Q & A (1990)

Watching Sidney Lumet's oddly erratic Q & A, I discovered two interesting aspects of cinema that were once forgotten. One, Armand Assante was deliciously evil in his chosen roles - like Mickey Rourke, he is a forgotten gem of the late 80s - early 90s that truly defined the idea of a character actor. His mannerisms, his choice words, and his power to control each scene proved that he could battle with some of the greats - but alas, some of his film decisions left him only now empowering the great Direct-to-DVD market. The second element - forgotten today but used (probably for the final time) in excess in this film - was the overly feminine, not-so-action-packed choice of songs within the film. A gritty, powerfully acted, intensely dark crime drama about corrupt cops shouldn't necessarily be bookended by the lyrics of Ruben Blades. The opening and subsequent ending just failed on so many levels with this music bursting from my speakers. It just didn't connect to the film nor did it add to the dramatic element of what Lumet was trying to portray.

Q & A had quite a bit going for it before it even started. An angry, and overweight Nick Nolte, a bearded Armande Assante, Lumet's visionary work, Luis Guzman and Charles S. Dutton pairing, Junior Soprano, oh - and let's not forget the ever unsung and sometimes forgotten Fyvush Finkel in a supporting, yet hilarious role. Alas, it just didn't work. Q & A was part crime drama, part Bad Lieutenant, part Crying Game, all Lumet - and 100% confusing. The ultimate downfall to this film was that Lumet (and I do blame him because he did adapt this film from Edwin Torres book) tried to handle way too much. There was the gay element, the Puerto Rican element, the Italian mafia element - not to mention the bad cop element, the new DA element, and the entire police force rooting for the Captain - who is rooted in the most evil, yet primed to become the next Governor. Seem like a lot here - well it was even worse in this film. Q & A began strong, felt powerful with the work of Notle and Assante, but failed due to Lumet's ability behind the camera and Hutton's paper-thin character. He should have been the glue to this story, but instead he just felt annoying and cheap.


This was a movie that could have won awards. Nolte was fantastic with his crazy eyes and ability to start boat fires with the greatest of ease - Assante is, and always will be the power of evil - he can portray a corrupted man better than anyone (and his beard should have won some award). Lumet set up some scenes with beautiful grace, but some (most of them) seem recycled and cheap. This is your standard knock-off cop drama that has been done time and time again with nothing new. Hutton's side story about racism was just another weightless element that Lumet tried to tackle yet failed. I think as a book we can get within the minds of our characters, but on a one-dimensional level - it just didn't work. I could not watch this two hour twelve minute epic again - while it took me from one destination to another - it just failed as an early 90s film. The synthesizer, the over-burdening of plot twists, and the convoluted story just didn't work for this film.


I could not watch it again - nor could I suggest it to friends unless they were just in for a bit Nolte/Assante fix. Thinking back now, I think this is the best on-screen match-up that I have seen this year. The two were such heavy (literally) hitters for their time, but now - well - now - they have gone the way of the dodo. Thankfully, films like this have ended - thankfully - we still have VHS and DVD for our moments where the 90s seem like the only route out of a situation.


Rented from Netflix - my final verdict on this is a yellow highlight with a black mark. It will not be added to the collection nor will it be watched again. It was found in the "Q" section of my TIME OUT FILM BOOK #10. Only four more to go - wish me luck. Hopefully, Q & A will be the final blow.

Gulp, I hope...