Rampart
Directed By: Oren
Moverman
Written By: James
Ellory and Oren Movermann
Starring: Woody
Harrleson, Sigourney Weaver, Ned Beatty, Steve Buscemi, Ben Foster, Robin Wright,
Ice Cube, Anne Hesche, and Brie Larson
Director of Photography: Bobby Bukowski, Editor: Jay
Rabinowitz, Production Designer: David Wasco, Original Music: Dickon Hinchliffe
Rated: R
Rampart begins with a series of profile
shots of police officer Dave Brown driving through the streets of Los Angeles.
Sporting a pair of black shades with gold rims and often one (and sometimes
two!) cigarettes in his mouth, we get a good look at a man who we can’t see
because those shades create a mirror. Who is this man behind the glasses and
why is he so angry? But you can’t explain what drives “Date Rape” Dave, a
nickname he got for allegedly murdering a known rapist. He simply exists in a
world where he believes his corruption is not just legally fine, but the invisible
hand of justice, where he is detective, court, and executioner, all tied into
one.
And
so begins a violent and often brilliant new drama from writer-director Oren
Moverman, who last brought us the intense war drama The Messenger. Here, Mr. Moverman has teamed up with the legendary
pulp novelist James Ellory (The Black
Dahlia, L.A. Confidential) to
bring us a story of justice run completely amuck, but without any heavy hand
giving us some liberal message about it. Rampart
takes it title from the infamous scandals in the LA Police division in 1999,
where the film takes place, but Mr. Moverman and Mr. Ellroy move the story to
instead a fictional man who is coming in much too close contact with both
physical and mental demons.
