Police Beat

Really one of the most beautiful low-budget films I've ever seen.

The lead actor is very compelling, and the idea of observing American life through an authority figure who is also an immigrant is really striking. And occasionally very funny.

The film as a whole has elements of David Lynch, as well as Linklater's "Slacker." But the sensibility is really not well described through reference to other films. It's really a one-of-a-kind piece of work.

The news in the final credits that all the incidents portrayed in the film were taken from actual police files was strangely disappointing, but when I later learned that the co-writer was the author of a "Police Beat" column in the Seattle alternative weekly, it made total sense.

Honestly, some of the images here are just absolutely singular. You've never seen anything quite like it.

Congratulations to all involved.

The thoughts the officer had while performing some mundane or grisly duties are not at all unusual in lines of work that deal with tragedy and death. Not every thought one has at work is with regard to the victim or patient or body-- in fact, many thoughts do not. It's a self preservation skill that those from the outside looking in aren't always familiar with. Nor is the profundity of some of the thoughts. His observations aren't pretentious. Any intelligent person placed in a similar situation would be likewise philosophical. Some reviewers have a hard time grasping these concepts.

I really loved this movie. The narration was great. A lot of people with traumatic/tormenting types of careers will relate to this film- the way one must go on doing one's job, no matter how gruesome- meanwhile, like anyone else, one is preoccupied with one's own personal life, and at other times, consumed with the absurdity of everyday events. I think the film captured this very, very well. I can't wait to see it again.

By the way, I'm not from Seattle, nor do I care for that particular climate, nor am I connected to any film industry or anything. I'm just a regular person who has held the kinds of jobs one needs to completely disconnect from, who happened to be changing the channels at the time this was airing on Sundance Channel.

I have serious doubts as to if the first reviewer has actually seen this film, or if he is just a disgruntled extra. As I am writing this, the film has only been showed twice.

The film is absolutely hilarious, especially with the some of satire of Seattle opinion. The Bike Cop once types in his computer how he "confronted the tree" then backspace's, and enters "rude tree". I almost fell out of my seat with this scene.

Everything about this film is original. The plot, the cast, the protagonist (Muslim-African Bike Cop?), cinematography, etc. It's truly refreshing to see such an inventive type film come from Seattle.

The entire crowd at the first showing of this film at Seattle International Film Festival loved the film, and I have to assume, the first reviewer has some sort of a "beef" with the director.

Don't bother with the review of this film that clearly comes from a jilted Seattle local, this is a beautiful film. A pure mood from start to finish, the entire film is an experience inside the mind of the protagonist. Terrence Malick is the closest comparison in terms of style, but these days I find referencing him to be cliché.

I decided to start this film at 2:00 AM and fully expected to get tired after the first fifteen minutes but I was glued to the screen the whole way through. I have a great appetite for 'obscure' and 'difficult' films, but this was totally watchable and I would recommend it to even the most artistically ignorant of people because the art in this film is built on a foundation of empathy. If you liked Godard's "Hail Mary" then you will probably like this, but if you don't have to have even heard of "Hail Mary" or Godard to enjoy this because everyone has the capacity for empathy.

Just watch this film, it is short and has a constant pace. And when you finish it may or may not be your favorite film, but I refuse to believe you will hate it.

Recommended to anyone who appreciates Cinema as art.

Hey, LuckyStar, I just watched this movie and saw the name of the actor who played the "Bush Assassin." His name is Jim Newman.

As a Seattlite, I really liked seeing all the familiar settings, like the Seattle Asian Art Museum, Gasworks Park, Smith Tower, and others.

The lack of plot and dramatic tension limited my ability to enjoy this, but I found the main character to be interesting, complex, surprising, and occasionally very funny. Also, some of those bizarre crime episodes were pretty entertaining, as some of you have already said.

I can't recommend this to film-goers who require a compelling plot, but if you like an original character study, give it a shot.