Tough Cops of NYC living in a town across the Hudson River in Jersey…
…where the half-deaf Sheriff (Sylvester Stallone) is basically a nice-guy tool of their arrogant leader (Harvey Keitel). When the angry cops engage in corruption concerning a cover-up, it attracts the attention of an Internal Affairs investigator (Robert De Niro), who tries to enlist the help of the Sheriff. Ray Liotta and Robert Patrick are also on hand.
“Cop Land” (1997) is a crime drama with an ensemble cast, the second film of writer/director James Mangold. There are a lot of characters and so it’s wise to use the subtitles to keep track of who’s who. It’s one of those films where you have to pay close attention or you won’t be able to follow what’s going on and get frustrated. Siskel & Ebert’s review (available on Youtube) does a good job of pointing out the movie’s strengths and weaknesses: Siskel carefully followed what was happening and so praised the flick whereas Ebert got irritated by the overstuffed production.
The first time I saw it, I felt the way Ebert did but, seeing it again recently, I lean more toward Siskel’s position. There’s a Director’s Cut, released in 2008, that adds about 14 minutes of extra footage and makes what’s happening more sensible. While this is great and I want to see it, the Theatrical version is fine if you pay attention and keep track.
It comes in the noir-ish tradition of “On the Waterfront” and is similar to Bruce Willis’ “Striking Distance,” just less comic booky and grittier, not to mention more convoluted. Yet it’s superior to both of these IMHO. The future “Crash” (2004) was obviously influenced by it.
Stallone gained 40 lbs for his role and is convincing as the pushover Sheriff, who’s basically backed into a corner where he has little choice but to consider a radical turn. Meanwhile Liotta, Keitel, De Niro and T-1000 all bring their A-game with intense performances.
In the feminine department, Annabella Sciorra plays the wife of one of the cops (Peter Berg), a woman who the Sheriff evidently still loves. Meanwhile Cathy Moriarty is on hand as Uncle Ray’s cheatin’ wife while Janeane Garofalo plays the Sheriff’s increasingly frustrated deputy.
The film runs 1 hour, 45 minutes, and was shot in Edgewater, New Jersey, and the nearby George Washington Bridge, with some scenes done across the river in Manhattan.
GRADE: B+