Set in the Los Angeles Police Department in April 1992, the thriller Dark Blue takes place days before the acquittal of four white officers in the beating of black motorist Rodney King and the subsequent L.A. riots.
Occupying center stage are hotshot veteran cop Eldon Perry (Kurt Russell) and his babe magnet of a rookie partner, Bobby Keough (Scott Speedman). The two are part of the elite Special Investigations Squad. When Keough is cleared of shooting a suspect who was actually shot by Perry, Assistant Chief Arthur Holland (Ving Rhames) smells a rat and declares war on the SIS.
This doesn’t sit too well with Jack Van Meter (Brendan Gleeson), the bearish, booze-swilling head of SIS and fairy godfather to both Perry and Keough. As the investigation heats up, so does L.A., as everyone waits for the verdict of the beating trial.
Director Ron Shelton (Bull Durham, White Men Can’t Jump) doesn’t make many movies and when he does, they’re usually raucous affairs full of male bonding and alcohol-induced meditations on the meaning of life. Although Dark Blue represents a significant departure for Shelton, his grasp of male friendships serves him well in the scenes between partners Perry and Keough. The tension mounts until the climax, which involves a shootout in South Central L.A. just as the riots break out. I particularly liked the way Shelton handled this part. The riots are treated with an unflinching realism, but never eclipse the story.
As for the atypical casting of Russell as the bad cop who grows a conscience, I’d love to say he’s a revelation. He’s not. He’s just not dark enough nor versatile enough to make me believe he’s a racist, sexist, murdering slimeball not much different than the scum he arrests. But it is a breathtakingly honest and bold performance, and that alone makes it worth watching. Russell throws himself into Perry the way Perry throws drug dealers against graffiti-sprayed walls.
The rest of the cast is fine, but Rhames turns out another of his immensely watchable and complex performances. I particularly liked a scene between Rhames and Russell at the end. After Perry spills his guts at what was to be his own swearing-in as a lieutenant, he is arrested and taken to a squad car as the rest of the cops head out to contain the riot. Holland tells the officers to take the cuffs off Perry, who asks, "How bad is this going to get before it’s over?" Holland looks Perry in the eye and says, "Bad," and walks away. Good moment.
Dark Blue won’t make anyone forget Serpico or even Prince of the City, both from Sidney Lumet, the king of police-corruption movies, but it’s a strong effort from an underrated director.
Dark Blue
R
Three reels out of four
Opening tomorrow at area theaters
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The Lion King
Playing at the Franklin Institute
If you haven’t seen The Lion King on IMAX at the Franklin Institute, you have until April 10. I can’t think of any recent animated movie more perfect for the IMAX treatment. When I last saw The Lion King, it was on a small screen and I got goose bumps. Particularly majestic is the opening sequence when baby Simba is presented to King Mufasa’s subjects. I’m getting goose bumps just writing about it. Ooooooooohh. So imagine how it must be on a giant IMAX screen and you still can’t get the feeling until you see it. What are you waiting for? Grab the kids and get on over there.
