Russell Poole and Jack Jackson investigate the murders of rappers Notorious B.I.G. and Tupac Shakur.
Chuck says:
Initially set for release in 2018, Brad Furman’s City of Lies is being quietly released in theaters in the hopes that Johnny Depp’s tattered reputation, as well as continued concerns about Covid-19 won’t keep viewers away. It’s a shame this fact-based crime movie is getting such an uphill battle because it’s not half bad. Depp is disgraced LA police officer Russell Poole who became obsessed with solving the murder of rappers Notorious B.I.G. and Tupac Shakur, an investigation that leads to his ruin. Uncovering corruption within the department, he meets one roadblock after another, as well as efforts to smear his investigation. Forrest Whitaker is also on hand as an investigative reporter also on the trail and the two screen vets keep us hooked as the story takes its numerous twists and turns. A bit too long, the film nevertheless is an intriguing police procedural that raises many questions about the very institutions we rely on to protect us.
3 Stars
