Director: Mike Figgis Cast: Richard Gere, Andy Garcia, Nancy Travis & William Baldwin Plot: Ambitious officer Raymond Avila (Andy Garcia) joins the Internal Affairs Department of the Los Angeles police and is tasked with investigating L.A. beat cop Dennis Peck (Richard Gere) whose financial holdings start to suggest something shady. This kicks off a deadly game of cat and mouse between the young I.A. officer and the devious, arch-manipulator Peck Reason(s) To Watch Before You Die: Casting an actor against type can be risky because for every Ben Kingsley in Sexy Beast theres a Colin Farrell in Alexander. Any worries Mike Figgis had in casting leading man and screen hero Richard Gere as a sociopathic, corrupt, amoral police officer would have disappeared the moment he yelled action!. Geres performance is a master class in gleeful malice, on a par with legendary screen villains Hans Gruber and Hannibal Lector, and will come as a revelation to anyone only familiar with his heartthrob type roles. The only surprise? Hes so good playing a evil sh*t its a shame he doesnt do it more often.
