'Street Kings' a grim but entertaining cop thriller
"Street Kings" - Crime writer James Ellroy has spent his career exploring the demonic side of the City of Angels. His bloody fingerprints are all over "Street Kings," a noirish thriller based on his short story, and it's Ellroy's influence that keeps the movie from being just another generic shoot-'em-up.
Keanu Reeves plays Tom Ludlow, an angry L.A. cop still grieving the death of his wife. Ludlow is part of an elite unit that solves the city's toughest crimes by any means necessary, even ruffling the feathers of the Internal Affairs department.
After becoming a city hero by rescuing two kidnapped kids (and blowing away their captors), Ludlow learns that his estranged former partner is snitching on him to Internal Affairs, a development that could cost Ludlow his badge. When Ludlow visits his old partner to discuss it, the partner ends up dead in a suspicious gang-style shooting. Ludlow, now suspected of murder, tries to find out who orchestrated the shooting, and in the process stumbles upon a police conspiracy that could tear what remains of his world apart.
"Street Kings" works, despite some glaring flaws. The script meanders in the middle act, and the acting is a mixed bag. Reeves is OK, but Hugh Laurie is a disaster as Biggs, the oily Internal Affairs investigator pursuing Ludlow and his cronies. Much more fun to watch is Forest Whitaker as Ludlow's snarling boss, who practically foams at the mouth when delivering his pulpy dialogue. I also liked how director David Ayer brings Ellroy's corrupt Los Angeles to gritty life on screen. "Street Kings" is no masterpiece, but it delivers an involving (if sometimes over-the-top) story drenched in Ellroy's trademark cynicism. The DVD comes packed with goodies, including an Ayer commentary, deleted scenes and a series of featurettes about the production. (R; Fox, $29.98)
"Nixon: Election Year Edition" - Oliver Stone surprised a lot of people with his thoughtful 1995 biopic about Richard Nixon. Many expected him to demonize the former president; instead, "Nixon" is a Shakespearean tragedy about a potentially great man whose personal demons bring his life crashing down. Using the shifting film stocks and color schemes that were trademarks of his '90s films, Stone documents Nixon's Quaker upbringing, his early political triumphs and failures, and finally his disastrous stint as president. Stone's portrait doesn't sugarcoat Nixon's shortcomings, but it remains surprisingly empathetic throughout. Does it hold up as a historical document? No, and Stone never intended it to. What the movie does is capture the essence of its subject. This new DVD is the first quality release of Stone's director's cut, which comes in about a half-hour longer than the theatrical version. The two-disc set includes a nice new documentary about Nixon and the film, along with two commentaries and Stone's great appearance on the Charlie Rose Show. If you own the previous director's cut DVD, which suffered from poor picture quality, this release would be a good upgrade. (R; Disney Home Entertainment, $29.99)
"The Small Back Room" (The Criterion Collection) - Criterion this week brings us an elegant, entertaining drama from Michael Powell and Emeric Pressburger, the British filmmaking team behind "The Red Shoes." "The Small Back Room," released theatrically in 1949 and set during World War II, tells the story of Sammy Rice, a bitter research scientist with a painful prosthetic leg and a drinking problem. The British government hires Rice to study a new weapon the Germans have begun using: a flashlight-shaped bomb that explodes when picked up. Rice tries to unlock the secrets of the bomb while maintaining his romantic relationship with Sue, a secretary at his office. Powell and Pressburger tell this story with a sharp, witty script and their usual visual panache. Romantic and as suspenseful as a thriller, "The Small Back Room" is a gem. Criterion's DVD comes with a commentary, an interview with the cinematographer and an audio file featuring Powell's dictated notes about the film. (NR; Criterion, $39.95)