Flics et voyous

Cops and Robbers is an enjoyable, entertaining, and well-acted film. Directed by Aram Avakian, and starring Cliff Gorman and Joseph Bologna as two cops who decided to pull-off the "perfect crime".

Filmed in 1973, it's a trip down memory lane, capturing the grit and grime of New York City before it's "make-over" some twenty years later. Gorman and Bologna give their career best performances. Their interactions and conversations seem as real as can be. At no time what-so-ever, do you feel like these fine actors are acting.

The movie however is stolen by character actor John P. Ryan as mob-fence "Pastsy O'Neill". Ryan gives an academy award winning performance(he was never nominated), and you truly have sympathy for his character in the end.

A really fine work of film-making.

One night a New York City cop on the beat (Joe Bologna) goes into a liquor store and holds it up just to see if he could get away with it, and he does. The next day while caught in a traffic jam at the Long Island Expressway/Cross Island Parkway interchange, he brags to his partner (Cliff Gorman) about it, and from that point on, it's all about the money for the two of them. All to the cool mellow '70's soundtrack by Michael LeGrande, Jacques Wilson and Candy Tate.

Using a cops standard salary, and the economy as an excuse to justify it, they decide that if they're going to end their crime spree, they should make a hit so big, they won't have to rob anyone anymore. But the question is who? And the answer comes in the form of a round-up of some mobsters from New Jersey lead by crime family boss Pasquale Aniello (John P. Ryan). After they make bail, the two cops decide to approach the boss under the guise of an offer to pull a job for them. As it turns out, the mob wants to get them to rob some bearer bonds from a financial firm on Wall Street during a parade for the Apollo 11 Astronauts, then make an exchange with the mobsters in Central Park. The firm they rob cooperates with them, but as it turns out, they're not entirely so squeaky clean either.

This movie was released in 1973, but was shot in 1972 and evidently takes place in 1969. This skewed time-line seems to be the biggest flaw on the movie, not to mention a 1972 Plymouth Fury NYPD Special suddenly becoming another car a couple of times. The familiar landscape to those of us from the New York Tri-State area especially during that era, makes it worth seeing. I actually remember catching the end of this on some weekend afternoon on WNEW Channel 5 during the scene where Joe Bolonga and Cliff Gorman are hassled by a bunch of bicyclists in Central Park and Joe throws a middle finger at them... UNCENSORED!! This was from back in the day when local TV stations existed and were willing to show obscure movies at odd hours. The movie has been on my mind from time to time ever since. I'm glad I got myself a copy.

The story is a simple one, two of New York's finest decide to get rich by robbing ten million in bearer bonds, and then fencing them through the mafia. I didn't laugh once during this supposed caper comedy. I did however enjoy the film, and especially liked the supporting cast. The late Dolph Sweet and J.P. Ryan are standouts. The photography is another plus, with long engaging shots of New York City. The robbery itself is well done, but the exchange of the goods with Ryan's men in Central Park stretches believability to the limit. The ending seems quite abrupt, and while happiness reigns, it is doubtful, they could get away with it so easily. - MERK

Disillusioned NYC cops Joe (Joseph Bologna) and Tommy (Cliff Gorman) decide their meager weekly salary isn't worth getting killed over and plan a big score. Tommy contacts Mafia kingpin Pasquale "Patsy" Aniello (John P. Ryan) after observing him being booked. In disguise, Tommy finds out that Patsy would pay handsomely for $10 million in bonds. So together the two cops plan to rob a local Wall Street firm during a big parade for the Apollo 11 astronauts.

One review here leads off with the line, "A Real Find" and I couldn't agree more. This 70s cop thriller captures both the working man's embitterment with the system and the sleazy side of NYC. Both of the leads are good in their roles and they get fine support from Ryan (has he always been middle aged?), whose lead henchman is played by Joe Spinell. Director Aram Avakian didn't make many films (5 total), but he has a great eye for realism and even a bit of the absurd like the mob using guys on ten speeds during the final chase in Central Park. Filmed entirely in New York City, this really captures the feel of the 70s station house with the green, cracking walls.

New York City cops Tom and Joe are in the mist of burn out. Why me syndrome eats at them in every way including getting in the wrong lane on the highway. They decide on a bold move to remove themselves from the relentless rat race by stealing and selling security bonds to the mob while remaining untraceable themselves.

Cops and Robbers is a very decent suspense comedy overachiever. Lack of star power works in its favor with Cliff Gorman and Joseph Bologna as the two rogue cops as non-descript everydays they ooze New York and are not required to perform acts of cool bravado to protect their careers. They are not master thieves, instead learning as they go along and it's this thin ice approach that gives the film it's well paced balance of humor and suspense.

Made during the Serpico era when the NYPD was swimming in corruption it's hard not to root for these dirty cops being squeezed on both sides. It may be a low rent sting but it does have the benefit of bluffing the audience deeper into the final moments than predictable outcomes reserved for superstars like Newman and Redford.