Rampart

Released: 2011

Directed By: Oren Moverman

Starring: Woody Harrelson, Ben Foster

Certificate: 15

Reviewed By: Darryl Griffiths

Acclaimed scriptwriter James Ellroy just can’t seem to resist dipping into the murky waters of downtown LA for inspiration. In the 1990s he delivered a masterclass depiction of the criminal underworld in the glitz of 1950’s Hollywood, through the multi award winning ‘LA Confidential. Now in the year 2012, he dives headfirst back into the decade where he made such an emphatic mark. Sticking with the theme of familarity, ‘Rampart’ also marks the reunion of Woody Harrelson and director Oren Moverman, after their stellar and critically acclaimed 2009 colloboration ‘The Messenger’.

The ‘Rampart’ scandal, that implied there was a significant level of corruption spreading through the LAPD ranks towards the end of the 20th century is highly documented. With the sheer volume of misconduct charges hitting fever pitch, it is no surprise to find that our on screen central protagonist is a deeply loathsome figure. Harrelson plays veteran cop ‘Date Rape’ Dave Brown, an unashamedly misogynistic, deeply racist and vicious minded excuse for a human being who has no time for remorse or moral boundaries.

His fragile reputation soon gets tarnished, after an inspired placing of a camera captures an unprovoked and brutal attack led by Brown on a defenseless member of the black community. The downward spiral of his career is compounded by being backed into a corner by his superiors, who are currently fighting off financial uncertainty due to the scandal. With the sharp tongued and headstrong Joan Confrey (Sigourney Weaver) suggesting early retirement, it becomes clear to Dave that he may have been set up. Instead of seeking error in his questionable ways, he enlists the help of the equally corrupt Hartshorn (Ned Beatty) and after a chance meeting, alcohol dependent lawyer Linda Fentress (Robin Wright).

In addition, his homelife is far from plausiable. He is emotionally being broken down on a day to day basis, by his two ex wives who just so happen to be loving sisters (Anne Heche and Cynthia Nixon) and his equally troubled daughters. Practically forcing him out the door after growing disillussioned with his antics, no wonder it results in Dave going down the route of being a compulsive womaniser..

Despite the wealth of material to draw upon, the plot itself remarkably proves to be rather thin on the ground. Ellroy’s sharp script here seems to have the underlying preference to be a hard hitting portrait, instead of immersing itself in unpicking the moral mindset of a bygone society. With such an approach undertaken, it’s with a degree of relief that the ever present Harrelson gives an absolute powerhouse of a performance. Whether it’s spouting his verbal poison or conveying flickerings of self doubt and despair, you can’t help but invest and be engrossed despite his predicament. With such unbroken focus on Harrelson, it’s a shame the talents of Weaver, Heche and Steve Buscemi can’t shake off their one dimensional trappings.

The real gripe lies in Moverman’s direction. Whilst the gritty feel to proceedings that we normally come to expect in the genre is always commendable, the film is spoiled by occasionally disorientating panning shots and skewered framing of sequences that ultimately hamper the film’s pace. Maybe such a disjointed visual style could have been a representation of Brown’s mental psyche..

‘Rampart’ may not exactly tread new ground and whilst it lacks the drive of Ellroy’s previous works, it still proves to be an efficient and riveting entry into the corrupt cop drama back catalogue thanks to Harrelson’s one man show.