Rampart (2011)

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.

Director:

Oren Moverman

Writers:

James Ellroy, Oren Moverman

Stars:

Woody Harrelson, Jon Bernthal, Ben Foster

3 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Woody Harrelson	...	David Douglas Brown
Jon Bernthal	...	Dan Morone
Stella Schnabel	...	Jane
Jon Foster	...	Michael Whittaker
Ben Foster	...	General Terry
Ruben Garfias	...	Pharmacy Security Guard
Deadlee	...	Pharmacy Punk
Dominic Flores	...	Latino Detective
Matt McTighe	...	30-Year-Old Cop
Cynthia Nixon	...	Barbara
Anne Heche	...	Catherine
Brie Larson	...	Helen
Sammy Boyarsky	...	Margaret
Billy Hough	...	Piano Player
Audra McDonald	...	Sarah

Storyline

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 ...

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Plot Keywords:

scandal | beating | vomit | homeless man | bigotry | 

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Taglines:

The most corrupt cop you've ever seen on screen.

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Genres:

Crime | Drama

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated R for pervasive language, sexual content and some violence

Details

Official Sites:

Official site

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

24 February 2012 (Ireland)

Also Known As:

Brudny glina

Filming Locations:

Los Angeles, California, USA

Box Office

Opening Weekend:

$60,446 (USA) (10 February 2012)

Gross:

$969,239 (USA) (4 May 2012)

Company Credits

Production Co:

Lightstream Pictures, Waypoint Entertainment, Third Mind Pictures, The

Technical Specs

Runtime:

108 min

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Dave Brown (Woody Harrelson) appears in every scene in the film.

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Goofs

Dave Brown tells Kyle, who tailed him to a shrimp shack, that "all the Founding Fathers owned slaves." Not True. Second U.S. President John Adams owned a farm, but never owned slaves.

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Quotes

Hartshorn: [to Dave] You know, when you first came into the department I wasn't certain whether or not you were the dumbest rookie ever, or the most bullheaded. I'm still debating it.

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Connections

Featured in Maltin on Movies: The Vow (2012)

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Soundtracks

"Razzle Dazzle"
Written by Eric V. Hachikian
Performed by Eric V. Hachikian

User Reviews

Harrelson Good...Wish Movie Were Better.

Always watchable largely thanks to Harrelson--he's really quite good---but never quite believable film tracks a couple days in the life of a not exactly dirty, but not exactly clean cop. To my mind, Harrelson's character isn't exactly dirty--we never witness him taking bribes, or stealing money, or looking the other way--he's just way overzealous in his pursuit of bad guys--actually scratch that--something happens at the mid-point that actually changes part of that last statement--but he still remains a clean(ish) cop trying to do right by society, even guys he claims to hate--he tries to give a fair shake to. Its that overzealousness that lands him in trouble tho---he beats 2 people in the first ten minutes of the movie--but in both cases i think they were both understandably beatings given the circumstances. Meh whatever, film starts piling things on for Harrelson--having been caught with a cell phone cam beating up the 2nd guy (who was running away from him!) he's then put on suspension, and then he gets put under investigation which leads to...not a whole lot honestly.

Film is a very shaggy dog story---Not much really happens throughout the movie other then just watching Woody Harrelson walk around and talk tough---he tries to bond with his teenage daughter, he tries to make it right with his ex wives, he tries to figure out what Internal Affairs wants to hear so he can get his job back, and yeah that's about it really. I feel like the events of the end don't really add up to much, and the big climactic scene at the ending is well again not much of anything really. Film is basically a 70's Esq character study of this guy and his life that seems to be arbitrarily falling apart around him. That said, the film's well shot, its nicely acted and not just by Harrelson, the actress playing his teenage daughter i feel scores just as many points as Woody does in their handful of scenes together. There's enough here that you wish it was better instead of the mish-mash stew we got going on here. still its worth a look on cable should you stumble on it.