palminteri, Michael Madsen, Chris Penn) whose operations and tactics are entirely exempt from all rule of law, other than the law of the urban jungle. An infernal connection between rogue cops (Bruce Dern, Kyle Chandler), a renegade federal agent (Daniel Baldwin), roughshod military officer (Treat Williams), disappointed wife (Melanie Griffith), and a dead dame (Jennifer Connelly) who leaves behind a stash of secretly filmed sex trysts populate a storyline that ties together noir despair. In other words: when no one means well, the outcome is bound to be bad. If you’re still reading, then this crime drama will keep your interest. Indeed, Ms. Connelly provides ample reasons to sit through the twists and turns — especially when she flashes her flesh in a homemade skin flick! The erotically-charged footage features uncensored images of her old school brassiere, black stockings, be-thonged buns, and massive rack as her character gets banged by Timms (John Malkovich) in the sack! Suffice it to say, the more Lieutenant Hoover (Nolte) exposes, the more you’ll be investi-bating your own private dick!