Movies: Rampart

 

 (Drivebycuriosity) - Dave is a cop. Dave also is a racist, a chauvinist, a rowdy, a murderer and a robber. Dave has the nickname "Date Rape Dave". But anyway, women have a crush on Dave. The movie "Rampart" (directed by Oren Moverman imdb) tells the story of Dave, who seems to have a teflon identity. Whatever he does, he doesn´t get suspended. 

"Rampart`s" makers (including script co-writer James Elroy) claim that Dave´s story belongs to the so-called "Rampart scandal" (wikipedia). of the late 1990s when the anti-gang unit of the Los Angeles Police Department Rampart Division was accused for offenses including unprovoked shootings, unprovoked beatings, framing suspects, stealing/dealing narcotics and bank robbery,  writes Wikipedia.

I don´t really know whether the movie character has many resemblances with the historic reality. The plot shows too many implausibilities. For instance Dave is living together with 2 ex-wives, who are sisters (!) and raises his daughters with them. But anyway, "Rampart" is very good movie.

The flick extends the long list of dirty cop movies and reminds me a bit of "Bad Lieutenant" (1992 directed by Abel Ferrara 1992  imdb), where Harvey Keitel plays a rogue cop in Manhattan. In both films the leading character is a troubled man, who is a victim of his own obsessions.

Woody Harrelson, one of the coolest actors of the contemporary cinema, is perfectly cast as Dave. It`s much fun to watch Harrelson`s acting as an adrenaline and  testosterone driven cop with a huge attitude. It seems that nothing could his concuss his aplomb and his belief that he is on the right side.

Director Moverman, cinematographer Bobby Bukowski and composer Dickon Hinchcliffer wove a compelling cocoon of pictures & sound. Sometimes the flicks works like a fever dream drawing the viewer into the emotions of Dave.

Maybe the movie is on next year´s list of Oscars nominees.