Review of Cop Land (1997) by Paulysses H — 06 Aug 2008

Being a Stallone fan and a purveyor of many noir/western classics it's actually a little shameful that I only just got around to watching this. But I'm certainly glad that I did.

This is a movie dealing with themes that you can respond to on a personal and social level. Our protagonist, a washed up, overweight Sheriff (Stallone) embodies the struggling underachiever/underdog (a role Stallone excels at), who's turned a blind eye once too often and learned to let things slide a little too well. He's surrounded by corruption at every turn, and we can see his daily struggle taking its toll.

The film itself embodies the western format. It builds at a steady pace, tension reaching the point where we know there will be an inevitable reckoning. But when this comes it is handled without tackyness or pomp, and I found myself cheering for 'Freddy' like an excited teenager watching his dad give a well deserved slap-down.

Stallone gives one of the performances of his life in this piece, and I'd recommend the movie based on this alone. But this aside the film is a moving exploration of several resonant themes, not least of which is the idea of standing up for your beliefs and learning the meaning of sacrifice.

If you haven't seen this yet, you're missing out.