This Rampart Has a Downward Slope: A Movie Review

*full disclosure: a screener of this film was provided by Millenium Entertainment.

Director: Oren Moverman.

Writers: Oren Moverman and James Ellroy.

Cast: Woody Harrelson, Sigourney Weaver, Steve Buscemi, Ben Foster, Jon Bernthal, and Ice Cube.

Director Oren Moverman teams up with actors Woody Harrelson and Ben Foster again. All of these men were part of 2009's The Messenger. Here, the film is grittier as the Los Angeles Police Department is put under the lens. Partially based on the notorious Rampart Divsion of the LAPD, Harrelson plays Dave Brown a man who has spent twenty-four years on patrol in Los Angeles. He has seen a lot of crime and it has jaded him on many levels. The film is basically a character study of Brown with Harrelson bringing another powerful performance with this film.

Brown is a womanizer, an alcoholic, a drug user and he is likely also dying of stomach cancer. Brown only eats once in the film and that meal is quickly churned back up. It seems the stress of urban life and police duties are too much to take. Some of that pain is channelled back into the lowlifes on the street. However, Brown is only taking down the criminals when he has a motive. When he takes down two robbers, he is there to steal their money. All of this selfishness, understandably, takes its toll on his family life. Brown's two daughters create one of the most powerful scenes in the film. All they want is a connection with their father.

And there is a lot of truth in this story. The emotions displayed by Harrelson are believable; there are no crocodile tears here (they are real). The conflict between Brown and his two ex-wives is also believable. Both Barbara (Cynthia Nixon) and Catherine (Anne Heche) want nothing to do with a man who is basically a lone wolf. Unfortunately, Moverman's directing techniques can sometimes take away from the storytelling.

The film photography is truly diverse. However, revolving cameras can sometimes disrupt the enjoyment of the film. Colour saturation of the film screen removes characters from the show. Super imposing the lens on one actor during a conversation seems a strange choice. One the other hand, Overman does establish some evocative scenes with the use of bright lighting as Brown contemplates suicide. Tracking shots put the viewer right into the action during chase scenes. And, closeups during intimate scenes create a noticeable effect. Yet, the story should really have been the focus of Rampart and not the photography.

The writing is what stuck with this film fan. That story centrally involves Brown as Harrelson is in every single scene. The pressures placed on Brown are shown by Harrelson. Other characters introduce their piece to the puzzle, which is basically a character study of the protagonist. And this central character is what made this film so interesting to this viewer.

Others might enjoy an inner look at the Los Angeles Police Department during the late '90s when assault and cover-ups were the way the game was played. Others, like this critic, might find entertainment in the character that is Brown and in a story that demands attention. Looking away from Dave Brown's downward spiral is almost as difficult as looking away from that looming car wreck. You have to see what happens next.

Overall: 7.5 out of 10 (a great watch, lots of intensity, believable characters and interactions).

*releases on DVD and VOD May 15th.

Another review of this film at Variety (Justin Change):

Rampart Reviewed at Variety

The film's fan page is here:

Rampart's Homepage

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Posted in: 2012,crime drama,crime thriller,dramatic thriller,dvd,movie review