Impulse (1990)

A Los Angeles undercover cop (Theresa Russell) teeters on the thin line separating her "normal" life as a cop from the lurid and tantalizing life of neon glitz she pretends to lead. Directed by actress Sondra Locke (THE HEART IS A LONELY HUNTER). Russell's out of control cop living on the edge is a compelling character and Russell is excellent and while Locke's direction is assured and taut, it turns into a one woman show because Russell has no one to play against. The two male protagonists (Jeff Fahey, George Dzundza) are stereotypes played by uninteresting actors so it often seems that Russell is acting in a vacuum. Instead of focusing on her, the screenplay by Leigh Chapman features an prosaic drug deal plot that's pedestrian. Still, Locke's direction is good enough that one wishes she had continued directing (she directed only three other movies) but with better material. With Alan Rosenberg and Nicholas Mele.