Rampart

Probably not is the answer to the title. I was so looking forward to Rampart. I like Woody Harrelson, I think he’s a really good actor and he is, he is really good in this.

But the film itself just doesn’t really do much. It’s one of those lots of long shots, lots of lingering shots, occasional shaky cams and not much else.

The story itself has promise despite not being anything new, Harrelson plays David Brown, or Date Rape Brown as he’s affectionately known. It’s set in 1999 and Harrelson is ‘the last of the renegade cops’.

What this means is, well, think The Sweeney and you’re not far off. But someone is out to get him, they don’t want a cop like him in the force, they want him out, or do they? Is it someone else? Is it a gang?

The film raises all these questions but then completely fails to answer them. It ends as abruptly as Martha Marcy May Marlene, even in the same fashion, in a car, driving along, end. It didn’t feel right in MMMM and it certainly doesn’t here either.

Harrelson is brilliant, intense when he needs to be, sleezy when required but desperate and wanting answers as well.

Oren Moverman is on directing duties, and co-writing duties, and doesn’t do a bad job at all. As far as ‘indy’ movies go.

The trouble with the movie is it’s nothing new, we’ve seen it all before, we’ve seen the story before and this isn’t a good version of it.

There’s a brilliant cast: Sigourney Weaver, Cynthia Nixon, Steve Buscemi, Ned Beatty and Ice Cube but a clunky story and script just leaves them floundering.

Nice try but must do better…