UNDER COVER

US, 1987, 94 minutes, Colour.
David Neidorf, Jennifer Jason Leigh, Barry Corbin, Kathleen Wilhoite.
Directed by John Stockwell.

Under Cover is a familiar story about undercover police and their infiltrating drug rings in a high school. However, it is efficiently and effectively done - co-written and directed by actor John Stockwell (Christine, Top Gun).

The settings are Baltimore and South Carolina, the ordinariness of the school, the drug rings, police and corruption. There are the expected action sequences - but quite interestingly done.

1. Entertaining police thriller? Drugs amongst American teenagers? High schools? Police corruption?

2. Carolina and Baltimore locations? The atmosphere of the town, school, homes, socialising? Stunt sequences and action? Musical score?

3. The title, the initial focus of the attempt at the bust and its going wrong, the death? Shef and his concern for his friend, going under cover in the school? The training of the group, their work amongst the students? Effective or not?

4. Shef, a loner, his angers? Clash with the commissioner in Baltimore? His going to Carolina, the instructions, the meeting with Tanille? His going to his accommodation, the family setting? Enrolment at school, trying to disguise himself as a student? In class, sport, the locker-rooms? Growing friendships? The challenge and his being saved by Tanille getting his card? The friendship with Lucas? The leads, going to the brothel? Finding out more about the murder of his partner? Reporting to Lee? His suspicions of Lee, talking to Tanille? The search in the locker-room, getting the gun? Friendship with Lucas? Suspicions of Lucas, his going to his home, searching it, finding the gun? His being arrested? The tracking down of the man in the cafe, his cut hands? The tapes? The confrontation with the villain, with Lee, Tanille and her shooting Lee? His getting Lucas released? The end of his mission? Interesting characterisation, portrait of an undercover policeman?

5. Tanille, her place in the town, relationship with Lee? Ex-junkie? Successful under cover? Lucas seeing through her? Helping in the search of the car? Disbelief about Lee? Persuaded, the tapes, the final shoot-out?

6. Lee and his role in the town, the program for getting the high school students? His cover-ups? Smooth manner, giving himself away about the gun? His contact at the restaurant? The final confrontation, his death? The man at the restaurant, the cover for importing the drugs? Distributing them amongst the students?

7. The teachers, the students at school? The drug moves, talking amongst one another? The brutal student and the taunting in the locker-room? Connection with the brothel? The arrests?

8. The picture of drugs in the U.S? Police combating them? Police corruption?