City of Lies has two great performances by Jonny Depp and Forest Whitaker, and solid performances by the supporting cast. The story mainly uses flashbacks to tell the story of Russel Poole's investigation into the murder of Notorious BIG.

I loved it. It also makes me mad that this movie was shelved and buried for several years because of Depp's personal problems. So many countless others work on these projects. Usually for much longer than the actual cast, and what ? Their work doesn't matter because of one man's issues? Movie studios continue to disappoint me with their motivations lately.

City of Lies very convincingly tells a story of the LAPD and the great lengths they have went to coverup the involvement some of their officers had in the death of Wallace. Not only his death, but these guys were straight up mob/gangsters. But just like every other issue in this country, it comes down to money and power. The most atrocious thing? The LAPD to this day classifies Wallace's murder as "an open investigation" to prevent them from having to answer questions and to avoid a lawsuit from his mother.

How anyone can trust the LAPD, our government, or anyone else with absolute power is beyond me. No one has a chance against them. It makes you realize how much of a joke our country really is. And if you want to think. Well someone would report all this, someone will tell the truth. Forest Whitaker's character pointed it out toward the end of the movie. His own boss was in the pocket of the top brass of the LAPD. The media is just as corrupt as the institutions it claims it's trying to hold accountable. F it all.

I had hoped by now that the families of the victims of this story would have some closure, but it's highly unlikely to ever happen.

Watching this movie, you can't help but wonder how far from the truth the events you're watch really are..? After watching it, I undertook some google couch investigation into some of the names and events. Having been in my late teens during the Tupac/Biggy shootings I was pretty familiar with the happenings and headlines at the time and this movie is pretty much true to form in timeline, events, and players. It is a shame that it was shelved. Deserves better...

1997. LAPD Detective Russell Poole investigates a case of an undercover cop killing another cop. This draws him into the Biggie Smalls and Tupac Shakur murders. What he uncovers is huge, so much so, that the closer he gets to the truth, the more his superiors try to prevent him from getting to it.

A reasonably interesting and intriguing attempt to explain the Biggie Smalls and Tupak Shakur murders. A decent conspiracy theory that is at times incredibly believable and compelling.

However, that's all it is: the story of a cop with a theory (and, admittedly, a fair amount of evidence to back it up). There's no great comeuppance, no great conclusion: it all just fizzles out. A bit of a damp squib in the end.

Ultimately it is disappointing and unsatisfying: you're given hope that there would be a powerful ending and these hopes are dashed.