Tequila Sunrise (1988)

Mel Gibson is a drug dealer trying to go straight; Kurt Russell is his childhood friend, now a Los Angeles detective, trying to bring down a Mexican drug kingpin who has connections to Gibson. The attraction both of them feel for restauranteur Michelle Pfeiffer adds extra tension. For some reason, the way the story is told is so convoluted and long that it quickly becomes tedious. I’m sure there’s a good tale in there, but it would probably have found a female lead who had better chemistry with the male leads than they have with each other even with an unnecessarily over-extended sex scene. That film would still include Raul Julia though.

Oscar Nomination: Best Cinematography