“Two kinds of people in this world, pinball people and video game people.” Sylvester Stallone’s Sheriff Freddy Heflin is the latter, at least according to Ray Liotta’s morally conflicted Officer Garry “Figgsy” Figgis. Cop Land is one of the 1990s’ most haunting cop thrillers in a decade littered with compelling examples. This film, which includes an impressive cast of stars and excellent offbeat character actors, was an opportunity for director James Mangold to exhibit his chops for capturing the complexities of multidimensional characters against an urban mirror. Cop Land was his sophomore feature and it’s clear the director always had a penchant for overseeing talented ensembles. Complimented by a supremely effective score and an at-times mournful mood, Cop Land is surprising in its heaviness and melancholic undercurrent. Never less than absorbing, the film is also a fine example of slow-percolating suspense as Stallone’s submissive sheriff builds up sufficient courage to take on the formidable cadre of crooked cops that inhabit Garrison, New Jersey: An across-the-river haven for police families a stone’s throw from George Washington Bridge with the New York City skyline shimmering in the background.
James Mangold’s Direction Makes ‘Cop Land’ a Classic Neo-Noir
Image Via Miramax Films
To add polish to his vision and elevate the depth of Cop Land, Mangold focuses on character first and foremost, situating them in the midst of a pulsating moral dilemma. His treatment of the script is decidedly on-point, giving ample breathing room for the actors to bring each character to life. The confrontations are spare and gripping, and the interstitial musings are just as riveting (such as the firebrand secret conversations in dim offices or dingy bars). The way he shifts from wide shots to close-ups (while toying with the audio) towards the end as a way of escalating the drama hearkens back to some of the classic Westerns of the day. There’s an innate nail-biting tension to the buildup as much as the ultimate showdown which calls back to movies such as Last Train from Gun Hill. It’s hardly a wonder the script and the proficiency of the director courted such high-caliber actors for the picture.
‘Cop Land’ Is a Must-See for Fans of Thoughtful Dramas and Captivating Procedural Thrillers
Image Via Miramax Films
In Cop Land, James Mangold is able to wring something truly thoughtful out of a familiar and engaging tale — his film taps into what emotion can do a person in the face of trying circumstances. Not a minute goes to waste in his picture; it’s a brisk, well-engineered vehicle that gets from A to B stylishly. A very firm grasp of form is on show, and the film soars off the back of its terrific cast and genuinely stirring score courtesy of Howard Shore. There’s an odd mixture of subdued triumph and dulled hope in the music and it works beautifully.
Meta Data: {“keywords”:”Cop Land, James Mangold, crime thriller”}
Source link