Tequila Sunrise (1988) review

Detective Frescia (Kurt Russell) has a real dilemma on his hands: his best friend Dale McKussic (Mel Gibson) is a drug dealer "trying" to straighten out his life - even though he's still in touch with Mexican kingpin Carlos (Raul Julia) - and the two of them are competing for the affections of alluring restauranteur Jo Ann Vallenari (Michelle Pfeiffer).  It begins promisingly enough, with tension galore, but like a shiny and expensive sportscar it stalls in the driveway: the love triangle aspect is a chore, the movie's apparent "villain" doesn't appear until half-way through and Towne's idea of "romance" is either having his characters making out in a rainy wine cellar or in a hot tub accompanied by an aggressive saxophone (in real life, Pfeiffer and Gibson were injured in the scene).  Most appropriately, it ends enshrouded in thick fog ... right along with its "plot."  Julia's character is right, though: grass, as it turns out, really is the future....