Woody Harrelson Ramps it Up,Dives in Deep and Fights the Bad Fight By Morgan P Salvo
Rampart was not close to what I expected, and that’s still a good thing. I thought we’d see a lunatic displaying a ton of violence and bad temper explosions. What we get is a diabolically slow burn through an amazing performance by Woody Harreslon. I was excepting the ranting of an insane powder keg ready to blow instead we have a profile of an intellectual bull headed cop not willing to take his political medicine. Oh he also beats and kills people he thinks deserve it. The film is set in 1999, during the Rampart scandal in the time misconduct came to light within the Los Angeles Police Dept.’s Rampart division, from which more than 70 cops were charged with acts of unprovoked brutality. Focusing on Officer Dave Brown (Harrelson) an old-school racist badass who wantonly prowls the city, the plot is triggered by Dave getting caught on videotape as he beats a suspect..
Rampart is also an in depth character study of a multi-dimensional dude teetering on the edge: a sociopath’s attempt to undermine the justice system, exposing and creating hypocrisy and corruption on several levels to achieve self righteous goals. Thanks to multi-layered events we’re never sure if someone’s out to get him or if he’s just digging his own grave.
The messy plot is never too convoluted to keep us involved into its suspense. As we watch the inventible collision course with destiny we can’t really feel the pressure but we sure can relate as we see it happening. This flick maintains an arty socio-political commentary throughout. While trampling on the same terrain as Colors and Training Day, Rampart is steeped in hazy world of its own and plays out more like a Charles Bukowski story, following the careening downward spiral of a man who has butted against the wall of the system and his domestic life one time too many times. He’s a misogynist and sex maniac addict (take your pick) who despites all his deficiencies manages to seduce women into the sack. Brown’s inner rage and dysfunction is at its peak where he lives, scraping by, with two ex-wives (Anne Heche and Cynthia Nixon) and their daughters. 
Booze is at the core of the problem and then the self medication abounds with illegally acquired prescriptions drugs bordering into Bad Lieutenant territory (the good Bad Lieutenant with Harvey Keitel one not the bad Bad Lieutenant with Nick Cage) 
Harreslon gives the performance of a lifetime here. This is his Crazy Heart (or Taxi Driver) moment and if he doesn’t get an Oscar nod for this then there’s is no justice in the world. Warped from the word go Harreslon’s martini guzzling bullet-headed cop defies all stereotypes and keeps you guessing. His rowdy energy and what-the-hell attitude makes his character likable and at the same time loathsome. Showing the ability to be cocky and paranoid simultaneously Harrelson gives Brown a soul alongside a weird bravado that sucks us in and at times root for his despicable ways. Co-stars Ned Beatty, Sigourney Weaver, Ben Foster, Steve Buscemi and even Ice Cube expertly help round out this flick.
Oren Moverman is truly a director with a vision. Artistically shot and well thought out every scene of this flick is one of textural beauty despite the subject matter. Still we are left with an ambiguous ending. I’m sure we all would like to see this conceited finagler and all his machismo arrogance, homophobia, racism and violent behavior put to rest, but, hey, it’s not too difficult to put the remaining off-screen pieces together.
Rampart is major achievement. One will be either able to pick one scene from this movie and talk about it endlessly or debate the message this twisted flick conveys from now till doomsday. Those who are fortunate to see Rampart will be talking about it for a long long time.
Rampart
Starring Woody Harrelson, Robin Wright, Ned Beatty, Ben Foster
Directed by Oren Moverman
Rated R
4 stars
No comments:
Post a Comment