Stallone rises to top in memorable 'Copland'

By Bryan Lark
Daily Arts Editor

"Check it out! I'm the best thing that could have happened to 'Money Talks.'"

When was the last time you really loved a Sylvester Stallone film without feeling guilty?

Did you bask in the harsh glow of "Daylight?" Didn't think so. Did you demolish everything in your path to see him team up with Wesley Snipes? Thought not. Did you stop yourself before his mom could shoot? Probably.

Well, strike up the "Rocky" fanfare and call Adrian because Sly is back on top, turning in a perfect performance in James Mangold's riveting "Copland."

REVIEW
	Copland 4 stars At State and Showcase

Stallone heads up a stellar ensemble as Sheriff Freddy Heflin, the designated peacekeeper in the NYPD burg of Garrison, N.J, settled and run by corrupt members of the 36th precinct. Overweight and almost deaf, Freddy languishes in his appointed and ineffectual post at the mercy of the New York cops he so enviously admires.

However, the film is not all about Freddy - it's about deciphering the root of moral corruption and examining the most intimate details of human relationships.

With Stallone's Freddy as the centerpiece, the film tells the tale of a cover-up arranged by dirty cop Ray Donlan (Harvey Keitel), investigated by Internal Affairs officer Moe Tilden (Robert DeNiro) and witnessed helplessly by Freddy.

Adding depth to the film are the many layers of intertwined back stories that incorporate many of the townspeople into the action.

Some of the well-drawn characters include: Deputy Cindy (Janeane Garofalo), who's about to give up on Freddy and Garrison altogether; cocaine-addicted cop Gary Figgis (Ray Liotta), who can't decide to protect or pity Freddy; Liz (Annabella Sciorra), the longtime object of Freddy's affections, who married Donlan's goon Joey (Peter Berg) only after Freddy went deaf saving her life; Super Boy (Michael Rapaport), who kickstarts the plot when his Uncle Ray must cover Super Boy's crimes to save the precinct's name; and Ray's wife (Cathy Moriarty) who also happens to be sleeping with Joey, when not downing cocktails.

As the lives and stories of Garrison intersect, "Copland" builds to a fevered pace, when secrets are revealed, loyalties are broken and people are obliterated.

Even with such a high body count, "Copland" retains its humanist focus, remaining as tender, quiet and introspective as anything at the Sundance Film Festival.

Much of the credit for its independent feel goes to writer/director James Mangold, who debuted last year with the, um, tender, quiet and introspective "Heavy."

Mangold's flair for realism is quite apparent in the vibrant players and electric dialogue, but far more subtle is his flair for high cinematic art, reflected through Mangold's use of sound and music to reflect the film's ever-changing mood, best shown in the muted finale as Freddy fights back as his hearing deteriorates further.

But all the credit for this stunning and, dare I say so early, Oscar-worthy film does not land in the lap of Mangold - some lands smack in the oversized gut of Sylvester Stallone, whose Freddy ranks as one of the most complicated and memorable characterizations in recent years.

He brings the same lovable-loser-fights-against-the-odds quality as he did to his other great performance as Rocky Balboa, but he peels back many more layers to expose Freddy's core - revealing more about love, ambition and masculinity with nuance than Rocky did in boxing gloves and four sequels.

Though surrounded by enormous talent - namely the performances of a manic Ray Liotta, a quirky Janeane Garofalo and a driven Robert DeNiro - Stallone still casts the biggest shadow onto this year's movie landscape - with or without the 40 extra pounds.

"Copland" is an amazing film and a nice place to visit, so go ahead, love this movie until you're all loved out. As for Sylvester Stallone, he's at a lovely career high - forgive him if he's gotta fly now.

09-03-97