Internal Affairs (film)

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

This article is about the 1990 film directed by Mike Figgis. For Internal affairs in police departments, see Internal affairs (law enforcement). For the 2002 Hong Kong film, see Infernal Affairs. For other uses, see Internal affairs.
Internal Affairs

DVD cover
Directed by Mike Figgis
Produced by Frank Mancuso Jr.
Written by Henry Bean
Starring Richard Gere
Andy García
Laurie Metcalf
Nancy Travis
William Baldwin
Elijah Wood
Music by Brian Banks
Mike Figgis
Anthony Marinelli
Cinematography John A. Alonzo
Editing by Robert Estrin
Distributed by Paramount Pictures
Release date(s) January 12, 1990
Running time 114 min.
Country USA
Language English
IMDb profile

Internal Affairs is a 1990 American crime thriller movie set in Los Angeles about the police department's Internal Affairs Division.

Richard Gere plays Dennis Peck, a suave womanizer, clever manipulator and crooked cop who uses his fellow officers as pawns for his own nefarious purposes while showing a tender side as a devoted father.

Andy García plays Raymond Avilla, the internal affairs agent obsessed in catching Peck when he suspects that Peck is not the poster boy police officer that the precinct has made him out to be.

William Baldwin is Van Stretch, Peck's crooked partner. He was the reason internal affairs was first onto his and Peck's case.

Tagline: Trust him... he's a cop.

[edit] Plot

Raymond Avila joins the Internal Affairs Department of Los Angeles Police and is assigned to work with Amy Wallace. They are soon looking closely at the activities of police officer Dennis Peck, whose financial holdings start to suggest something suspect.

Peck's partner, Van Stretch, comes under pressure from Avila to provide evidence against Peck in return for immunity from prosecution. Peck threatens to make advances on Kathleen Avila, Raymond's wife, if Avila still persists in his investigation. While Peck and Van Stretch are investigating an abandoned vehicle, Van Stretch is shot and wounded, and as the perpetrator emerges, he is congratulated by Peck. Peck kills the perpetrator too, and then chokes Van Stretch to death before the back-up officers arrive. Peck tells investigators that the perpetrator killed Van Stretch and that he himself had to kill the perpetrator in self-defense.

Later, Peck meets with Kathleen Avila in a bid to convince her that Raymond is obsessed with him and wants to establish if she has noticed any strange behaviour in her husband. Raymond witnesses this meeting, then storms back to his office. Peck goes to the office also, assaults Raymond, and then throws a pair of panties at Raymond, convincing him that he has just had sex with Kathleen. Raymond, in a fit of pique, confronts and slaps Kathleen at a restaurant meeting. The two make up the following morning when Kathleen convinces Raymond that she had not slept with Peck.

Avila and Wallace's continued pressure on Peck's family bears fruit when Peck's wife reveals that one of his associates is a criminal, Steven Arrocas.

At Arrocas' house, Steven catches Peck making love to his wife. Peck tries to goad Arrocas into killing his wife, but Arrocas accidentally shots Peck in the foot instead. Peck kills Arrocas. Avila and Wallace arrive at the Arrocas residence and Wallace is shot by Peck before fleeing. Avila, fearing for his wife's safety, returns home to find Peck about to assault his wife. Avila, unnoticed holds Peck at gun-point and then ....

[edit] Cast