Writer/director Robert Towne has done better work, as scriptwriter on classic movies such as Chinatown, for example, but this thriller is still an extremely entertaining example of his work. Kurt Russell and Mel Gibson star as the former schoolfriends who have gone their separate ways, Russell into the police force and Gibson into drug dealing. When Gibson plans a final trade-off, Russell tries to persuade his old chum against the deal. Michelle Pfeiffer plays the restaurant owner who becomes romantically involved with both men. Towne occasionally allows his wordiness to get between the viewer and the characters, but the fine cast (which also includes Raul Julia and JT Walsh) and Conrad Hall's Oscar-nominated cinematography provide ample compensation.

In a seaside California town, best friends Mac and Nick are on opposite sides of the law. Mac is a former drug dealer trying to clean up his act, while Nick is a high-profile detective trying to take down a Mexican drug lord named Carlos. Soon Nick's loyalties are put to the test when he begins an affair with restaurateur Jo Ann -- a love interest of Mac's -- unwittingly leading his friend into a police-orchestrated trap.