Cop Land (1997)

Good afternoon, my loyal readers. To celebrate my Monday of not working, I am watching Cop Land (1997) written and directed by James Mangold. This was his sophomore effort, and afterwards he would go on to direct Girl, Interrupted, the rather awful Identity, Walk the Line and the rather forgettable remake of 3:10 to Yuma. I can't fault a director for trying different genres, but to date I feel like this film is his strongest.

I have a confession to make: I didn't like Cop Land when I first saw it on video. C'mon, back in 1997 it was all about the Summer Blockbusters. I was 14 back then, and I wouldn't know what a good movie was if it bit me in the pimply ass. This is only the second time I have watched it, but only half an hour in I realized the error of my past self's ways. This is a damn good movie.

The title refers to the nickname for the town of Garrison, New Jersey, where New York City police have set up residence, far from the watchful eye of Internal Affairs. Rumors swirl about how the NYPD were able to get such cheap loans, but when most the town is inhabitated by police, who are you going to call? When one of the young, dumb superstar cops screws up and guns down some teenagers, events are set in motion that reveal just how seedy the town of Garrison and its inhabitants are.

One of main reason the film works is the stellar cast. Nearly every heavy-hitter save Al Pacino is in this. Robert DeNiro, Sylvester Stallone, Harvey Keitel, Ray Liotta as well as lesser known but still talented fellows like Michael Rappaport, Peter Berg (who's amazing film The Kingdom may be my next review) and the T-1000 himself, Robert Patrick. Hell, this film features half the cast of The Sopranos two years before the first episode aired, as well as a bit-part for Malik Yoba (I know there are a few New York Undercover fans out there...)

First and foremost is Stallone. A lot of hubub was made that he gained 60 pounds to portray Sheriff Freddy Heflin. Yeah, he's fat, but his character is so real. The weight gain isn't a gimmick like some Eddie Murphy shitfest. I can't believe this is the same actor who destroyed most of Burma as John Rambo. His character is so pathetic you can't help but feel sorry for him. His dream of becoming NYPD shot down because of a physical ailment, Freddy is happy just being a lowly Sherrif. The NY cops don't really respect him and there is this sad running gag where every time Freddie begins to expound on an idea, someone interrupts him and takes the conversation somewhere else entirely. Some of you may know people like Freddy, hell, some of you may be Freddy. There is a deep-seeded vulnerability that Stallone taps into that makes this character come alive . If for nothing else, see this movie for his performance.

Of special note is the film's score by James Horner (Titanic, The Lord of the Rings Trilogy.) While some may consider the score to be a bit heavy-handed, I find that adds to the dramatic scenes and doesn't give too much away before it happens. The score somewhat reminds me of L.A. Confidential, which also came out in '97.

The last decade or so the audience has been bombarded with police procedurals such as Law & Order and CSI, so many may think they have seen this sort of thing before. However, I implore you the viewer to look beyond all of that and give this film a chance. There is a serious lack of glitz and glamour that I find appealing, while this isn't nearly as grim and gritty as Joe Carnahan's Narc. Give it a chance.