Q & A marks the third installment in Sidney Lumet’s series concerning corruption within the NYPD, and it represents a notably bleak perspective. Though Al Pacino and Treat Williams faced difficult decisions in Serpico and Prince of the City, Timothy Hutton's character discovers that individual action is ultimately powerless. The film’s conclusion leaves audiences feeling as disheartened as the protagonist does, because it reveals his efforts were constrained from the start; rather than attempting to circumvent or challenge those in authority, Al Reilly (Hutton) might have simply gone along with things and perhaps spared some lives in the process. Serpico and Prince of the City presented corruption as a problem requiring courage to confront directly; Q & A suggests Lumet has lost faith, conveying a sense that this is an unchangeable reality where no one can effect change—and it’s well known what position you take when you're complicit in the issue if you aren't actively trying to resolve it. Despite its darker tone, the film still offers some enjoyable moments, which isn't unexpected given the cast involved. Nick Nolte embodies an early version of the Bad Lieutenant, delivering two memorable sequences where he shares a crude story with the same group of people before recounting his official account of shooting a Puerto Rican teenager—a shooting that is ultimately deemed self-defense; in both instances, he captivates his audience, and the film’s as well. Armand Assante's performance foreshadows Pacino’s role in Carlito's Way, with both characters drawn from novels by former New York State Supreme Court Justice and author Edwin Torres.

Source on TMDB