Dark Blue (2003) Movie Information:
| Dark Blue (2003) Directed by: |
 Ron Shelton |
| Dark Blue (2003) Written by: |
| David Ayer, James Ellroy |
| Dark Blue (2003) Cast: |
| Kurt Russell, Ving Rhames, Brendan Gleeson, Scott Speedman, Michael Michele, Lolita Davidovich, Dash Mihok, Jonathan Banks, Graham Beckel, Khandi Alexander |
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Dark Blue (2003) Synopsis:
In America, the police are sworn to uphold the law and protect the innocent. But on the streets, it's everyone for themselves--and the streets are where policeman Eldon Perry honed his craft. Perry is a veteran cop in Los Angeles, one of the toughest cities in the world. A member of the LAPD's elite Special Investigations Squad, Perry is known for his tough street tactics, fiery temper, and a willingness to do whatever it takes to bring someone to justice. Perry plays fast and loose with the rules and goes over the line--until another cop vows to bring him down. When the SIS is assigned a high-profile quadruple homicide, Perry is put on the case along with SIS rookie Bobby Keough. Investigating the murders alongside Perry, Keough soon learns the grim realities of police intimidation and corruption. Meanwhile, Assistant Chief Holland is the only man in the department willing to stand up to the SIS. The SIS is a tight brotherhood, and no one has ever dared to take them on--until now. While Perry and Keough are trying to solve the murder, Holland is trying to end Perry's brand of single-handed "justice." Over the course of four days, the brutal murder and a racially charged trial trigger an explosive chain of events that resonate throughout Los Angeles.
Dark Blue (2003) Movie Review:
Using the backdrop of the Rodney King LAPD beating, the ensuing riots and the police Rampart scandal, Kurt Russell plays corrupt L.A. police detective Sgt. Eldon Perry in the action drama Dark Blue.
His young novice partner Bobby Keough (Scott Speedman) is accused of a suspicious gunning down of a criminal suspect.
Eldon knows how to get himself and his partner cleared by the internal police board for all the illegal activities they indulge in.
You see, Eldon is a cop who believes the justice system doesn't work and makes up his own laws as to how to deal with the career felons that he considers the scum of this earth.
He doesn't mind planting evidence, faking reports, even murder when it comes to getting the hoodlums convicted and closing the book on them.
Bobby on the other hand has a problem with such tactics and carries a heavy heart while being trained by Eldon to commit such acts.
The only person Eldon takes orders from is Jack Van Meter (Brendan Gleeson) his boss at the special SIS unit who is even shadier than him.
One man is determined to take Eldon down while at the same time trying to finagle his way to being the first black police chief of Los Angeles. His name is Deputy Chief Arthur Holland (Ving Rhames).
Nobody seems to be clean in this movie that reminds you a lot of the film Training Day. From having a very bad cop trying to turn his new partner into a mirror image of himself to breaking every police procedure in the book while in the line of duty.
Dark Blue is raw, intense and unnerving but at the same time guilty of one-dimensional characters overacting too much.
Ron Shelton directs with ferocity when it comes to presenting foul mouth dirty cops laying down the law on the bad elements of society.
What's missing in Dark Blue is freshness. As you watch this film you mostly can't help but feel you have seen this type of movie many times before.
That being said, Dark Blue still has enough potent emotional impact to make a lot of you uneasy in your chairs as you watch this drama unfold.
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Dark Blue (2003) review written by: Gil Benzeevi
28th August 2008: George Clooney Up In The Air! 
