To Protect and Serve

A friend of mind showed me a DVD copy of this and I was actually quite impressed by the writing and directing. At first I thought I was watching a drama, then suddenly I was led into an obscure, urban reality that evoked a sense of curiosity. I especially loved that the characters played a stereotype - then suddenly were turned inside out. It's an organic approach to an often ill-used genre (mockumentary) which I found to be a very delightful movie. There are many paradoxical moments / characters, with nice elements of humanity sprinkled throughout. A refreshing take on cop movies. It seems Reno 911 could learn a few things from this director, if they haven't already.

I just caught this film at the Phoenix Film Festival, and it was the highlight of my day. This film follows the comedic struggles of a filmmaker who wants to make a documentary on Hollywood cops. He spends the movie profiling three officers through their not-so-routine encounters. Brilliantly cast, this film's characters are surprisingly human, from the cookbook-writing, hug-loving Officer Holloway to the prostitute-protecting veteran Officer Friendly, to Charlie, the young director who becomes a little closer to his subjects than he originally intended. The laughs are nearly constant, but are tasteful and never forced. All in all, a refreshingly charming comedy in an age of cheap sex antics and fart jokes.

Writer/Director Joseph Perez really knocked this one out of the ballpark.