Street Kings
Keanu Reeves, Forest Whitaker, Hugh Laurie and Chris Evans
Director: David Ayer
109 Minutes
20th Century Fox
2008
Rating: MA15+

It is not easy to review this film as I had no high expectations. From what one could gather from the trailer, it seemed like another "angry cop film" - and to a certain extent, that is true.

LAPD Detective Tom Ludlow (Keanu Reeves) is the type of lone wolf who would bypass the system by simply blowing away the criminals, afterwards rigging the crime scene in his favor. However, when a fellow cop named Terrance Washington (Terry Crews) - who has been in contact with Internal Affairs Captain James Biggs (Hugh Laurie), apparently regarding Ludlow's work ethic - is brutally gunned down by masked gunmen with Ludlow present, matters are complicated for him. His colleagues, particularly his boss Captain Jack Wander (Forest Whitaker) are not surprisingly eager to cover for him. Despite that Biggs is sniffing around, Ludlow is nonetheless eager to find Washington's killers and in the process uncover certain truths which makes him question the loyalties of those around him.

Given this film is written and directed by David Ayer, who wrote Training Day and wrote and directed Harsh Times, it is not surprising that it is grittily done. It is, in many respects, a dark film and the use of hard lighting and bright colors contrasting with the darkness certainly imparts a sense of sharpness and grit. The narrative is tight, with generous doses of brutal violence, although not necessarily the most graphic ever seen on film. All this conveys a degree of realism, with the cinematography also pitching a dark and pessimistic tone, consistent with the corrupt state of the world.

The performances are generally solid. Keanu Reeves (the Matrix trilogy) is fairly wooden as usual, but not unfittingly in this case. He exudes a certain level of toughness and anger which goes with the impulsive nature of his character but also a degree of apparent coolness. Forest Whitaker (Vantage Point, Phone Booth) plays his role with his usual sympathetic delivery. Both Hugh Laurie (House M.D.) and Chris Evans did well with their minor roles. However, it could be argued that the character of Biggs could have been more substantial in the storyline and no doubt Laurie would have shone brighter if given the opportunity.

Given the genre with its trademark violence and colourful language - and on top of that what one may describe as a pessimistic and cynical view of law enforcement agencies and the justice system (and at least implicitly the world in general) - it is probably not to everyone's tastes. But then again, is reality any better? Is the world less corrupt than what this film portrays? And the weighty questions of morals and ethics are always interesting. Although the narrative is tightly structured, it is not entirely unpredictable and the final act probably unravels too quickly. Still, Street Kings is overall a well produced, entertaining and at times a thrilling feature, certainly having its moments.