The Thin Blue Line: Review of Serpico

Classic from the Vault

Serpico (1973)

Director: Sidney Lumet

By Alex Watson

When going to the cinema these days, you would demand your money back from a film if Al Pacino didn’t shout at deafening volumes in whatever picture he appears. This new trademark has both made and burdened his most recent efforts. But people how mesmerising he used to in his quieter moments as an actor how he was capable of conjuring so many different feelings without saying word. His talents were perfectly realized in Sidney Lumet tale of an honest cop drowning in a city of corruption in his 1973 effort Serpico.

Frank Serpico (Al Pacino) graduates a young man into the NYPD and proves to make an excellent young officer and quickly makes the rank of detective. But early on he is witness to a vast amount of bribery and corruption among his fellow cops and in disgust he refuses to join but is vilified for being honest. Disillusioned by this fact he will being a one man crusade to bring down corruption in the department, but his mission will come at great personal cost.

Serpico is a fascinating account of one mans struggle against the odds and through  the excellent direction of Lumet, we are given one of the truly great police dramas. Frank’s status an outsider is made clear from the beginning as we begin with an eye opening starting sequence as we see our hero gunned down in the line of duty by what appears to be a set up. The men in his department want him to stop talking and are not against using underhand tactics.

As a rookie Serpico lives by a strict code which he believes is the key to advancement and even refuses to accept free meals from deli owners. As he reaches a major breakthrough working undercover as a hot dog vendor, he gets his wish of promotion, but the proceeding scenes were he sees first hand that the cops in the NYPD he looks up are not so different from the criminals they put away set the tense feel of the film and before long he is met with more than just looks of distain.

Our hero is far from being perfect and this one of the more refreshing aspects of Serpico because his stand off alienates all meaningful relationships he has and prevents him from making true friends in high places. But his unshakable dedication to his moral values endears him to us and unlike his increasingly growing facial hair, he does once reconsider. As he ruffles feathers high up in City hall we can feel change is in the air. But Lumet’s ending my surprise some as we our hero almost broken by his experience but nonetheless victorious and the ending image of him sitting alone on a dock with only his shaggy dog for company is an everlasting moment and perfectly sums up the man himself.

But at the centre of this movie is Al Pacino’s powerhouse performance as Frank and through he gives one of his career best. Serpico is a character tailor made for Pacino and is able to magnificently channel his rogue like status and being the sole (albeit increasingly more violent) voice of opposition and with no other major players to steal his thunder, this is the Al show from the very first reel. A frequently early collaborator with the Sidney Lumet, this two succeed in bring us some of the most original and legendary cinema of the 1970’s.

If this movie isn’t yet lining your DVD collection, then I urge to add it ASAP because Serpico is one of the most exciting and heroic character driven movies you are likely to witness and through the sheer quality of Lumet and Pacino, this an experience you forget quickly. But more than anything, it will make you think conclusively about where your loyalties lie!

Blue Bloods: Review of End of Watch

End of Watch

Director David Ayer

By Alex Watson

With so many cop films around these days is it at all possible to keep the genre fresh? Since Denzel Washington’s Oscar winning bastardness in Training Day and Nicholas Cage’s cop under influence in Werner Herzog’s remake of Bad Lieutenant, the genre has lost its way on screen and it has been a while since we have seen a cop film that really engages us. How will veteran cop film director, David Ayer approach his film about Los Angeles’ finest in End of Watch?

Brian Taylor (Jake Gyllenhaal) and Mike Zayala (Michael Pena) are long time friend and partner in the LAPD, they are assigned to tough neighbourhood where they repeated chase down drug dealers and other low life crimes. But very soon they boys stumble across a major score when they discover a cartel is running a huge trafficking operation on their turf! Despite repeated warnings to stay away Taylor and Zayala dig deeper, and before long they find themselves the target of very dangerous people!

End of Watch works the usual cop clichés as best as it can, and comes close to being a truly great cop film, the potential is all there with a good set up and two honest guys who get over their heads. The problem is that it all feels so underdeveloped, in particular the friendship between Brian and Mike feels like it is only scratching the surface and as we rush marriages and suddenly them having children, we feel like Ayer is getting the personal stuff out the way quickly to make way for the action! It is a shame that more focus couldn’t wasn’t shifted to this because it is a friendship that deserves better attention.

The lurking threat of danger provides the sufficient interest throughout the film because we have two guys who are walking into a world of trouble and most likely a bloody massacre! Each time a newer and more shocking bust is made, it is like an extra inch is dug in their graves.  Although this is very formulaic story wise, the likeability of Taylor and Zayala gives us a reason to root for them to survive.

David Ayer’s use of handheld camera is interesting and through Taylor filming their various exploits on the job (albeit to must distain from his fellow cops) it gives the film a cop show like feel.  It also succeeds in building up tension to unbearable levels and it is here that End of Watch really fires. Particularly during a horrific confrontation where our heroes get boxed in by trigger happy cartel members and literally have to shoot their way out. The bullets fly thick and fast and our pulses increase similarly!

Jake Gyllenhaal and Michael Pena’s charm make this cop drama all the more watchable and together to they hold the story together well and give the film a much needed heart. Anna Kendrick and Natalie Martinez feel underused as their spouses and although they give their best- we wonder whether they were necessary at all for this film? But little known actor David Harbour who plays wise yet embittered cop Van Hauser that leaves a big impression as he’s the one who predicts that Taylor and Zayala cocky ways will eventually catch up with them!

Even though it isn’t quite the great cop film that everyone hoped, End of Watch is still interesting none the less and is presented with flair and gives us enough interested to keep viewing as these clutch of tense events play out. One day soon there will come another unique story of the boys in blue and hopefully there will a partnership to match this one!

Mr Law & Order: Review of Dredd

Dredd

Director: Pete Travis

By Alex Watson

Many people’s memories still quake with fear as we remember Sylvester Stallone’s previous outing as Judge Dredd. What started as fans delight quickly dissolved into a corny nightmare with its wooden acting and truly terrible storyline and not to mention Sly repeatedly slurring “I AM THE LAWWW” So imagine peoples scepticism when a re- boot of the franchise was announced! But with no real star names attached, this effort looked to be more promising and fans began to believe again? How will British Director Pete Travis take his new vision on a comic legend in Dredd?

Based in the futuristic Mega City One, the world has become a vast wasteland and people are becoming more desperate everyday! The city’s top cop Judge Dredd (Karl Urban) has his work cut out for him as more crime is committed! But even worse a new drug called Slo-Mo has hit the streets from gang leader MaMa (Lena Headey) and is deadly addictive. Soon Dredd is called to mentor rookie Judge Anderson and together the two go on a routine bust inside MaMa controlled tower, Peach Trees. But very soon the two find themselves sealed inside and very soon the only way out is to fight their way upstairs!

Thankfully Dredd sheds the ham factor of its predecessor and is thankfully stripped down to its bare elements by Director Travis and screenwriter Alex Garland. The plot here is minimal and unlike before there is no back story for Dredd and because of this there are no unnecessary sub plot diversions. Here we have a man who will keep law and order, no matter what the cost! The more simple touches allow this film to fire on all cylinders and finally fans get the Judge Dredd their patience has deserved! It is to the credit of Garland and Travis for restoring the faith!

Although the visual effects are rare in this piece, they are none the less spectacular and in 3D this is a worthy experience! In particular, several stunning sequences demonstrating to us life through Slo-Mo eyes. But more than anything, the more grainy cinematography gives us a grittier feel than Stallone’s effort and for the time we see just how bad life in Mega City One has become!

But one area where Dredd falls down is in the centre story line, the idea of cops fighting their way up a drug baron controlled tower block feels dangerously similar to the Indonesian film The Raid by Gareth Evans (reviewed earlier this year) and in the beginning part it becomes a game of spot the similarities. This isn’t to say that the story is any less interesting, but this premise does feel a little cut and pasted.

However, any flaws in story are made up by the excellent portrayal of Dredd, never once is his helmet removed (although we his head once from behind) and this man is all business so in Travis & Garland’s world- humour doesn’t exist with this man because there is peace to preserve. The villainess, MaMa however isn’t quite as brilliant; although she is a cunning and chilling lady- she doesn’t quite conjure up the threat need to drive such a movie.

As the aforementioned Judge, Karl Urban is excellent is this role! A capable supporting man of recents times in RED, Star Trek and The Lord of the Rings trilogy, but when pushed into leading man mode, Urban truly holds the screen and never relents. His performance is made all the more impressive as he is behind a helmet throughout- his chin alone deserves an Oscar for its efforts!

Though Lena Headey looks the part as the scarred MaMa, she doesn’t quite have the menace to go with it. Which is a shame seeing as her work as evil Queen Cersei Lannister in Game of Thrones has brought us one the best villains on TV! Olivia Thirlby gives solid support as rookie Anderson who has learn fast as the baddies close in around her!

The redemption of Judge Dredd is finally here (and no Rob Schneider in sight!), Dredd is a fine adaption of John Wagner’s comic and we can begin to forget Stallone’s original effort and embrace the true bad-ass that Urban has brought to our screens. – Fans let the healing process begin!

Battle: Los Angeles: Review of Heat

Classic From The Vault

Heat (1995)

Director: Michael Mann

By Alex Watson

Michael Mann is a film maker who stands out in the modern day for numerous reasons, the first being that none of his movies are ever the same and he’ll always try his hand at something different, for instance going from Last of the Mohicans to the ice cold Collateral. This man in my opinion is the best modern day storyteller because he knows how make an audience member think and has an amazing ability to craft sympathy for even the most unforgiving character.  His talents were best demonstrated with the help of a legendary pairing his stunning film, Heat.

This movie tells the story of two men, Los Angeles cop Vincent Hanna (Al Pacino), who is a man so obsessed with his job that has become him. On the other side is career crook Neil McCauley (Robert De Niro), who is head of a gang of four robbers whose lives are so organized that they can drop everything in 30 seconds if the pressure gets too much. The crew has recently been responsible for a number of well executed robberies in the LA recently and very soon Hanna is hot their trail!

This piece is Mann’s best film thus far, but it is also one of those films that you don’t know exactly what it is you should praise about it? Is it the legendary (albeit it brief) pairing of Al Pacino and Robert De Niro? Or was it the beautiful cinematography by Dante Spinotti? For me the thing that is greatest about this movie is Mann’s direction and storytelling of the two leads characters.

In its simplest form Heat is a crime thriller but this isn’t your typical Hollywood affair. In fact this is a movie more interested in mind games than action scenes. Here however Mann goes against tradition and gives us something completely different. Instead of crafting your typical good & bad guy’s story he instead rises above to give an interesting insight into the minds of two people chasing each other. All in all it shows that maybe cops and robbers aren’t so different after all.

The psychology between McCauley and Hanna provides the key points of the story because although they are the best at what they do, in reality their lives are in ruins. Hanna is a man so addicted to the chase that he is now on his third marriage, this time to suffering Justine (Diane Venora. McCauley is free of any emotion in the early part of the movie, but that all changes when he meets Eady (Amy Brenneman) because it is during this period that we see a different side to him. But could this be a start of his downfall? The intriguing thing about the two seems to be that these two know each other’s methods so well that they have a grudging respect for one another.

Heat is a definitive movie for a lot of reasons but the most memorable scene through the entire movie is by far the bank heist scene. It starts with McCauley’s crew again doing well drilled heist, this time on a bank, while at the same time Hanna and his fellow officers have been tipped off and are on the scene. Even though the heist is performed effectively, two cops are spotted and within moments a shootout ensue and downtown Los Angeles is turned into a war zone!

It is a memorable so scene for a number of reasons but most notably for the sound quality, the sound of the AK rifles firing sends a shiver down your spine as it echo’s out; we are in this point witnessing a key moment in modern cinema. In this moment the bar is truly raised for shootout scenes as this is no ordinary good guys versus bad guy’s shootout. This scene is the one where pulses raise highest because you are not sure who will live or die in this scene, not even McCauley or Hanna are safe from this.

Al Pacino and Robert De Niro both dominate will equal force in Heat, their sole scene in the coffee shop finally gave Hollywood the moment it had been waiting for. And as the pair debates their separate lives- sparks fly as we watch! There are great turns from Tom Sizemore and Val Kilmer as two of the other members of McCauley well prepared crew. In fact you would be hard pressed to find a more impressive set of robbery’s in Los Angeles today!

Heat is one of those movies where you are not exactly sure which part is best to discuss because there are so many, but one thing is for certain, the film world would be a lot worse if there wasn’t a great storyteller like Michael Mann.

When Two Tribes Go to War: The Untouchables Review

Classic from the Vault

The Untouchables (1987)

Director: Brian De Palma

By Alex Watson

These day’s people tend to snigger when they hear about a film starring Kevin Costner, after a golden start to his career things tailed off after his mega flop film Waterworld and his equally blasted adaptation of David Bein’s novel The Postman. But everyone tends to forget what a great presence he is on our screens and what charisma and heart he is able to bring to a character. There is no better time than to re-visit what is arguably his finest hour in Brian De Palma’s classic, The Untouchables.

Set in Chicago in the 1930’s the city is at the height of prohibition and gangster Al Capone (Robert De Niro) runs the city with absolute power. To toughen up the law the US Treasury appoints Special Agent Eliot Ness (Kevin Costner) to bring change to the city and to expel corruption within the Police Force. Initially his efforts are a failure due to cops being bribed and several busts going wrong as a result! But then Ness comes across Jim Malone (Sean Connery), an incorruptible Irish ‘beat cop’ and together they form a small band of similar officers including rookie George Stone (Andy Garcia) and accountant Oscar Wallace (Charles Martin Smith) and together will bring down Capone!

The band of brother’s feel of The Untouchables is what truly gives it heart, all the way through they grow as a team and their tactics grow more refined. But more than anything we know they will always watch out for one another, no matter what the cost. Early on we see that Eliot Ness has been given a thankless job within the department. Cops change their loyalty like they change their clothes, and in short he cannot change Chicago.

After the introduction of Jim Malone Ness’ character beings to grow. Malone through his old school methods teaches Ness ‘The Chicago Way’, ” You wanna know how to get Capone? They pull a knife, you pull a gun. He sends one of yours to the hospital, you send one of his to the morgue. That’s the ‘Chicago’ way! And that’s how you get Capone.”

Soon the four are able to strike fear into gangland as they hide the mob’s secret hideouts. As their notoriety increases, they come under Capone’s ever watching eye and very soon he has dispatched his creepy enforcer Frank Nitti (Billy Drago) to send a powerful message!

But also in The Untouchables there are moments that remind us just how brutal Capone’s reign, in one scene he casually walks around a dinner table holding a baseball bat talking how it is his favourite team game. Moments later he shockingly beats a fellow gang member to a bloody pulp in full view everyone. The message is clear to all- anyone that snitches won’t live to tell the tale! But as the four men get closer to Capone, their methods begin to match his.

One notable example happens when the men execute a daring raid on a whiskey deal at the Canadian border. When a mafia man refuses to talk and scoffs at their efforts, Malone grabs his dead associate and pretends to threaten into talking. To finally scare the man into submission, Malone blows a hole in the dead man’s head! This frightens the man into talking and by matching their enemy, they get the result they need!

Kevin Costner gives a fine performance as Ness. Although very bookish at the beginning, Costner as the film progress finds room to make Ness more assertive. His final showdown with Billy Drago gives us one of the coldest deaths in movie history!  But The Untouchables belongs to Sean Connery’s great turn as Malone. His grizzled veteran is as much teacher as he is father figure for Ness, Connery is the force that pushes the film into greater territory and for this he was rewarded with his only Oscar! Although Robert De Niro only features briefly as Capone, his presence is still a terrifying one. Capone has the city in his pocket and there is nothing he won’t do to keep himself in power!

For proof that there is life left in Costner then please check this out. De Palma’s film will keep you gripped from the very starts and features one of the greatest shootout sequences ever filmed! Chicago is a city in crisis and it needs a band of heroes. With Costner and Connery on the job- results are assured!

Adrenaline Junkie: Review of The Raid

The Raid

Director: Gareth Evans

By Alex Watson

 

It’s always an amazing feeling to leave the cinema with a massive buzz from the great action film you have just witnessed. This kind of film makes for great viewing and always give you something to discuss for weeks afterwards. Films like Die Hard fit firmly into this category because they give us pure entertainment value. But in the last few years there hasn’t been an action film that has real left us totally astounded. Well Action fans can start celebrated again because we have found a film that more than fits the bill, Indonesian film, The Raid.

The Raid focuses on a rookie police officer Rama (Iko Uwais) who is involved in a raid on a high rise Jakarta building which is home to drug lord Tama (Ray Sahetapy). For years Tama has held this part of town in the palm of his hand, and now the cops are determined to bring him down. Initially the raid is a success but then the word gets out the cops are in the building! In response Tama battens down the hatches and makes sure the cops are trapped with no escape! Rama is now faced with fighting his way out, even though he knows that all 30 floors are filled with blood thirsty killers!

The high octane feel of The Raid is present from the very start and this is a feeling that never relents! For the first in years we have an action film that delivers exactly what it promises- fast paced action where the audience has to fight to catch its breath! During the fight scenes this effect comes into play, particular when star Uwais fights with a baddie whilst falling from three storeys above! This how action films are made and director Gareth Evans has put this one up with the very best!

Although the plot might seem formulaic- cops against bad guys armed to the teeth with guns, it’s the tight and claustrophobic feeling that keeps us hooked! After a calm and slow build up, the film goes into overdrive when the cop’s presence is discovered! From there it becomes a chest tightening experience- particularly as we know there is nowhere for them to run! There are the usual twists and turns to keep us connected to the plot, but after the constant adrenaline you will feel grateful for the rest!

Perhaps the most surprising thing of this Asian film is that it was directed by a Welshman! Gareth Evans has now announced himself to the world stage and he has given us one of the films of 2012! Through his jerky and uneven camera movement he leaves us constantly breathless! In The Raid he brings across a polished western feel, this brings the film above the normal cut and paste action thrillers of recent years, all the while still preserving the manic feel of Asian cinema.

But the biggest find in The Raid is star Ido Uwais, who was discovered working as a delivery man in Indonesia by Evans in 2007 while he was making a documentary. Well it seems he was a great find because we have a fascinating new action star on our hands. As Rama he is effortlessly cool, but has a great human side to him in his quiet moments. All the way through his martial art skills leave us open mouthed! Especially during the final double attack sequence on henchman Mad Dog (Yayan Ruhian), which is seemingly destined for cult fight scene status!

This year you will be hard pressed to find a better and more entertain action film than The Raid! The mass critical acclaim on the film festival circuit proves this. Both Evans and Uwais make a brilliant combination together and I cannot wait for the sequel for this to materialize.  I can confidently predict this will be high up on my films of the year list! But be warned your heart might stop any given point!

 

Protect and Serve: Review of Witness

Classic from the Vault

Witness (1985)

Director: Peter Weir

By Alex Watson

If anyone ever mentions a film starring Harrison Ford then our minds automatically imagine him at the helm of the Millennium Falcon in Star Wars or with his trusty hat and whip in Indiana Jones. But rarely do people think back to his performance in Peter Weir’s 1986 classic Witness. This film gave audiences a very different view of love between two opposite worlds and gave Ford a new hero persona.

Witness follows Philadelphia police officer John Book (Harrison Ford). At the beginning of the film young Amish boy Samuel Lapp (Lukas Haas) witnesses a brutal murder by corrupt cop Lieutenant McFee (Danny Glover). Book is assigned to the case and after discovering the killer was a cop, he shares his suspicions with his Chief. After McFee attempts to kill Book, he realises that neither he nor the boy and his mother, Rachel (Kelly McGillis) are safe. To protect them he his forced to go deep into hiding within the Amish community, all the while knowing the killers are out for revenge.

The unique story line gives Witness its main strength, the plot takes its time to get started and the first act builds up gradually. After Book is nearly murdered in a botched ambush, the movie kicks into life and it is from there that we begin to connect with him. Book as a man accustomed to violence has difficulty adapting to the ways of the pacifist Amish. The community is deeply suspicious of outsiders and when Rachel shows an interest in Book, it sparks friction. But as Book comes to play protector to them, the walls are broken down they come to accept him. As he leaves he is told “You be careful out among them English.” This is a final mark of respect is given to him.

The romance element to the story is one the most interesting aspects to the movie, we know their romance is strictly forbidden, but we can see that Rachel and John book love and respect each other deeply because of the danger they have shared. With their love the simplest gestures cause the biggest waves. At a barn raising (a very significant event for the Amish) Rachel shows her interest in Book by pouring a glass of water for him before any of the others. But even though we hope them to find a way to make things work, we know their worlds are two different to co-exist peacefully.

Peter Weir is one of cinema’s most established names and through his previous pieces such as The Year of Living Dangerously, The Truman Show and Gallipoli he has proven himself as an original story teller. He is main strength as a director is his ability to demonstrate people and places. In Witness he proves this further, assisted by a great script by William Kelley and Earl Wallace, Weir gives us a man in a difficult place that has to go against the only thing he knows in order to stay alive.

Harrison Ford gives the best performance of his career in this film, as John Book he is tough and strong willed. But as he comes to bond with the boy and his mother Ford gives Book a more tender side. Through this it gives him strength at the pictures finale and we just know he will protect them, even if it means his life. This is one of Ford’s most under-rated performances and he was rewarded with his sole Oscar nomination. Elsewhere Kelly McGillis is impressive as Rachel, a widow who comes to like Book. She has an engaging presence on screen and the chemistry between her and Ford works like a charm. Lukas Haas in his debut performance is great as Samuel; his youthful naivety to the world gives him an almost angelic quality. But later on we realize he is more resourceful than we first realize.

Witness is possibly Peter Weir’s greatest piece of work; his solid direction gives us a very different kind of romance and a hero forced to hang up his guns. For evidence that there is more to Harrison Ford than fighting Nazi’s or the Empire, then please give Witness a look.  For the very outset it will have you gripped and the feeling never relents. Who knows, it might even make you want to give up your big city life and go Amish instead!

I Fought the Law: The Guard Review

New Cult Classic

The Guard (2011)

Director: John Michael McDonagh

By Alex Watson

Every year there is a comedic gem that always slips under our radar. We read rave reviews about it and we promise ourselves we’ll go and see it. But later we forget and just let it build cult status on DVD.  Last year there was such a film that did this, a film which gave us some many laughs we felt our stomachs might burst. From Irish director John Michael McDonagh we were given, The Guard. This film gave us a unique band of characters, and one of the most quotable films of recent years.

Set in the west of Ireland, The Guard follows unconventional policeman Sergeant Gerry Boyle (Brendan Gleeson) who is investigating a seemingly random murder. Very soon straight laced FBI agent Wendell Everett (Don Cheadle) arrives to investigate a drug smuggling ring and is paired with the apathetic and straight talking Boyle. Although they encounter a very difficult start, they eventually coming to a working arrangement and together they will bring the criminals to violent justice.

The Guard is one of the most funny and original comedies in a long time. Its humour is very dark but extremely hilarious. The buddy plot might seem similar to many people but its setting in the west of Ireland gives it a whole new edge. In this community McDonagh gives us plenty of zany personalities (including a youth who likes to pictures of dead people) and a different band of drug smuggling criminals who like to read philosophy rather than do drugs and sleep with women.

Its approach to this kind of film is very unusual and here we aren’t given the standard cliques such as over long shoot outs between cops and robbers. In The Guard we have policemen and criminals calmly sitting down and having a civil conversation whilst hinting at potential violence. While the usual elements are included such as gun fights and car chases, they are brought to us with air of humour. When one gangster is killed his last words are “Good Shot”.

McDonagh’s sharp dialogue in one of the films strongest features and provides many quotable lines. A key scene that shows this is when Boyle interrupts Everett’s briefing to inform him that he thought only Blacks and Mexicans were drugs dealers. As Everett reprimands him Boyle merely replies “I’m Irish, racism is part of my culture.” This kind of brutal comedy makes the film so memorable and we are left wide a wide grin as the credits roll.

Sergeant Boyle is one of the best character creations in recent cinema. We are given a very different kind of policeman; his casual approach to his duties provides many laughs. As the film opens we see him calmly observing a fatal car crash. Here he ticks off the dead victims and picks a tab of acid out a dead man’s pocket and places in his mouth! Boyle in many ways is just a big kid. A man who visits Disneyland alone and likes to spend his ‘days off’ with whores dressed in police attire. But yet he is a fantastic detective with an impressive insight into the human condition and dutiful son to his terminally ill mother. Also unlike his corrupt counterparts he has decided to cling onto what dignity his job still gives him and not turn his back on events.

Brendan Gleeson gives the film its comedic drive and delivers one of the best performances of his career. While typically a supporting man in major Hollywood films like Harry Potter and Kingdom of Heaven, his roles in films such as John Boorman’s The General have shown us what an adept leading man he can be. As Boyle he demonstrates this further and hopefully in the future, producers will open their eyes. He is joined by Don Cheadle in a solid supporting performance, as Wendell the disappointed look his face becomes a recurring joke as he has to tell locals he is isn’t from the behavioural science unit and just here to investigate drugs. Liam Cunningham and Mark Strong also do well as the villains, a pair of men who always squabble but yet the air of menace never leaves them.

The Guard was one of the top films from last year, yet it still remains under seen by  many cinema goers. Gleeson and McDonagh have the potential be a legendary pairing in the future and I simply can’t wait for their next piece. For pure entertainment I recommend you look at this, and I promise you that you will be quoting these lines until the end of time!

Excessive Force: Rampart Review

Rampart

Director: Oren Moverman

By Alex Watson

The controversy surrounding the Los Angeles Police Department has been well covered in cinema over the years. We got to see the corruption of the 1950’s Hollywood era in Curtis Hanson’s L.A Confidential, then we saw the tension surrounding the Rodney King incident in Ron Shelton’s Dark Blue and before we saw LA’s response to gang violence in Dennis Hopper’s film Colors. The Rampart division and its scandal were infamous in the late 1990’s, with graphic examples of extreme brutality by officers. We now turn to director Oren Moverman’s documentation of events. This ground has been covered before so will the new kid on the block bring the streets back to life?

Set in 1999 the story follows LAPD veteran Dave ‘Date Rape’ Brown (Woody Harrelson), an old officer of the old rampart days who is no stranger to scandal. But when Brown is caught on TV viciously beating a black suspect who has crashed into his car it appears that his controversial career will be brought to justice. Brown decides to prove his innocence and refuses to be forced into retirement! This fight costs him financially and gradually his life descends into a mess of alcohol, violence and sex. Very soon he is forced to face what his life has cost him.

Disappointingly Rampart fails to bring anything new to the corrupt cop genre, the sun soaked streets of Los Angeles are an overly familiar sight to viewers and we are drawn to Date Rape’s view of the streets being a battle ground between cops and gang members. LA Confidential author James Ellroy co-writes this drama and his dialogue gives Rampart some bite, especially when Brown is trying to exonerate himself before his peers by using fancy sounding legal terms. But the plot itself feels light and throughout the movie, not a great deal happens. We see the effects from Dave beating the suspect and his gradual estrangement from his family (the mothers of his children being sisters) but from there the story zig-zags and by the end it feels that the idea is stretched too far.

Moverman and Harrelson last worked together on the well acclaimed but little seen film ‘The Messenger’ and here they work together again. Oren Moverman has the potential to be an interesting prospect for the future. But in Rampart his star takes a knock, his main use of jerky camera moves confuses people as to what is happening in the story. One particular scene which suffers from this effect is when Dave meets with the Police Chief (Sigourney Weaver) and the District Attorney (Steve Buscemi), this should have been the stand out scene of the film. But due to Overman using a spinning camera to go around the table, it leaves us dizzy and makes you want to hold the screen still! Also his choice of ending will no doubt leaving viewers dumfounded because it merely leaves more questions for us to ask rather than bring events to close.

The movies saving grace however, is a stunning lead performance by Woody Harrelson. This man has been gradually earning back his 90’s acclaim and here his Dave Brown is a fascinating example of a man spiralling out of control. He sees himself as ‘the one cop who gets it’, a crusader out to make the streets a better place, when in reality he is merely a bully who trips up on his own violent actions! Yet he still sees himself as an innocent victim of Police politics. Harrelson holds our attention and is never off screen, he gives Rampart its main driving force and it seems Moverman has found a new leading man. Outside of Harrelson, hardly anyone gets a look in. Steve Buscemi and Sigourney Weaver are vastly underused when their characters promise so much! More inclusion of them could have really widened the story.

The Rampart scandal should have been a blue print for a tight and tense police drama. But it seems like an opportunity has been missed and instead we are left with another run of the mill film. There is no doubting that Moverman will come back from this but this really should have been his break out. It is a shame that Woody Harrelson’s name was missed out on the Oscar list this year, but if anything there is evidence that his second coming is much closer than we think!