WARNING the following review contains Police Brutality, Sexism, Racism, a Shit Load of Malevolence, and a Big Fat Juicy Oscar Winning Performance...


Directed by Oren Moverman
Staring, Woody Harelson, Sigourney Weaver
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Lets go back in time to Los Angeles 1999, the Rampart Scandal. Widespread corruption in the anti-gang units of the Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD) Rampart Division. More than 70 police officers in the unit were implicated in misconduct, making it one of the most widespread cases of documented police misconduct in United States history. The convicted offences included unprovoked shootings, unprovoked beatings, planting of evidence, framing of suspects, stealing and dealing narcotics, bank robbery, perjury, and covering up evidence of these activities. A true story that our director Moverman decides to get his teeth, but not just into...he practically chews it up and swallows it down, deciding to take us on the journey from the perspective of one of the corrupt. Travis Bickle, Patrick Bateman, Hannibal Lecter, Shylock, Stone Cold Steve Austin and John Rambo. Although this sounds like the dream dinner party guest list it is also a take on a type of character that has potential to form such intense shape that most of the time their names tend to become as famous as the stars that portrayed them. I'd like to introduce you to Officer Dave Brown...


If you took the best bits from Ryan Goslings Driver, Nick Cages Bad Lieutenant and you smashed them together you get this man. Harrelson's character is on it. His dialogue is sleek, intelligent and rough. Arguably one of the best rounded anti-heros I've seen on a screen in the last few years. He is demonic, insane, but somehow measured; and the art from Moverman frames him impeccably.


Is there a connection between Dave Brown the character in Rampart and Dave Brown the Police Chief of Dallas? Names don't just drop right out of the sky do they? -- FYI: His son David Brown Jr. murdered 23-year-old Jeremy McMillian and 37-year-old Lancaster, Texas police officer Craig Shaw on June 20, 2010. David Brown Jr. died in an ensuing shoot out with officers responding to the scene. Dallas County medical examiner found PCP in David Brown Jr's blood. 

The devil inside... Courtesy of expert lighting.

The film language is top dollar. Hot colour grade, blush lighting which illuminates a (many times gorgeous) array of fly on the wall voyeur camera angles, which make the many sex scenes- raw, the dialogue swings - engaging and the violence - hyper dangerous.


There are so many great scenes in this film. I am temped to list them right now just so I can relive them through the typing, but I should watch it again, it was, after all, a total pleasure.


Into the final 3rd of the picture I find myself becoming slightly uncomfortable with the constant expectation of a mass kick off, suggesting that where this character roams an air of eminent ultra violence is an understatement. Que. Solo prescription medicine binge. Que. Trent Reznor in-his-hay-day esq Industrial soundtrack. Que. Scarlet-lit sucky-fucky sex club!! This film just got a whole lot more awesome.


IMDB currently has a 3 star rating for it, and I am totally gobsmacked by this. Is there an element of america not able to look itself and say "actually yes we are capable of shit", are they embarrassed, or do they actually think Rampart is a bad/mediocre movie? I heard that Team America World Police did well everywhere apart from between its mother~shores... After reading some more stuff online, and watching ten minutes of Fox News, I got the idea.

Hated by the ones you love: The ultimate fuel on the fire!

I will admit that at times I was unsure about where we were in the narrative. I couldn't quite workout the line, as we skip between his three different living situations. Is he the king of his own incest castle, packed with his two daughters and his two ex-lovers? Are we living with his defence attorney who loves to give head and throw glasses at him? Or are we in a hotel room waiting to go on trial while contemplating painting the walls scarlet red? It's the type of narrative that challenges the film lover, and although it was confusing on the first watch through, it made me pay attention, and that for me is very welcomed.


Create a character whose loved ones are actually the people that hate him the most, stick that character into non-stop situation, give it power, a broken heart and unthinkable flaws and you've not only created an exceptionally challenging job for all concerned; you've also created a person who, if nailed by the actor, is fascinating to watch.


Woody Harelson please stand up.


What Moverman does with this film is create not only one of the most amazing takes on corrupted institution, he manages to forge a series of exceptional performances, held within a narrative that is pleasantly confusing but mind crackingly exciting. He teleports us to a world within a world. The inner workings of a corrupted soul. Harrelson in a career 'Oscar calling' performance delivers us a flawed man. Who is outspoken and every bad word under the sun, but yet in some mental way, likeable...


A vietnam veteran, who is clearly the backfire creation of a country that was bred in blood and violence, yet who shunned their spawns that returned endowed with the philosophies of aggression, racism, sexism and what can only be described as a sort of 'bullet comfort'. Something a post 9/11 USA PR/propaganda machine has tried its hardest to discourage with campaigns like Help for heros, and the "thank you for serving" tag line... They don't want a bunch of John Rambo's running around, and they certainly don't want another Rampart scandal. Rampart is a modern day warning, if we continue to vote in those that have no issues sending boys and girls to war, then we shouldn't be surprised when Officer Dave Brown comes knocking at our door.

Written by James Alexander.
London Film Festival.
Liverpool Film Festival.