I just saw Cop Land for the first time. I loved that movie! What does everyone else think of it? For some reason I don't hear much about that movie, so I'm not sure if it's hated or just underrated or maybe I just somehow missed out on it until now.
I think its a good film with a nice story that gets the viewer really involved with the film, and hell the cast is dynamite.
Whatever his movies work (WALK THE LINE, COP LAND) or fail (IDENTITY), Writer/Director James Mangold can be credited with a knack that seems not that special considering his casts, which is that he seems to always get the best work from his actors.
Surely with his minimal cop part, Robert DeNiro could have coasted. Harvey "Jerry Bruckheimer, where's my next check?" Keitel could have coasted as the baddie. Robert Patrick could have coasted as the baddie sidekick. Ray Liotta could have coasted as a burned-out psychotic(a schtick he's always been playing for the last decade at least). Shit, Sylvester STallone the egomaniac fuck could have coasted as the lead.
Instead, they all busted their asses for what other castings and filmmakers would be a commercial genre movie, and we get a good movie as a result.
