Police Beat

I've always had a soft spot for offbeat film-makers, especially when their work shows a lot of eccentricity. Director Robinson Devor already manages to establish himself as such a film-maker with his debut film POLICE BEAT. It's a perfect example of how a good film often isn't exactly for the general crowd.

Expect a sort of docu-style work of fiction when entering POLICE BEAT. The plot forms an anecdotal whole where the bigger part of the screenplay is based on authentic police reports. The pivot character in all this, is protagonist Z. He's the red chord that connects all the unrelated events. Freshly imported from the dusty regions of Senegal, he already gets lucky when taking up on the opportunity to become a Seattle police officer. The only little catch is: Instead of getting a real patrol vehicle, his employers hook him up with… a bicycle.

Z spends his time patrolling on his bike through town, checking out various complaints by citizens and misdemeanors in general, and the audience gets the chance to witness him do his job over the course of one week. Soon Z finds himself getting mixed up in numerous events that simply taunt all imagination. All possible criminal subject matters are featured in POLICE BEAT (theft, prostitution, drug delicts, murder, racism,… you just name it). All characters he encounters, range from "slightly odd" to "completely insane". It sometimes gives POLICE BEAT a hilarious touch. It provides perfect counterweight to the movie's true nature: a profound portrait of a young man coming to terms with his strange new environment. His constant wandering thoughts about his lost girlfriend (is she ever coming back?) provide the other half of the movie's perfectly split personality. And strangely, it all works quite well.

POLICE BEAT also has a lot more cinematographic qualities than what you'd usually expect from this type of movies. There's no shaky camera or quickly spinning pov-shots when the spectator follows Z around on his bicycle patrols. Graphically, and regarding contents, a lot of images are so strong that they often speak for themselves. The opening-shot (the dead body of a man floating in the water) is already a nice example. And there's plenty more to discover during the movie. Some of them might even make you think and wonder about things. That's what I call a strong visual language, and also kudos to director of photography Sean Kirby for accomplishing great shots with limited resources (after all, this is an independent film). The photography and registrations are almost as cool as Z's philosophical reflections. Part of the movie features a lot of voice-over work, were we can here Z doing some monologues in Wolof (a native dialect from Senegal). They're often quite humorous (in a dry manner), and one of my favorites was hearing Z's amusing theories on 'problems'. And by the time that scene ended, he also managed to get rid of his own, personal problem (which had been haunting him throughout the whole movie) in an incredibly simple but highly efficient fashion. And there's more moments like this that might cause some chuckles. That one dude on his bicycle, for example, who openly admits he would kill the president if someone would give him the opportunity. So funny seeing Z straighten out that situation again with his sober ways. And then there was this naked woman running through the park, with Z chasing her on his bike... Just see this movie, you won't regret it.

With POLICE BEAT, Robinson Devor delivers an out of the ordinary, well-balanced picture. As much as it's rather serious, it can also get pretty absurd. With no real beginning and no real ending. If this debut film is a good taste of Devor's things to come, then I'm very much ready for a bigger piece of that cake. So I'm looking forward seeing Devor's second film, the controversial ZOO.

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.

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.

A patrol cop on a mountain bike? I decided to see it to enjoy the scenery. But, this movie caught me off guard. I cannot recall a film that better captures the overpowering sense of painful obsession that results from suspicion and jealousy over a separated loved-one. If you have ever slept expectantly with the phone on your pillow, you may know the feeling. In under 2 hours Police Beat faithfully portrays a complex set of emotions which might require a long novel to communicate as effectively. This film made my heart pound. The backdrop of Seattle captures the best of what the city has to offer, with dramatic settings from diverse neighborhoods and artistic lighting. This is a compelling movie for those who love the city of Seattle.

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.