Good concept, poorly executed.

I have absolutely never seen anything like this movie before. You have to see this movie.

Close shines in drama with strong language, adult themes.

Yes, absolutely, there is fun to be had, as well as many, many things to go boom, all amid an atmospheric urban jungle.

It doesn't sound too promising -- Woody Harrelson as a veteran of the LAPD who once shot a date rapist and now, years later, seems to be scapegoated by the division because of an unfolding scandal. Somebody has to go and Internal Affairs is out to see that somebody does.It sounds like another LAPD shoot-'em-up with a bloodbath every ten minutes but it's not. No shots have been fired, and no explosions have occurred. There's not even a high speed pursuit by cars, planes, boats, trains, or bicycles.Instead Harrelson, in a very nicely textured performance, his head stylishly shaved bald, is presented as a tough and embittered cop whose social life is a fetid swamp of pathos. He appears to have two wives (or girl friends or sisters) or maybe three. Each makes an occasional appearance in his life but he screws up the bond one way or another.One of the ways is that he extorts over-the-counter leapers and sleepers from a pharmacist. Another way is that he seems to sip from a pint of booze as he drives around the city alone in his black-and-white. He makes absurd demands of people and when they don't play his game he becomes furious.All of the performances are good, particularly those whose relationship with Harrelson is ambivalent, and who find themselves trapped in an approach/avoidance conflict.But Harrelson, hung over, sweaty, falling down drunk, could probably carry the film by himself.He's given a great deal of help by the director Oren Moverman who lends the images a slightly arty effect, sometimes a little too arty. Woody drives in despair through the night and the camera gives us a nice close up of his ear, silhouetted by the headlights of the cars behind him. Oh, yes -- his left ear. But at other time he trusts the viewer enough to figure out what's happening off screen. The location shooting is fine too, capturing the shimmering heat of Los Angeles' streets, the sunshine and smog.There is no redemption at the end, either, and I kind of liked that. It's a good evocation of despair. The screenplay originated with James Ellroy, whose values you may or may not like. I don't. He's said in interviews that the police should be given free rein on the streets and not interfered with by the suits. His sympathies probably lay with this Dirty Harry character rather than with the division's attempt to clean itself up.

This movie is one of those for when you're in the mood to spend some time to understand what the director wanted to show and give it an after thought. It's slow paced, with a lot of creative photography content. It gets the spectator into the everyday of the character (that by the way, it's really good portrayed by Harrelson) and his twisted life. Is not an action or straight forward movie, is more a character development movie, and doesn't explain or show explicitly everything that is or will happen, just gives you the clues (that are many) to figure it out. Regarding of the open ending (I have read that many didn't like), if you think about what happened along the movie, you know what happens with the characters in the end, it's just adding up everything is been coming.Good photography, average story, good writing, very good acting. Worths the watch, again, if you're in the mood.

I can't believe some of the negative posts written about this movie, and although it isn't without its flaws it is still film worthy of your valuable viewing time. That is if you consider yourself as anything of a "serious" cinema enthusiast, as opposed to a common or garden movie fan. I have given it a maximum score of 10 stars, not that it deserves 10 stars but just to attempt to redress the balance a little.It isn't a feel good entertainment, it is grim, it is seedy and although I didn't find it harrowing I could quite understand if some viewers did. However I actually finished up having quite a lot of sympathy for the Dave Brown character. I feel he is a man who works to his own moral compass, he has served his country in Vietnam and his community as a police officer, he tries to be a good father. If he can bust a meth lab by roughing up a shop lifter then so be it. He allegedly murdered a serial rapist. He is the type of cop that Hollywood movies and the popular culture glorify, the tough cop whose unconventional methods get results. Only this is "real life" and as such he is betrayed at every turn, his country betrays him for being a soldier in an unpopular ( i.e. losing ) war, the Police department he works for is out to pin him to the wall as a diversion from the more endemic scandal it has to face, his friends ( I'm thinking the Ned Beaty character, General and his lover ) turn there back on him and finally his family turn on him too. You may say he deserves it, but I don't think so.All the performances from the first rate cast are great, you can really see them getting there teeth into the roles. Much of it looks and feels like ad lib, particularly any scene involving Dave and one of the many women in his life. The movie is shot in a cross between a gritty fly on the wall documentary style and surveillance footage. Many scenes are filmed through a foreground object, like through the branches of a bush or the gap in a curtain or through a window. Some are filmed from far away as if the viewer was a peeping Tom or surveillance operative and it gives weight to Dave's feelings of paranoia. Through this lens LA is a soulless, grimy, squalid, and above all dangerous place to be, which is about right. It is a foreign and alien world, even to its native inhabitants. That is the world through Dave Brown's eyes, it is A truth but not necessarily THE truth. If the film is about injustice, racism, sexism and intolerance then what does it say of our intolerance of Dave Brown? Until we have seen the world through his eyes, who are we to judge?

Usually when it comes to dirty cops, most people end up detesting them. But this goes in another direction where it sorta builds a slight sympathy for the dirty cop named Dave Brown(Woody Harrelson). Maybe because he only tries to hurt the bad guys and isn't in it for the dirty money nor does he physically hurts women. Even if he is a "power tripping, racist, sexist, arrogant schemer, and chauvinistic cop". He even probably cheated on his wife and he cheats on his taxes. In fact he is such a prick that even the LAPD force wants nothing to do with him and wants him buried. The thing is the whole direction and dialogue is mesmerizing, especially seeing how a dirty cop that isn't all sadistic and evil struggle to keep his family and his badge. Woody Harrelson is just great in this and his performance is captivating to watch. He does a great job of playing the detestable and hypocritical cop that is also methodical and yet his acting makes me have slight sympathy for his character. When he starts to fall apart after his brutality is caught on tape. If you enjoy dirty cop movies this is one of the good ones.7.8/10