There's a thin line between being a cop and being a criminal - yeah, yeah, yeah, got it, heard it before. The whole production has a derivative vibe that it never shakes. The film kept reminding me of We Own the Night for some reason. It could be because of how the film was shot. It could be because its yet another East Coast cop drama. Could be because they both are dank, poorly written messes.

The film tells the tale of a police family that hits rough times when Ray Tierney (Edward Norton) uncovers a corruption scandal that fingers his brother-in-law Jimmy (Colin Farrell). This is a pretty good plot hook but the resulting script penned by Gavin O'Connor and Joe Carnahan never finds its footing. The piece is structured well but there's nothing unique, there's no dramatic draw. It is not too much to ask that a piece of drama should pull the audience into the story.

There are better cop dramas out there. I advise finding them.


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Labels: Colin Farrell, cops, Edward Norton, film, Jon Voight, movie review