Probably the best directorial effort of screenwriter Robert Towne, this crime drama about a romantic triangle in modern-day Los Angeles deserved better from both audiences and critics, despite an Oscar nomination for the cinematography of Conrad L. Hall. Essentially a modern update of the classic film Angels with Dirty Faces (1938), the film is best viewed with an awareness of Towne's signature style, a blend of three-dimensional characters with labyrinthine motivations never fully explained or even familiar to themselves. For those seeking closure, any Towne film, even Chinatown, will likely prove a hard sell, but for those open-minded viewers willing to immerse themselves in a complicated, mature entertainment steeped in superb acting and gorgeous photography, Tequila Sunrise is a psychological and visual masterpiece.