Cop Land

Home
Smell the Movies
Smell the TV

A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z

Year:	1997
Country of origin:	USA
Director:	James Mangold
Genre:	Police corruption
Starring:	Sylvester Stallone, Harvey Keitel, Ray Liotta, Janeane Garofalo, Robert De Niro,Michael Rapaport, Robert Patrick
Rating:	5/5
IMDB link:	http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0118887/
Tagline:	No One Is Above The Law.
Favourite line:	"I gave you a chance to be a cop and you blew it."

Garrison, New Jersey, a small town populated, for the most part, by cops, a sanctuary for the law enforcement officers away from the gangs and deadbeats and violent sorts that they have to deal with in their working lives.
Trouble is, when everything seems to be perfect, when all appears to be straight and above board, corruption is never too far away.
Stallone plays Freddy Heflin, Sheriff of Garrison, a man for whom life in the real police-world of New York was just too much. When a cop apparently jumps off one of New York's bridges after shooting two young black men, Freddy is drawn into a world of corruption and conspiracy that will, inevitably, spiral into bloodshed, violence and death. With a sombre tone right from the get go, this is a real slow burner.

The performances are uniformly excellent, with Stallone and De Niro the clear star turns.
It's the funny thing with Stallone: when he puts away that muscle man persona, the guy really can act.
Not as gritty as Serpico, not as elaborate and involved as The Departed, this is nevertheless an effective, accomplished police corruption thriller that will keep you gripped to the closing frame.