Rampart (2012)

Featured Audience Ratings

• Al S

  
  A memerizing, vivid, tense and utterly shocking piece of film. A compelling, complex and terrific movie. A triumph, it`s a pure knockout of a thriller that will have you engaged till the very last frame. An unforgettable and breakingtaking picture with a career defining perfromance… More
  A memerizing, vivid, tense and utterly shocking piece of film. A compelling, complex and terrific movie. A triumph, it`s a pure knockout of a thriller that will have you engaged till the very last frame. An unforgettable and breakingtaking picture with a career defining perfromance from Harrelson. Woodly Harrelson gives commanding and powerful performance, a real tour de force. He plays the most corrupt cop you have ever seen on the screem and gives it his all. Harrelson give his most Oscar worthy work ever. Director, Oren Moverman crafts an intense, stylish and utterly hard-boiled portrait. The all-star cast deliver huge in this film no matter how small the roles are. It`s more realistic, intense and compelling than Training Day. One of the most eye-opening police drama`s ever made.

• Mark W

  
  "L.A. Confidential" was an exceptional adaptation of hard-boiled, crime writer James Ellroy's novel. Most other adaptations tend to be flawed. "Dark Blue", "The Black Dahlia" and "Street Kings" had decent material but didn't grip as… More
  "L.A. Confidential" was an exceptional adaptation of hard-boiled, crime writer James Ellroy's novel. Most other adaptations tend to be flawed. "Dark Blue", "The Black Dahlia" and "Street Kings" had decent material but didn't grip as well as they should have. This is another that suffers from a similar problem. In 1999, the Rampart division of the Los Angeles Police Force is rife with corruption. Amongst, the main culprits is 'Date Rape' Dave Brown (Woody Harrelson). He's a cop that plays by his own rules and lives by an old-school code. His reputation precedes him and is heightened even further when he's caught on video assaulting a driver who crashes into him. To try and thwart the attention of the media and ever increasing public frustration, his superiors suggest retirement. Dave refuses and attempts a legal case but it only draws him deeper into his murky past. Three years previously, Woody Harrelson, Ben Foster and Steve Buscemi were all involved in Oren Moverman's brilliant directorial debut "The Messenger". They all assemble again for this but where Moverman showed a skilful subtlety in his debut, he decides to get a bit flashy with this one. That's his first mistake. He teases a powerful performance from Harrelson - like he did before - but he doesn't utilise Foster or Buscemi the way he should. That's his second mistake. And as if that's not enough, he has James Ellroy himself, co-writing the screenplay with him, yet the focus is on one character - rather than tapping into Ellroy's abilities in convoluted narrative arcs. Three strikes and you're out Oren. That being said though, the character of Dave Brown and Harrelson's strong central performance provide enough powerful material to hold your interest. There's a real intensity to the man and Harrelson delivers the perfect balance of a man teetering on the brink of the immorality. He received an Oscar nomination for "The Messenger" but I actually think this is a better performance. Moverman doesn't do him any favours though. He employs a flamboyant handheld approach that's so distracting that is verges on awful and it detracts from the drama. A good director shouldn't be noticed before his performers. Speaking of which, the supporting cast is impressively assembled but few get any substantial screen time, leaving the descent of Dave Brown the film's main focus, much in the same way as Harvey Keitel's "Bad Lieutenant". Where that film succeeded though was in having the courage of it's convictions. This threatens to but draws to a less than satisfactory conclusion. If it wasn't for Harrelson, this film wouldn't have worked as well as it does. Moverman rightly received plaudits for his debut but he has gotten a bit ahead of himself here. Hopefully he'll learn his lesson for next time.

• Mark H

  
  I guess there was a time when the country bumpkin Woody Boyd on the TV show Cheers seemed like just an extension of the actor's own persona. I mean c'mon, they even had the same first name! However since leaving that role in 1993 he's played a serial killer (Natural… More
  I guess there was a time when the country bumpkin Woody Boyd on the TV show Cheers seemed like just an extension of the actor's own persona. I mean c'mon, they even had the same first name! However since leaving that role in 1993 he's played a serial killer (Natural Born Killers), a pornographer (The People vs. Larry Flynt ) and a bounty hunter (No Country for Old Men). As that naïve but lovable portrayal fades from memory, each miscreant seems less and less like a stretch. Depressing, oppressive and bleak, there's little point to the film other than as a character study. But what a character study! Harrelson's quietly vicious portrayal really gets under your skin. He is the movie and without him, this virtually plotless account would've been meaningless. Drama masquerading as art, arbitrarily ends with an ambiguous non-ending. The whole seemingly improvised production adds up to very little. It's a testament to Harrelson's memorably unlikable portrayal that we remain interested in his story. Unfortunately without a point of view, commentary or resolution, the production remains a fascinating disappointment.

• Manu G

  
  The most corrupt cop you've ever seen on screen. Not a horrible movie at all but nothing really original either. It is slow and never builds up to anything. When you think it is going to get good it falls flat and just drags on. The movie needed some better editing and sharper… More
  The most corrupt cop you've ever seen on screen. Not a horrible movie at all but nothing really original either. It is slow and never builds up to anything. When you think it is going to get good it falls flat and just drags on. The movie needed some better editing and sharper direction. Watch it if your a fan of Woody, if you aren't don't waste your time. Dave Brown is a Los Angeles police officer who works out of the Rampart Division. Dave is misogynistic, racist, brutally violent, egotistical and a womanizer, although he defends himself against many of these accusations as he says that his hate is equal opportunity. However unlawful, he uses intimidation and brutal force to defend his ideals. The most notorious of his actions is purportedly murdering a suspected serial date rapist, which is why he has been given the nickname "Date Rape Dave". He lives with two of his ex-wives - sisters Barbara and Catherine - in an effort to keep family together, namely his two daughters, Helen and Margaret, who each have a different sister as their mother. Dave still maintains a sexual relationship with both sisters - whenever the mood suits any of them - while he openly has other sexual relationships. His life is put under a microscope after he is caught on video brutally beating a person with who he got into an automobile crash. This situation is made all the more difficult for the police department because of the Rampart scandal. This microscope shows a further potentially scandalous incident involving Dave and a grocery store hold-up. Although he secretly has his defenders within the police department highers-up, Dave, who is unrepentant regarding his actions, has to figure out who he can and cannot trust among his colleagues and new associates as he goes about his business and tries to protect his ideals from being taken away by these scandals.

• Lorenzo v

  
  <i>"The most corrupt cop you've ever seen on screen."</i> Set in 1999 Los Angeles, veteran police officer Dave Brown, the last of the renegade cops, works to take care of his family, and struggles for his own survival. <center><font size=+2… More
  <i>"The most corrupt cop you've ever seen on screen."</i> Set in 1999 Los Angeles, veteran police officer Dave Brown, the last of the renegade cops, works to take care of his family, and struggles for his own survival. <center><font size=+2 face="Century Schoolbook"><b><u>REVIEW</u></b></font></center> Dirty cops happen in real life sometimes and in the movies quite often. It can be an intriguing subject to explore ... psychological demons, ego, power-mongering, etc. Typically we see it presented as a cop torn between doing the right thing and feeling like he is owed something. Rarely do we see a cop portrayed as beyond hope ... so far gone morally that redemption is no longer even a possibility. Writer James Ellroy (LA Confidential) and director Oren Moverman (The Messenger) present to us Officer Dave Brown, known to his fellow cops (and even his daughter) as "Date Rape" Dave. The moniker stems from a vice incident where Brown dished out street justice to a serial date rapist. With no proof of his guilt, Brown remained on the force and his rogue manner has escalated to the point where he is a constant danger to himself and others. This guy has no moral filter for everyday living. Officer Brown is played with searing intensity by a Woody Harrelson you have never before seen. As loathsome a character as you will ever find, you cannot take your eyes off of him. Somehow he has daughters by two sisters and they all live together in a messed up commune where hate is the secret word of the day, every day. Most of the time no one speaks to Dave except to tell him to "get out". He spends his off hours drinking, smoking, doing drugs and having meaningless sex. Heck, that's just about how he spends his time while on duty as well. Still, as terrific as Harrelson is, and as deep as the cast is, the film is just too one note and downbeat and hopeless to captivate a viewer. I also found some of Moverman's camera work to be quite distracting and the sex club scene was pure overkill. Downward spiral is much too neutral a term to describe this character and ultimately, that prevents the film from delivering any type of message.

• Kase V

  
  I don't know much about 'Rampart', but i do know that Woody Harrelson's explosive performance scared the hell out of me. He was volatile, moody, and almost psychotic. Aside from all the assured performances, 'Rampart's script lacked enough substance to… More
  I don't know much about 'Rampart', but i do know that Woody Harrelson's explosive performance scared the hell out of me. He was volatile, moody, and almost psychotic. Aside from all the assured performances, 'Rampart's script lacked enough substance to keep me intrigued and missed a steady directional hand. It may have been executed well, but it lacks too many key elements to be considered a great film.

• Tired of P

  
  Courtesy of Millennium Entertainment Question: If someone told you a film wasn't very "Hollywood", would you think that was a good thing or a bad thing? My answer is, immediately, it's a great thing! I just finished watching Rampart and it definitely was not a… More
  Courtesy of Millennium Entertainment Question: If someone told you a film wasn't very "Hollywood", would you think that was a good thing or a bad thing? My answer is, immediately, it's a great thing! I just finished watching Rampart and it definitely was not a "Hollywood" film at all. I live for these independent films because they are not usually bound by any box or restriction. Independent films breathe new life into us film-lovers because original ideas are put forth to allow the audience to experience different, authentic and artistic views. On the flip-side, when a film isn't set in the typical cadence of the formulaic system we see day in and day out cranked out by Hollywood studios there can be an uneasiness to the storytelling. Again, is that a good thing or a bad thing? I think you might know my answer on that one. However, it can turn mass audiences away or the film finds a hard time getting decent marketing. Many big studios produce movies just to make money and I don't blame them for wanting that, but it leaves a sort of disingenuous haze all over the story. But studios want to make money; filmmakers want to put their vision on film; and as movie-goers we want to see a good story told in different and adventurous ways. Therefore, the non-Hollywood movies are the type of films that people need to see more of because life simply doesn't have a formula and neither should all films. In the case of Rampart, the filmmakers took a chance and thought outside the Hollywood movie-making realm, and the approach they took to tell the story worked. The uneasiness I mentioned earlier was present in this film and it worked here because what the filmmaker was trying to achieve wasn't an easy or pretty story - it was about a dark, morally corrupt man who must face his demons but refuses to due to hubris. Rampart stars Woody Harrleson in probably his least likable character ever but probably why I enjoyed this film. It's very difficult to create a character so layered that you aren't sure what your exact opinion is of him. Although you love to hate Dave Brown (Woody Harrelson) because he is a racist, womanizer, power-fueled LA police officer who abuses the system for his gain, there were actually qualities, small nuances, to his character that made you like him as well. It was disconcerting but, again, that is why I enjoyed this film. For the rest of the movie, the other characters were incidental and you just view them as obstacles that get pummeled by Dave Brown as he passes through the world. There wasn't enough time to get to know them but I think that was done on purpose. Even the part about Dave Brown and his actions that initially gets himself in trouble is secondary. Rampart is about the main character's impenetrable defenses that don't allow him to see his faults and in turn causes him to spiral down into an abyss of self-destruction; which, to me, represented a closer reflection of real people and their flaws than other movies have attempted in a longtime. It isn't pretty but it is authentic. There are enough films that get us from point A to point B and wrap it up in a nice pretty bow by the end that we are happy when we leave the theatre. But film is an art form, and in all art forms there are artists that push the envelope, make you think and leaving you pondering what you just witnessed. These are the films that more people should see. Rampart is one of those films that pushes the envelope open and doesn't close it tight for you - especially with Woody Harrelson's character and the consequences surrounding him. See this film for that alone. Well done. My favorite thing: The dialogue Dave Brown had when he was defending himself - some brilliant writing there. My least favorite thing: Got a little dizzy during one scene but I think that was the point - Merry-go-round camera work. Directed (and co-written) by Oren Moverman, Lightstream Pictures, 2011 Starring: Woody Harrelson, Ben Foster , Robin Wright, Sigourney Weaver, Cynthia Nixon, Anne Heche, Ice Cube, Steve Buscemi, and Ned Beatty. Genre: Crime, Drama. Rating: R Length: 108 minutes Review: 6 out of 10 Note: Check out Lightstream Pictures philosophy - perfectly put!

• Phil H

  
  Possibly one of Woody Harrelson's best performances for some time, maybe ever, as a dirty excessive cop whose actions are caught on tape and must face the consequences. The main theme behind the plot is its setting just after or during the 'Rampart scandal' of the late… More
  Possibly one of Woody Harrelson's best performances for some time, maybe ever, as a dirty excessive cop whose actions are caught on tape and must face the consequences. The main theme behind the plot is its setting just after or during the 'Rampart scandal' of the late 1990's. Don't know much about the Rampart scandal accept it involved lots of dirty crooked cops in LA who were also connected with gangsters, drugs, robbery etc...all the good stuff. I was slightly wrong in my assumption about the film at first, I expected lots of hood beatings and evidence planting amidst crack downs and underground gang warfare etc...not much of that, nothing in fact. This isn't a huge issue though as the film is actually a very strong emotional rollercoaster for Harrelson's character as his job comes under threat for his wayward actions, his family lose faith in him and start to see him as a brutal cop whilst all the time things get worse as he continues with his shady actions to try and get money to pay for lawyers to save his job. The film does become quite depressing as his downbeat situation gets worse, you do feel for the guy especially if you work in the same kind of role as Harrelson's character for real, its very close to reality as 'the company' take the citizens side and try to load everything on the single cop. You know he has bad judgement or over reaction but you also feel he doesn't do it maliciously. I think the term 'hidden gem' covers this film for sure, find it and watch.

• William D

  
  "Rampart," the second film directed by Oren Moverman (his first, "The Messenger"), has an extraordinary first half but peters out in the second. As often is the case with American indie films, "Rampart" lacks a substantial story arc. But the first half is… More
  "Rampart," the second film directed by Oren Moverman (his first, "The Messenger"), has an extraordinary first half but peters out in the second. As often is the case with American indie films, "Rampart" lacks a substantial story arc. But the first half is so good, so well-acted, and filmed with such panache and artistry that "Rampart" is still recommended. It is the best film of 2012 so far. Like Moverman's previous film, "The Messenger," "Rampart" stars Woody Harrelson. It's nice to see Harrelson turning into something of a muse for Moverman. Harrelson isn't as transcendent here as he was in "The Messenger," but he is very good. He plays a 1980s-style LAPD officer weirdly lingering on in an unreconstructed way well into the 1990s. He even has his own Rodney King-style controversy on his hands, when a brutal beating he perpetrates on a Mexican man is caught on video tape. The interesting thing is that gradually it starts to appear that the entire thing was a set-up. Harrelson's character may have been in a sense entrapped. Who would have the motive and the ability to orchestrate something so elaborate? Questions like this are never answered, which is a bit disappointing. But they are posed in interesting, evocative ways. The screenplay was co-written by Moverman and novelist James Ellroy ("L.A. Confidential"). I appreciate that Ellroy wanted to be less straightforward with this project, hinting at things more than spelling everything out. But it doesn't work that well. The sketchiness of the story mixed with Moverman's somewhat meandering directorial approach makes for a cinematic experience that isn't completely fulfilling. But so much about "Rampart" works beautifully, including the phenomenally talented supporting cast that includes Robin Wright, Sigourney Weaver, and Ned Beatty. "Rampart" is not quite a must-see, but it's damn close.

• Matt G

  
  Even though Woody Harrelson gives a pitch-perfect performance, Rampart has a story so bland you will want to rip your eyes out.

• Cory T

  
  James Ellroy sensationalized police-centric crime dramas in 'L.A. Confidential' and 'Street Kings', but in the uncompromising 'Rampart', the ludicrous plot twists are toned down and the pumiced realism is amplified. Judging from the sitcom fluff of… More
  James Ellroy sensationalized police-centric crime dramas in 'L.A. Confidential' and 'Street Kings', but in the uncompromising 'Rampart', the ludicrous plot twists are toned down and the pumiced realism is amplified. Judging from the sitcom fluff of 'Cheers', no one could've predicted the implacable, seething performance that Harrelson delivers here. He is an ironclad police officer with a military record from Vietnam which rationalizes his pro-violence stance towards criminal offenses such as slamming a suspect against a window as a means of interrogation or using excessive force on a motorist who haphazardly collides into his squad car. in one of the year's most deglamorized showcases, Harrelson is not corrupt because of greed or corporate ascent, he was breed on the belief to "hate everyone equally" as part of his father's misanthropic tutelage. A nerve-racking confession from Harrelson to his daughters in a seedy hotel room is both cathartic and damning. Most of all, viewers will gravitate to the ambiguous ending which doesn't conclude the peripheral story about an Internal Affairs investigation but it finalizes the character's self-destructive odyssey.

• Nani V

  
  Woody Harrelson was perfect to play this role. Very impressed.

• Everett J

  
  Every year I try to watch as many award nominated movies as possible. The Spirit Award nominations were announced the other day and Woody Harrelson was nominated for this movie. Having never even heard of it, I figured I'd give it a chance. Harrelson continues to turn out one… More
  Every year I try to watch as many award nominated movies as possible. The Spirit Award nominations were announced the other day and Woody Harrelson was nominated for this movie. Having never even heard of it, I figured I'd give it a chance. Harrelson continues to turn out one great performance after another, and here is unlike any other role he's played. He plays the dirtiest L.A. cop since Denzel in "Training Day". When a man hits his car head on and tries to flee, Harrelson beats him violently. When video surfaces of the assault it sets off an investigation into his affairs and dealings as a cop. Trying to hold off the investigation, keep his job, and keep his personal life together he begins to unravel. The movies premise sounds interesting, but the movie itself is pretty slow and borderline boring. There are just enough flashes of violence and intense scenes to keep interest, but at an hour and 40 minutes, it's an exercise for sure. Not sure if Harrelson deserves any real award attention for this role, but he is a great actor none the less. The supporting cast is great and very well fleshed out. Robin Penn, Anne Heche, Cynthia Nixon, Ned Beatty, and Ice Cube all do very good jobs. Ben Foster has a very small, but very effective role. You can barely even tell it is him. Not a movie for everyone, but if your a Harrelson you should check it out.

• Tyler C

  
  Woody Harrelson delivers one of the greatest performances of his career as a very corrupt but interesting cop, which drives the majority of this film. Uneven at a few points, but with great performances and director Oren Moverman's signature documentary style, Rampart is a solid… More
  Woody Harrelson delivers one of the greatest performances of his career as a very corrupt but interesting cop, which drives the majority of this film. Uneven at a few points, but with great performances and director Oren Moverman's signature documentary style, Rampart is a solid character study bolstered by Harrelson's Oscar-worthy performance.

• Liam G

  
  Woody Harrelson is terrific as a horrible but interesting cop, which is the driving force of Oren Moverman's ''Rampart''. It's a very interesting character study and features outstanding performances. The film looks great, the music is solid and though… More
  Woody Harrelson is terrific as a horrible but interesting cop, which is the driving force of Oren Moverman's ''Rampart''. It's a very interesting character study and features outstanding performances. The film looks great, the music is solid and though it's uneven and drags at points, ''Rampart'' is still a strong drama.

• Eric H

  
  Considering the impressive cast and a James Ellroy penned screenplay, this movie seems to have disappeared under the radar. There's a reason for this, it's simply not very good. Harrelson plays the latest in his growing repertoire of badass characters, a corrupt cop in late… More
  Considering the impressive cast and a James Ellroy penned screenplay, this movie seems to have disappeared under the radar. There's a reason for this, it's simply not very good. Harrelson plays the latest in his growing repertoire of badass characters, a corrupt cop in late nineties Los Angeles. He's very good but it's a cliched character at this point, we've already seen Gere, Keitel and even Cage play this exact role. Surely Ellroy can bring something new to the table? Frankly no, this is a poor piece of writing, a million miles away from "LA Confidential". Harrelson has more success with the ladies than James Bond, he lives in a strange commune type arrangement with his wife and ex-wife who happen to be sisters, and Robin Wright plays a lawyer who finds him inexplicably irresistible. The supporting characters are one-dimensional stereotypes, the rebellious daughter, the estranged wife (and ex-wife), and an assortment of corrupt cops and politicians. The crux of the plot revolves around Harrelson being caught on camera beating up a motorist who rammed his patrol car. It seems someone had a camera in the right place at the right time, something which director Moverman seems to struggle with. He insists on employing the sort of pretentious and intrusive camerawork that plagued the films of Paul Thomas Anderson before his "There Will Be Blood" epiphany. One scene in particular, a simple dialogue exchange in Buscemi's mayor's office, is shot with such a bizarrely over the top use of camera movement that you're instantly thrown out of the scene. I've spoken before about my hatred of desaturation and it rears it's ugly head again here. Seriously what is the problem with shooting a film well? The Paris Hilton sex tape had better cinematography than most recent American movies. Personally speaking, I can only recall one use of desaturation that worked, Kevin Reynolds' "187" where it was employed to provide a stark visual contrast between the cities of New York and Los Angeles. But Reynolds is a proper director, he doesn't use techniques for the sake of it, everything he does has a point behind it. Moverman and his contemporaries aren't so considerate.

• Glenn G

  
  Having been moved immensely by Oren Moverman's previous film, THE MESSENGER, in which Woody Harrelson received his 2nd Academy Award nod, I was greatly looking forward to RAMPART. This story, told during the late 90s LAPD corruption scandal focuses on the investigation into a… More
  Having been moved immensely by Oren Moverman's previous film, THE MESSENGER, in which Woody Harrelson received his 2nd Academy Award nod, I was greatly looking forward to RAMPART. This story, told during the late 90s LAPD corruption scandal focuses on the investigation into a bad cop whose behavior may or may not be being used as a distraction by Internal Affairs to draw the public's attention away from the larger issues at hand. Harrelson gives a career-best performance as a brutal police officer whose moral compass is pulled by a myriad of magnetic forces, leading him down some pretty dark paths. There's something seductively charming about this guy with the hair-trigger temper and his womanizing, racist ways. He never plays the victim and remains steadfast in insisting his point of view is the correct one. Facing down his opponents, whether they be an Asst. D.A., strongly played by Sigourney Weaver, an Internal Affairs investigator, a nice turn by Ice Cube, or his two ex-wives, who are sisters under the same roof, perfectly embodied by Cynthia Nixon and Anne Heche, Harrelson's Dave Brown is a confident force of nature. He's like a younger Tommy Lee Jones in NO COUNTRY FOR OLD MEN, or DeNiro's Travis Bickle from TAXI DRIVER, a man who clings to old school thought at all costs. He actually thinks he's right as he terrorizes illegal aliens, or savagely beats a man nearly to death, or kills another in cold blood. The streets will be safer for the rest of us, so it doesn't matter how he does it, right? RAMPART examines that question and shows the consequences it has on a man who thinks that way. His older daughter can barely look him in the eye, his ex-wives can't stand to have him around, his best pal (Ned Beatty) may not have his best interests at heart, he descends into drug use, and nearly everyone he meets is onto him. Even the homeless man in a wheelchair, played by an almost unrecognizable Ben Foster, can see right through this guy. Prone to picking up women at his local dive bar, he first takes Audra McDonald home, which leads to a strangely visceral sex scene. Later, he sets his sights on Robin Wright, who may or may not be using him. Their relationship becomes a series of tense push-pull moments and gets to the heart of a man who attracts as much as he repels. Despite a great cast (special mention to Brie Larson as his disappointed older daughter), RAMPART is almost a great film. It's tough, ambiguous, intelligently shot by the great Bobby Bukowski, yet it's bound to turn more people off than not. The framing is intentionally off-center and nerve-wracking. Scenes between Harrelson and Ned Beatty are shot so that one of them often blocks our view of the other, or we see one character in a wide shot without being able to see the other. An interrogation scene with Sigourney Weaver features an endlessly circling camera. It kept me on edge, much like Harrelson's performance, where you were never sure whether to laugh or to recoil. Story-wise, it's easy to call this film repetitive, but I saw it as a fascinating look at a psyche careening out of control. Even when you think you're getting to a great epiphany with Dave Brown, and there are several moments like this late in the game, Harrelson pulls a 180 and makes you wonder whether he's being genuinely honest or not. This is one complicated mess of a movie and is worth your while if you're in a really cynical mood.

• Jeffrey M

  
  Rampart features a gripping powerhouse performance by Woody Harrelson, who perfectly portrays a conflicted, paranoid, and tortured corrupt cop. The acting all around is strong, but it's the technical and scripting elements that really let the film down. The camera work is far too… More
  Rampart features a gripping powerhouse performance by Woody Harrelson, who perfectly portrays a conflicted, paranoid, and tortured corrupt cop. The acting all around is strong, but it's the technical and scripting elements that really let the film down. The camera work is far too 'creative', and often distracting. The editing style is erratic, and is not helped by an unfocused script, which seeks to juggle a litany of relationship dynamics but never gives the proper attention to the main narrative arc at hand. Despite being poorly composed, the performance by Harrelson is memorable enough to make it worth a watch. 3/5 Stars

• Cameron J

  
  Really, it took Woody Harrelson this long to play a cop? He's played Larry Flynt, an oncologist, a superhero, a professional bowler, a serial killer, a cowboy, a flamboyant gay man and even a cartoon version of himself, and he's somehow never played the cop he was born to… More
  Really, it took Woody Harrelson this long to play a cop? He's played Larry Flynt, an oncologist, a superhero, a professional bowler, a serial killer, a cowboy, a flamboyant gay man and even a cartoon version of himself, and he's somehow never played the cop he was born to play. Even crazier, he's donned the handlebar moustache before, but for non of those characters, not even the cop character that he's playing now. Well, maybe just slap the handlestache on gay and cowboy Woody, because I don't remember Larry Flynt having that kind of facial hair, and I think that if were to have it in "The Sunchaser", he would look too cool to be an oncologist, let alone a kidnapping victim by some punk kid, and they already had to give him a whimpstauche in that film so he would at least be mildly less intimidating, and even that just barely convinced you. Eh, he's still a great enough actor that if he was a giant, eight-foot-six tall, silverback gorilla with bulging muscles and the aforementioned hanlebar moustache draped along his big coconut lips, he'd still have you believe he was a whimpy nerd; but then again, I can't even believe he's a vegan in real, so I don't know. Why yes, I am pathetic enough to look at Woody Harrelson as a tough guy, but hey, after this film, in which he plays a dirty LAPD vet with a name like Dave Brown, I'm sure you can understand a bit more. Still, even if Woody Harrelson was reprising my imaginary role for him, the aforementioned handlestauched eight-foot-six tall silverback gorilla, I doubt that even that could make the film more interesting. The film isn't all that boring, but it is dull, and that exacerbates the already lacking compellingness in the story like you wouldn't believe. This is a generic story that's been tossed around time and again, but rarely has the story been told with this much lack of intrigue, with most every bit of this film, even at the very beginning, being so uninteresting and so unengaging, a problem not only worsened by the dullness, but the very loose editing, lack of pacing and even the technical value, from messy sound design, to even cinematography. Now, absolutely no respectable critic can go his or her career without laying down more than just one bit of praise for cinematography, but what the critics don't talk about a lot is bad cinematography, which is a very real thing, and a very real problem with this film, because the film is shot pretty poorly, with the camera being so unstable and the lighting being so empty and lifeless. Now, I understand that this film is on a low budget, but it doesn't take much effort to make cinematography passable, and while the lack of effort in the cinematography of this film is bearable, it is not acceptable. Now, the film is a mess, and while it can never be bad, it could very easily slip to mediocrity. However, this film is just barely above that, because although it has its missteps and stands to be more interesting, it's kept going by some undeniable strengths. The dialogue is perhaps to snappy, to the point of being unrealistic, but we're not talking Diablo Cody writing, where the dialogue is so snappy to the point of being totally unrelatable, and at many points, just plain terrible. It's slick and smart, and what the story lacks in engagement, the dialogue makes up for, being genuinely entertaining. Still, it would be nothing without the sharp delivery of the performers, most of whom do more than just crack a couple of snappy one-liners. There are some pretty good performances, but as you would expect, Woody Harrelson's performance steps above all of them. Harrelson is charismatic and sharp, making his familiar character seem refreshing and compelling - a bit of a jerk though, he may be -; but, at the beginning of the final act, Harrelson shines as the Dave Brown character's tale comes to a head, and he finds his comeuppance. There is a scene in which Brown is swimming in a pool and begs, then demands, then swears at his love intertest to join him in his swim if she does, in fact, support him; and that scene has so much subtlety and strength behind, none of which seems to be summoned by the director - considering his mediocre performance throughout much of the film -, but by Harrelson. Harrelson's pick up comes in much too late into the film to deem his performance wholey solid, but even before he brings his real game, Harrelson does the job well enough to keep this film going and keep you invested in him. Ultimately, the lack of budget in the technical value recieves additional insult by a palpable lack of effort to at least try and raise the technical value, creating a messily produced film to poor salt in the wound created by dull and unfulfilling storytelling, as well as genericism in the mediocrely told story, but what manages to just barely raise this film above mediocrity is the snap in its dialogue, as well as the charisma, and eventually, the emotion behind Woody Harrelson's lead performance, leaving "Rampart" to stand a very improvable, yet still generally enjoyable film. 2.5/5 - Fair

• Matthew Y

  
  Woody Harrelson does his best is this low-budget film about a dirty cop well past the aftermath of the Rampart Scandal of the 90's. Overall I didn't feel that the praise this movie and his performance are getting was deserved. The film has a complete lack of emotion and… More
  Woody Harrelson does his best is this low-budget film about a dirty cop well past the aftermath of the Rampart Scandal of the 90's. Overall I didn't feel that the praise this movie and his performance are getting was deserved. The film has a complete lack of emotion and halfway through I lost any care about the character or what was going to happen to him. Simply put there are much better films out there this year.

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