COP LAND (1997, USA, 105m, 15) ***½
Crime, Drama, Thriller
dist. Miramax (USA), Buena Vista International (UK); pr co. Miramax Films / Woods Entertainment / Across the River Productions; d. James Mangold; w. James Mangold; pr. Cathy Konrad, Ezra Swerdlow, Cary Woods; ph. Eric Alan Edwards (DeLuxe | 1.85:1); m. Howard Shore; ed. Craig McKay; pd. Lester Cohen; ad. Wing Lee.
cast: Sylvester Stallone (Freddy Heflin), Harvey Keitel (Ray Donlan), Ray Liotta (Gary Figgis), Robert De Niro (Moe Tilden), Peter Berg (Joey Randone), Janeane Garofalo (Deputy Cindy Betts), Robert Patrick (Jack Rucker), Michael Rapaport (Murray Babitch), Annabella Sciorra (Liz Randone), Noah Emmerich (Deputy Bill Geisler), Cathy Moriarty (Rose Donlan), John Spencer (Leo Crasky), Frank Vincent (PDA President Lassaro), Malik Yoba (Detective Carson), Arthur J. Nascarella (Frank Lagonda), Edie Falco (Berta), Victor Williams (Russell), Paul Calderon (Hector – Medic), John Doman (Lassaro’s Aide), Debbie Harry (Delores).
This corrupt cop potboiler is often overwrought in its presentation, but its strong cast carries it along admirably. When hot-headed Superboy (Rapaport) accidentally gets involved in an ugly racially motivated incident, his uncle Ray Donlan (Keitel), a corrupt New York City cop, attempts to sweep it under the rug by helping fake his nephew’s death. The bungled cover-up leads to investigations by idealistic Internal Affairs officer Moe Tilden (De Niro) and Freddy Heflin (Stallone), sheriff of the suburban New Jersey town where Donlan and his fellow crooked policemen live. Mangold’s script pushes at the edge of credibility in asking the audience to accept its premise, but the story of Stallone’s complacent sheriff looking for self-respect gives the tale its heart and gives us someone to root for in a cast of largely unlikeable characters. Stallone’s redemption comes in a Western-style showdown in the film’s finale, which more than nods toward 3:10 to YUMA (note the sheriff’s surname). Stallone gained 40 pounds to add realism to his portrayal of the police officer. Director’s cut runs to 116m.
