Officer
Down plays like dozens of dirty cop films before it, with a few twists taken
from countless heist films. Though I have a predilection for originality in my
film-viewing experiences, occasionally a predictable film is constructed in such
a way which is alternately satisfying. A captivating actor or compelling
cinematography can take a simple film to new depths. Unfortunately, Officer
Down doesn’t have much to offer that is memorable, much less mesmerizing.
Stephen
Dorff stars unconvincingly as Detective Callahan, a dirty cop who is saved by a
seemingly selfless stranger. We join him when he is already on the straight
path as a loving husband and father, not to mention a dedicated cop. There is
no explanation for his behavior previous to the revelation, nor do we see the
transformation. For this reason, the two versions of our protagonist seem so
starkly different that it is hard to accept them as the same.
When
our morally righteous Callahan is approached by a man claiming to be the one
who saved his life that night, he feels an obligation to help him. The favor
asked has to do with a man attacking women at a local strip club, but as
Callahan investigates, he becomes further entangled. All the while, he goes
rogue on a secret investigation; Callahan must use some of the dirty tricks he
learned to keep his involvement from his co-workers.
This
film drags for far too long before giving the final twisted explanation is
divulged. By the time I had reached that point, I hardly cared. The acting
isn’t terrible. It just isn’t great. Same can be said for the cinematography
and just about every other aspect of this film. The Blu-ray has no special
features.
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