'NYPD Blues' infection runs riot.
Believe it or not, I penned an outline for a novel a few years ago - a story about a group of vigilantes, in England, whose disparate lives are brought together by the injustices and tragedies each suffers in a culture of increasing lawlessness and police impotency. Imagine my horror then when I heard of 'Outlaw'. I felt sick.
A few days later, having seen it (well, half of it) I felt incredibly relieved. Phew! Why? Well
I remember NYPD Blues as the TV show that brought to the world what I call the 'shifting camera' technique - where the camera jerks around in the mistaken belief that this 'adds' to the drama. Er, it does not. It's silly, pretentious, unimaginative, and above all - nauseating. (The novelty wore off for me about thirty seconds after I first saw it - and I never watched another episode of NYPD Blues.) Outlaw is the latest offering to jump on the NYPD Blues bandwagon - and is by far the most excruciating example I have ever seen! It was so bad that I write this 'review' having only witnessed half the movie. I had to leave. For the half I saw, Outlaw was a clumsy mish-mash of ideas and characters and given its subject matter a gang of vigilantes bent on revenge for brutal beatings, etc for me lacked any credibility. The villains are archetypal thugs, sporting fixed 'hard man' grimaces; the vigilante leader is (conveniently) armed to the teeth; another member is (conveniently) able to provide the gang with intelligence reports I'll stop there. A wasted opportunity.
To close, I read that Nick Lowe based his story on newspaper cuttings and anecdotes. Hmm, so did I, but I had the dubious benefit of first hand experience too. I wonder how much research he did into how 'unpunished' crime and anti-social behaviour really affect people? Had he done (as I have) he would perhaps have made this film very differently maybe as a tale of the soul-destroying effects of physical and psychological torture and the euphoria that comes from learning that one is not alone instead of a 'same-old' good guys vs bad guys shoot-em-up.
And before anyone accuses me of sour grapes I have none at all. I will DEFINITELY write my novel now. If financiers are prepared to back this tosh, I've got it made! ;o)
A few days later, having seen it (well, half of it) I felt incredibly relieved. Phew! Why? Well
I remember NYPD Blues as the TV show that brought to the world what I call the 'shifting camera' technique - where the camera jerks around in the mistaken belief that this 'adds' to the drama. Er, it does not. It's silly, pretentious, unimaginative, and above all - nauseating. (The novelty wore off for me about thirty seconds after I first saw it - and I never watched another episode of NYPD Blues.) Outlaw is the latest offering to jump on the NYPD Blues bandwagon - and is by far the most excruciating example I have ever seen! It was so bad that I write this 'review' having only witnessed half the movie. I had to leave. For the half I saw, Outlaw was a clumsy mish-mash of ideas and characters and given its subject matter a gang of vigilantes bent on revenge for brutal beatings, etc for me lacked any credibility. The villains are archetypal thugs, sporting fixed 'hard man' grimaces; the vigilante leader is (conveniently) armed to the teeth; another member is (conveniently) able to provide the gang with intelligence reports I'll stop there. A wasted opportunity.
To close, I read that Nick Lowe based his story on newspaper cuttings and anecdotes. Hmm, so did I, but I had the dubious benefit of first hand experience too. I wonder how much research he did into how 'unpunished' crime and anti-social behaviour really affect people? Had he done (as I have) he would perhaps have made this film very differently maybe as a tale of the soul-destroying effects of physical and psychological torture and the euphoria that comes from learning that one is not alone instead of a 'same-old' good guys vs bad guys shoot-em-up.
And before anyone accuses me of sour grapes I have none at all. I will DEFINITELY write my novel now. If financiers are prepared to back this tosh, I've got it made! ;o)
- nescient
- Jul 15, 2007