Overweight Freddy Heflin (Sylvester Stallone in a rare character role) is the not-too-bright sheriff of Garrison, New Jersey, a small town that is home to a number of New York cops that many NYPD officers call home. He was barred from NYPD service because of his partial deaf in one ear. His little town is a satellite suburb for N.Y. policemen , the more crooked of whom render it rife with a sinister Mafia . But when an officer (Michael Rapaport) breaks the rules , being responsible for a violent incident involving two African-American civilians , Freddy leads his own investigation and uncovers a racially-charged conspiracy within the NYPD. As Freddy is now investigating on this case, then Internal Affairs officer (I.A.) Mo Tilden (Robert De Niro) is also on the issue and asks Freddy for help, but Freddy could not. No One Is Above The Law.
An exciting and moving film about police corruption , though hard to follow , at times , but thrilling enough for crime aficionados . Sly gives a good acting as a honest New Jersey sheriff who suffers deafness in one ear , he has divided loyalties when a criminal investigation could implicate his department and the cops he idolizes , as he finds out that some of his heroes may have feet of clay . Here Sylvester's Rocky of the cop world blissfully unware of most of the crime on his patch and after realising the New York's finest cops have become New Jersey into a twisted nest of corruption and badness , as he carries out an expeditive solution . Stallone wanted to play a ¨first-class actor¨ film back on his resume after his Rambos and Rockies and he made his ultimate sacrifice of his physical appearance for the character by gaining 38 pounds and letting his muscles go . An all-star-cast movie but curiously cheap-looking picture, it results to be a crossover of High Noon wake Western into the world of Goodfellas , including a dark police corruption in Film Noir style of the Forties . Main starring Stallone is excellently accompanied by a great cast such as : Ray Liotta as a good/bad policeman , Robert De Niro as an Internal Affairs agent , Peter Berg as an abusive cop , typecast Harvey Keitel who leads the corrupt bunch along with Robert Patrick , Michael Rapaport as an officer who causes a deadly accident , breaking the rules , being threatened with elimination by his senior colleagues , Janeane Garofalo as Deputy Cindy Betts , Annabella Sciorra as the mistreated wife Randone , Noah Emmerich as a Deputy Geisler , Cathy Moriarty , John Spencer , Frank Vincent , Malik Yoba , Arthur Nascarella , Edie Falco, Paul Calderon ,John Doman , Debbie Harry , Vincent Laresca, among others .
It contains a suspenseful and emotive musical score by Howard Shore. As well as an evocative and colorful cinematography by Eric Edwards . The motion picture was well written and directed by James Mangold who grew up in an upstate New York , providing a Western feel enhanced by a magnificent main and support cast , giving them a chance to do what they do best . While the film garnered decent reviews from critics, it didn't do well at the box office, making a few money during it's opening weekend , and dropping down five slots on it's second weekend. However , nowadays , it is considered a pretty good film and highly deemed . Writer/director James Mangold is a fine American film and television director, screenwriter and producer. Frequently provides strong lead female characters and regularly casts Dallas Roberts and usually his characters become unlikely couples . Mangold has directed 3 different actors in Oscar-nominated performances: Angelina Jolie in Girl , interrupted (1999), and Reese Witherspoon and Joaquin Phoenix in walk the line (2005). Both Jolie and Witherspoon won Oscars for their performances in his films. Films he has directed include Girl, Interrupted (1999), Walk the line (2005), which he also co-wrote, the 2007 remake Train 3:10 to Yuma (2007), Wolverine (2013), and Logan (2017). Rating . 7/10 . Better than average . The picture will appeal to Sylvester Stallone and Robert De Niro fans .
An exciting and moving film about police corruption , though hard to follow , at times , but thrilling enough for crime aficionados . Sly gives a good acting as a honest New Jersey sheriff who suffers deafness in one ear , he has divided loyalties when a criminal investigation could implicate his department and the cops he idolizes , as he finds out that some of his heroes may have feet of clay . Here Sylvester's Rocky of the cop world blissfully unware of most of the crime on his patch and after realising the New York's finest cops have become New Jersey into a twisted nest of corruption and badness , as he carries out an expeditive solution . Stallone wanted to play a ¨first-class actor¨ film back on his resume after his Rambos and Rockies and he made his ultimate sacrifice of his physical appearance for the character by gaining 38 pounds and letting his muscles go . An all-star-cast movie but curiously cheap-looking picture, it results to be a crossover of High Noon wake Western into the world of Goodfellas , including a dark police corruption in Film Noir style of the Forties . Main starring Stallone is excellently accompanied by a great cast such as : Ray Liotta as a good/bad policeman , Robert De Niro as an Internal Affairs agent , Peter Berg as an abusive cop , typecast Harvey Keitel who leads the corrupt bunch along with Robert Patrick , Michael Rapaport as an officer who causes a deadly accident , breaking the rules , being threatened with elimination by his senior colleagues , Janeane Garofalo as Deputy Cindy Betts , Annabella Sciorra as the mistreated wife Randone , Noah Emmerich as a Deputy Geisler , Cathy Moriarty , John Spencer , Frank Vincent , Malik Yoba , Arthur Nascarella , Edie Falco, Paul Calderon ,John Doman , Debbie Harry , Vincent Laresca, among others .
It contains a suspenseful and emotive musical score by Howard Shore. As well as an evocative and colorful cinematography by Eric Edwards . The motion picture was well written and directed by James Mangold who grew up in an upstate New York , providing a Western feel enhanced by a magnificent main and support cast , giving them a chance to do what they do best . While the film garnered decent reviews from critics, it didn't do well at the box office, making a few money during it's opening weekend , and dropping down five slots on it's second weekend. However , nowadays , it is considered a pretty good film and highly deemed . Writer/director James Mangold is a fine American film and television director, screenwriter and producer. Frequently provides strong lead female characters and regularly casts Dallas Roberts and usually his characters become unlikely couples . Mangold has directed 3 different actors in Oscar-nominated performances: Angelina Jolie in Girl , interrupted (1999), and Reese Witherspoon and Joaquin Phoenix in walk the line (2005). Both Jolie and Witherspoon won Oscars for their performances in his films. Films he has directed include Girl, Interrupted (1999), Walk the line (2005), which he also co-wrote, the 2007 remake Train 3:10 to Yuma (2007), Wolverine (2013), and Logan (2017). Rating . 7/10 . Better than average . The picture will appeal to Sylvester Stallone and Robert De Niro fans .