(1990) The newest member of LAPD's internal affairs division, Raymond Avila (Andy Garcia), a cool head with good instincts, is partnered with by-the-book police Sgt Amy Wallace (Laurie Metcalf), who immediately sets things in their proper perspective for Raymond: other cops hate IAD officers.

Their first investigation together concerns police officer Van Stretch, whom Raymond knew at the Academy, accused of planting drug evidence and unprovoked violence. A corrupt cop just asking for trouble, Van has a drug habit and beats up his wife Penny, though she admits to nothing wrong at home.

Van's partner, smooth operator, highly regarded Dennis Peck (Richard Gere), extracts favors from other cops for his attention to their career advancement. The male cops have spouses - Kathleen (Nancy Travis), Raymond's wife who works in an art gallery, complains of his work interfering with their marriage (less dipping of his brush into her paint); Amy's a lesbian.

A slow fuse is lit to develop the story - director Mike Figgis's crime drama, written by Henry Bean, that explodes soon after Raymond loses his cool, seeing Dennis having lunch with Kathleen.

Gradually Raymond and Amy put the pieces together of Peck's infernal affairs (though their superiors dismiss the allegations): using his four wives and Penny (with whom he's having sex) to buy real estate and launder his drug money; getting fellow cops moonlighting jobs with Rudy Moore, a convicted felon; arranging a contract killing for a businessman who wants his parents eliminated ("You can trust me. I'm a cop.").

Anyone who getting in Peck's way becomes his target for elimination, though one gets away. To find Demetrio, witness to two killings, Raymond goes to his contacts in the Latino community.

Two questions linger: How can a father of eight children, who demonstrates genuine devotion to his offspring, act so manipulatively and monstrously toward other human beings? Also, how did Peck come into possession of Kathleen's panties?

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