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Plot Summary
Following Serpico (1973) and Prince of the City (1981), veteran urban crime film director Sidney Lumet completed a thematic trilogy about New York City police corruption with this noir drama. When New York City cop Mike Brennan (Nick Nolte) shoots an unarmed Hispanic drug dealer in cold blood, he quickly plants a gun on his victim and manufactures some eyewitness testimony. D.A. Kevin Quinn (Patrick O'Neal) calls in his assistant district attorney, Al Reilly (Timothy Hutton), to conduct a perfunctory investigation of the incident, but Brennan's obvious guilt during a question and answer session makes Reilly dig deeper. The crusading lawyer is soon uncovering a web of corruption that reaches from Brennan into Quinn's office. At the same time, Reilly learns that his ex-girlfriend Nancy Bosch (Jenny Lumet, the director's daughter), is now dating his chief witness, Puerto Rican drug dealer Bobby Texador (Armand Assante). Q & A (1990) was based on the novel by Edwin Torres, a New York State Supreme Court judge whose two other novels were later adapted into the film Carlito's Way (1993). Lumet would again return to the subject of New York's corrupt criminal justice system with Night Falls on Manhattan (1997).
Rotten Tomatoes Movie Reviews
TOMATOMETER
87%- Reviews Counted: 23
- Fresh: 20
- Rotten: 3
- Average Rating: 6.8/10
Top Critics' Reviews
Fresh: ''Q and A'' is most memorable for its performances, beginning with Mr. Nolte's.
Fresh: Q&A is a major film by one of our finest mainstream directors. As both a portrait of modern-day corruption and an act of sheer storytelling bravura, it is not to be missed.
Fresh: Q & A is testimony to the validity of the old adage: a good story, when well told, can never be told too many times.
Fresh: A New York at odds with Woody Allen's, albeit also filled with angst; where Allen dissects the middle class in the throes of its own insecurities, Lumet cruises the underbelly
Customer Reviews
Q & A
From a film students perspective, this film is phenomenal in every way. Great screenplay, well directed and edited. Nolte/Brennan is a total menace to society! But oh dear Lord, Armand Assante/Tex is pure charismatic energy.
Hollywood rarely makes movies with this much passion and impact anymore. This film has my creative juices flowing! Oh to be on a set with this much talent !!!
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- $12.99
- Genre: Action & Adventure
- Released: 1990
- © 1990 The Odyssey/Regency Company. All rights reserved.