CITY OF LIES

US, 2018, 112 minutes, Colour.

Johnny Depp, Forest Whitaker, Toby Huss, Dayton Callie, Neil Brown Jr, Shea Whigham, Xander Berkely, Shamier Anderson, Michael Pare, Armin Joseph.

Directed by Brad Furman.

In this film, the City of Lies is Los Angeles.

This film is something of a docudrama, a reminder of the East Coast – West Coast disputes in the music and recording industry in the 1990s, with the murders of Christopher Wallace, the Notorious Biggie Smalls, Notorious BIG, and of Tupac Shakur.

There have been a number of films about the case, documentaries, the feature film Notorious. However, well there have been suspicions, there have been no definite solutions, indications of cover-ups.

This film is set in 2018, looking back to the 1990s. The central character is a retired police detective, Russell Poole, played by Johnny Depp. He is still investigating the case privately and links up with a journalist, Jack Jackson, played by Forest Whitaker. By this stage in his life, Poole is obsessive as well as being disillusioned by the police. He is not easy to work with.

And, there are flashbacks to the 1990s, Johnny Depp showing Poole at the time of the murders, his personal life, his investigations, his police dedication, his being thwarted. And Jackson is not easy to work with in his role as a journalist.

Christopher Wallace’s mother, Violeta, appears in one scene as herself discussing with Johnny Depp’s Poole.

A number of veteran Hollywood actors portray the Los Angeles police.

The end of the film is both climactic and anticlimactic. Jackson urges Poole to continue investigating, documents found, collapsing, dying. Jackson writes an article for his paper – and then resigns. There is some emotional completion as Poole’s son reads the article.

1. Title? Los Angeles? 1997? The year LA confidential released? The music industry, East Coast-West Coast rivalries? Islands? Assassinations? Money deals? Drugs? Corrupt police?
2. Los Angeles, the city, the streets, homes and apartments, police precincts? Nightclubs, musical events? The musical score? The music of the period?
3. Audience knowledge of the roles of Tupac Shakur and Christopher Wallace (Biggie Smalls)? The record companies and the rivalries? The battles in the black community? The investigations into the killings, investigations thwarted, and still no decisions?
4. The time periods, 1997, the atmosphere of the time, Los Angeles, policing, the music industry? The police, authorities, on the beat, black and white? The aftermath of the Rodney King riots?
5. The contrast with the 2010s, the police in Los Angeles? Calmer atmospheres?
6. Russell Poole story, Johnny Depp in the role, age in the 1990s, aged 20 years later (the same)? His commitment as an officer, detective, his work, ambitions, investigations, being thwarted? Loss of his position, his family? Reputation? Considered mad? Living alone, his apartment, full of the newspaper items and other references to the murders?
7. Jackson, Forest Whitaker, journalist, his role, success in the past, mistakes, the attitude of his employers? His interest in Russell Poole, the cases, the implications? Going into the apartment, the confrontation with Russell, the return, the discussions, their becoming friends?
8. Jackson and Poole working together, re-examining clues, some kind subsequent behaviour of the police, police suspects, in prison, information, the flashbacks, the introduction to the authorities, Poole and his superiors, warned off the case, diverted? The various black police, suspicions? The religion of Islam has suspect?
9. The opening tone, the Frank Lyga episode, in the vehicles, on the road, eyeing off each other, the car pursuits, the crash, for guns, Frank shooting? The revelation that the victim was a police officer? The investigations, Poole and his support, the quashing of the case?
10. The re-creating of the episodes with the music industry, Shug Knight and the East Coast influence, criminal, putting out contracts but not knowing the killers? Hide killers from the community? Security and shooters from the police force?
11. The recreation of the episode with Peres, the confrontation with the drugs, shooting the dealer, Poole and his intervention? Peres in jail, the role of David Mack, bodyguard, corrupt, in jail?
12. The police authorities, the civil authorities, the court hearings, Frank Lyga’s case and his lawyer, deal made rather than go public? The chief of police, district attorneys…?
13. The effect on Poole, his brooding on the case for 20 years? Separation from his wife? His son as a baseball champion, going to see him, Jackson accompanying him? The family disowning him?
14. The 2010s, Poole, pursuing the case, encouraged by Jackson, Jackson finding documents, hurrying to the lawyer’s office, Poole’s collapse, hospital, his death, Jackson writing the article praising Poole, resigning? Poole’s son reading about his father?
15. And the continuing information that even 20 years after the murders, no solutions, no convictions?