In spite of all the big names, the cast could just have featured one name – Woody Harrelson. This is his movie and if you’re a fan, it will probably appeal to you to see him exercising his acting chops.
Sadly, the script doesn’t really allow the viewer much of a journey. From the start, we know exactly what is going to happen as we start with the swagger of a man who owns the world and then watch that view from the top unravel.
That’s what happens when you draw up your own moral values and righteous reasoning of why you do certain things that might be viewed as bad by the rest of the world.
There’s a reason we have to abide by the rules and not reason our way out of certain moral codes, even when we think we’re right.
Fortunately, bad apples are usu-ally caught because they become too confident and lose that edge.
Officer Brown (Harrelson), who has fashioned a lifestyle that would be envied by many – two sisters living next door to one another, both of whom he married, and had children with – is no different.
He knows he has it all, he is all-powerful. So when someone crashes into his car, he’s quick to react brutally – and when captured on tape for the world to witness, his fall from grace is as brutal.
No one is above the law. And when you fly that high, it’s easy to become a target. Your life may also be expedient.
It’s a film about a man who loses all his support systems which helped him cope and follow his particular moral compass.
But with everything gone, he’s flying solo in a hostile environment.
That’s a scary place to be when you once made all the rules in your world.
It should be fascinating stuff. It’s not badly made; in fact this is the same director Harrelson worked with for his last movie, The Messenger. They seem to be forming a partnership.
But this one is just too predictable. From the opening credits you know exactly the road we’re going to travel. And even with good acting, you need more to hold your attention. Storytelling is what movies are all about and if there are no surprises or insights, there doesn’t seem to be much of a point.
They’ve shot themselves in the foot with the script. It’s not one for the action junkies. We’re dealing with the interior world of a mean man without exploring his past and how he got there, so even for those who like film fare that gets them thinking, there’s simply not enough food for thought.
If you liked… The Messenger, Brooklyn’s Finest or Bad Lieutenant … you will like this one.