Rampart film review.

[rating=4]

‘Rampart’ was a film released late in 2011, in limited release to muted fanfare. This is unfortunate. Much like last year’s ‘Take Shelter’ starring Michael Shannon, this is an excellent film that deserves a larger audience and should have garnered its lead actor a best actor nom. Woody Harrelson plays the lead; ‘Date Rape-Dave’. He’s the poster boy for corrupt cop activity in this story which centers around the fallout from the L.A.P.D’s ‘Rampart Scandal’ in the late 90’s.

His unfortunate nickname stems from the fact, that he allegedly killed a presumed rapist in pre-meditated fashion, thereby cementing his moniker. He feels this is a badge of honor, given that the world has one less sexual predator to worry about.

He’s also a compulsive womanizer and drug addict. And he shares his home with 2 ex-wives, both sisters, as well as his 2 daughters. To say his life’s complicated is an understatement, and it’s about to get worse.

I love morally murky cop dramas; be it television; ‘The Shield’, or film; ‘Training Day’, ‘Copland’,  and ‘L.A. Confidential’. And ‘Rampart’ is more than worthy of inclusion, as it shares the same screenwriter as the latter, legendary crime author James Ellroy. His dialogue is as always coarse and colorful, and deeply insightful.

Dave gets on the 6 o’clock news for brutally beating a black motorist who crashes into his car. In a department long accused of racial profiling and police abuse, it puts him right in the crosshairs. We learn more about Dave, and each moment becomes even more unsavory. Harrelson is a marvel here, and I now realize  this is an actor who hasn’t had a oppurtunity to show all he’s capable of until now.

Refusing to step down due to the allegations, Dave’s pride works like a wrecking ball, smashing up his already sullied reputation. Doing this puts him into a legal battle, which means paying a hefty lawyer retainer. Short on cash he goes to his mentor, (played with sphinx like diffusion by Ned Beatty). He tells him there’s an inner city poker game with huge stakes that could be robbed for a healthy sum. As you could guess, this is a bad idea, and its repercussions plummets Dave even further into oblivion.

Like a rat caught in a trap, Harrelson’s grapples for survival, even when the odds look increasingly unfavorable. Ousted by his family due to the scandal, he is emotionally bruised and drifts aimlessly into despair without their anchor.

Director Owen Moverton (‘The Messenger’) has the contemplative style of 70’s filmmaking, more concerned with character development than standard plot points.

The cinematography by Bobby Bukowski is excellent, vivid in color, and creative in lighting, laced with moments of surrealism.

There are also nice supporting roles from major actors; Sigourney Weaver, Steve Buscemi, Ice Cube, Ben Foster, Cynthia Nixon and Anne Heche help fill out the fractured emotional landscape of Dave’s world.

The film isn’t perfect; some of the dialogue between Dave and his children feels a bit strained, and the plot meanders a bit more than it should, but  it’s Harrelson’s performance that powers this film, and he’s fascinating to watch.

‘Rampart’ is a bleak ride, dark and unpleasant, but laced with just enough black humor to make it palatable, and to make a character as unpleasant as Dave, still likeable. This is a man who has lied so much he can’t discern from the truth, and who truly believes his actions are justified and for the greater good, oblivious to the destruction caused in his wake. His daughter calls him a dinosaur, and Beatty’s character chides him for ‘refusing to adapt’. But Dave only knows one way to go. Straight to the bottom.

‘Rampart’ is available for rental on Netflix, as well as from Amazon on the link below.