Dir. Josef Fares, 2003, Sweden, 90mins/ Swedish with English subtitles
Cast:
Fares Fares, Torkel Petersson, Sissela Kyle, Goran Ragnerstam, Eva Röse
Slapstick and physical comedy have always traveled well across borders and cultures, from Charlie Chaplin to Jackie Chan they are enjoyed the world over. A recent trend seen in films like Shaolin Soccer from Hong Kong is the use of CGI effects to enhance and exaggerate the action. Kops uses this same device for the American film fueled fantasies of Swedish policeman Benny (Petersson). Along with Fares Fares, Petersson reunites with Lebanese born wunderkind director Josef Fares in his second feature, following on from his critically acclaimed debut comedy Jalla Jalla. Kops is slick, silly and at its best very funny.
In a serene Swedish town, Jacob (Fares) is a single parent playing the dating game. He also happens to be a policeman and when he mistakes the pretty Jessica (Röse) for one of his dates, they hit it off. Unfortunately, she is in town to close the local police station. Comfortable in their jobs, the kops conspire to change their fate. In an attempt to reverse the decision, they stumble together a harebrained scheme to raise the local crime statistics. Starting at first with petty crime, they soon get carried away reporting tales of gang warfare to the hapless Jessica. Eventually in the climax they go to far. They fabricate a gunman taking a child hostage and the real SWAT are called in.
All four of the kops are played well and soon feel familiar, but Petersson sticks out as the borderline insane Benny. His obsession with American cop movies provides the high points when his exaggerated recollections are dramatically recreated. With gun slinging gymnastics he battles rocket launcher wielding terrorists (this original and warped view could be one of the reasons why Adam Sandler's company has snapped up the rights to make a US version of Kops - think Jim Carey). By the end, the well meaning Benny is madly babbling curses and lines from his Hollywood action heroes and in his final humiliating moment, it is hard not to feel some sympathy for him.
For Kops Fares has taken a step up in production from the DV used in his first film. It is shot on 16mm. The colourful art direction looks luscious and the special effects are as convincing as the Hollywood equivalent. It will be interesting to see how Fares fairs if he moves onto 35mm for his next feature. In between the laugh out loud moments, Kops tends to drag and the drama feel like padding; the gags need to come more frequently. This is an issue with the script rather than the actors. There is no doubt that Josef Fares, still in his twenties, has a bright future in European film. Although a reference to the Police Academy series would seem obvious, and American culture is drawn on throughout, Kops still manages to have a uniquely Swedish feel. The American references are caricature as well as homage. However, with Kops, Fares hasn't yet managed to match the best comedy that America produces.
Gavin Bush
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