Cop 1998, Rated R Paramount Home Video

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Starring James Woods.

The story behind Cop is captivating, told with slow twists and revelations. James B. Harris' style of direction maintains the slow unraveling of the tale, with series' of long tracking shots, and James Woods' performance tremendous. It is his acting that anchors this film and holds all the different elements together. It's hard to fathom how much energy Woods had to put in every day during the shoot to capture the electricity of his burned out and therapy-needing L.A. homicide detective.

Although these types of characters are Woods' forte, he is mesmerizing as Lloyd Hopkins, a detective working to solve a murder that isn't as cut and dried as it initially appears. While following the case, we dive into Hopkins' world and are both disgusted and intrigued with what we see. His way of looking at events we are familiar with is twisted and dark, and his family life so troubled it is amazing that he is on the good side of the law.

What is particularly fascinating about Cop is the way this movie delves into the other side of police life. Yes, there is a murder investigation, but this movie shines outside of these confines, during Hopkins' off-time and suspension leave. A sure sign that a film is working on a new, never previously seen level is the presence of scenes at which you are not sure whether to laugh or be horrified.

The only other movie that I've seen that has done this as effectively as Cop was Todd Solondz's Welcome to the Dollhouse. At first I was disgusted, but as I began to sense a dark underlying humor to Cop the film became significantly more entertaining. Topping the list of awkward scenes is one where Woods shoots and kills a man who is on a date and then begins hitting on the dead man's girlfriend. Woods suggests he take her home and offers this choice line to his partner, "C'mon... you blow away a [girl's] date, the least you can do is drive her home, right?"

Cop is also benefited by an ending so strong that it seems to reach out from the TV and kick you in the head. You are left starring at the credits thinking, "wow," your heart beating at a mild 350 beats per minute. Cop is not an action movie by any stretch of the imagination, so don't go into this one expecting Woods to have a ponytail and be throwing beatings around like Steven Seagal. This is a superbly crafted drama with fantastically suspenseful elements thrown into the mix. This was a macabre, well-acted and thoroughly enjoyable film to watch.