Cop (1988) Atlantic Releasing/Drama-Thriller RT: 110 minutes Rated R (violence, language, drug references, sexual content) Director: James B. Harris Screenplay: James B. Harris Music: Michel Colombier Cinematography: Steve Dubin Release date: March 11, 1988 (US) Cast: James Woods, Lesley Ann Warren, Charles Durning, Charles Haid, Raymond J. Barry, Randi Brooks, Steven Lambert, Christopher Wynne, Jan McGill, Vicki Wauchope, Melinda Lynch, John Petievich, Dennis Stewart, Annie McEnroe. Box Office: $1.9M (US)
Rating: *** ½
What a difference 35 years makes. Way back at the end of summer 1988, I rented Cop from West Coast Video. I saw the ad for it at my local AMC earlier in the year, but it bypassed Philadelphia theaters completely so I had to wait for it to come out on video. At the time, I didn’t think much of it. I thought it would be more of an action movie. It’s actually more of a modern noir thriller. My cinematic palate wasn’t yet refined enough to appreciate the nuances of noir. The only aspect that stood out was the final scene when James Woods’ character gets off one of the best lines since Rutger Hauer uttered “f*** the bonus.” in Wanted Dead or Alive. Other than that, I wasn’t impressed.
Cut to this past weekend when I decided to give Cop another shot. It was streaming for free on Tubi, so I thought why not. Now that I’m a considerably more seasoned movie watcher, I saw it in a completely different light. It’s really quite a film.
Based on the James Ellroy (L.A. Confidential) novel Blood on the Moon, Cop stars Woods (Against All Odds) as Sgt. Lloyd Hopkins, an LAPD detective on the trail of a serial killer. While investigating the brutal murder of a young woman, he stumbles across evidence suggesting the killer has done this kind of thing before. When he delves deeper, he finds several unsolved murders over the past 15 years that match the M.O. of the latest killing. He tries to open an official investigation, but his boss Capt. Gaffney (Barry, Year of the Dragon) isn’t having any of it. He’s not exactly a fan of Hopkins. With little to no support from his colleagues, Hopkins strikes out on his own to solve the case.
The only one willing to assist Hopkins is Kathleen McCarthy (Warren, Victor Victoria), a feminist book store owner who might be able to point him in the right direction. The case brings back memories of a traumatic event that might or might not be connected to the killings.
The plot of Cop isn’t what you’d call complex. It’s fairly straightforward in terms of the narrative save for a red herring involving a dirty cop (Haid, Hill Street Blues). What I didn’t understand in the halcyon days of my misspent youth was that Cop was less about plot than character. And what a character this Lloyd Hopkins is! He makes Dirty Harry look like a bastion of civil rights. He crosses so many lines, it’s a wonder he still has his badge. He’s a brilliant detective who doesn’t give up, not even when he’s ordered to by his superiors. He relentlessly pursues his quarry at the cost of his career, family and other personal relationships. All the while, he’s coming more and more unglued. He knows he’s onto something, but nobody wants to hear it. They think he’s nuts. That may be, but it doesn’t mean he’s wrong.
James Woods is absolutely brilliant in the title role. He’s always been one of my favorite actors. I love his natural intensity. It’s a quality that makes his stand out from his peers. It also makes him the perfect choice to play a character like Hopkins, a cop who has no problem gunning down a suspect then leaving his partner (Durning, Sharky’s Machine) to sort things out while he drives the dead guy’s “date” home, presumably for a quick screw. While he’s on the side of right, he isn’t at all above doing wrong to solve the case. For him, moral ambiguity is the flavor of the day every day. Not many actors could pull it off as well as Woods does here. His performance in Cop is right up there with his work in The Onion Field, Salvador and Best Seller.
Woods gets ample support from Warren who becomes what can kindly be described as a hostile witness. She might have crucial information, but she’ll be damned if she reveals it to Hopkins after he violates her trust (and rights) like he does. In a change of pace, she doesn’t become a damsel in distress in the climax. Haid is also good as the deputy sheriff involved in criminal activity of his own. Barry is sufficiently unlikable as the police captain who has it out for Hopkins. Durning has some good moments as the partner/mentor fighting a losing battle keeping his friend out of trouble.
Written and directed by James B. Harris (Boiling Point), Cop is a fine neo-noir crime thriller that’s only slightly marred by pacing issues. But you know what; I don’t even care about that. The film is made consistently interesting by Woods’ unhinged and sometimes funny performance. His character isn’t quite as bad as Harvey Keitel’s bad cop in Bad Lieutenant, but he’s not a whole lot better than the criminals and assorted sleaze bags he encounters on the job. He makes for a fascinating character study. Then there’s that cool end scene. I won’t ruin it for those who haven’t seen Cop, but it’s a real doozy. It’s still talked about by movie fans. That alone makes the rest of the movie worth checking out.
