Review of Cop Land (1997) by Stuart K — 29 Mar 2014
Written and directed by James Mangold (Girl, Interrupted (1999), Walk The Line (2005) and The Wolverine (2013)), this cop drama has a top notch cast to it's name, and Mangold set out to do a modern day western set in New Jersey.
It has Sylvester Stallone playing against type as well, and showing he can be a terrific actor with the right material, and working with the right people. In the small town of Garrison, New Jersey. Local Sheriff Freddie Heflin (Stallone) finds himself embroiled in a case of police corruption when New York cop Murray Babitch (Michael Rapaport), nephew of Lt.
Ray Donlan (Harvey Keitel) is caught up in an altercation with an African American gang on the George Washington Bridge, but when the gang end up dead, Babitch seemingly commits suicide by jumping of the bridge in despair.
However, it's all a cover-up, Babitch did it on the orders of Donlan to cover up a potential racist incident. But, Babitch is being hidden in Garrison, and it's not long before Heflin gets involved in it all.
Made on a very meagre budget, and with the cast all working on a scale salary, it has some brilliant performances and it manages to do quite a lot with so little. This should have put Stallone on the path to a new phase in his career, but after this, he couldn't get a break until he did Rocky Balboa (2006).
Shame really.
This review of Cop Land (1997) was written by Stuart K on 29 Mar 2014.
Cop Land has generally received positive reviews.
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