Movies and TV shows about the police, or featuring the police, have been made ever since the medium has been in existence. But I think your opinion on “copagandas” depends on the kind of cop films and shows that you were exposed to growing up. In my case, I think I was introduced to the very concept of law enforcement through Batman: The Animated Series. And even though I didn’t explicitly understand the reason why a vigilante like the Caped Crusader should exist in the first place, I think the notion that the police will not always be there for you when you need them the most was planted in my head. Yeah, some of them will probably help you, but since most of them are as human as the rest of us, and hence susceptible to corruption, they’ll prioritize the rich and powerful over the regular folk. Hence, as a grown-up, I gravitated towards Hot Fuzz, Serpico, Ugly, Nayattu, Vikram Vedha, and Monkey Man, while the rest championed stuff like the “Rohit Shetty Cop Universe.” With all that said, which side of the “copaganda” spectrum does Almost Cops fall on? Let’s find out.
Gonzalo Fernandez Carmona’s Almost Cops, written by Thomas van der Ree, Joost Reijmers, and Kenneth Asporaat, tells the story of Ramon, a Community Service Officer (CSO) who aims to live up to the example set by his father, a decorated police officer who died in the line of duty. But due to his relaxed and docile nature, he is unable to move up in any facet of his life or complete the renovation of the space he has bought to entertain kids and keep them away from drugs. Meanwhile, his half-brother, Kevin is in the CID and works with his partner, Jack, to actually conduct drug busts. However, during one such operation, Kevin and Jack are ambushed by a group of masked hooligans who steal the confiscated narcotics, injure Jack, and kill Kevin. Jack is promptly demoted to the position of a CSO and forced to partner up with Ramon. While both of them are tasked with simply keeping the streets clean, they embark on a mission to avenge Kevin and unmask the people who killed him. That said, the truth bomb that lies at the end of the journey is powerful enough to shatter their worldview and make them question why they entered the world of law enforcement in the first place.
Much like how Hot Fuzz parodied, satirized, and paid homage to Michael Bay and American “copaganda” action films in general, Almost Cops (whose Dutch title is literally Bad Boaz) does seem like an attempt to “Americanize” Dutch cinema, especially in terms of its portrayal of cops. The characterization of every single character that you see on the screen—be it a cop, a criminal, or a citizen of Rotterdam—is very over-the-top, unrealistic, and borderline uncanny. The situations that Jack and Roman find themselves in are, for the most part, pretty preposterous. In doing so, the writers kind of lull you into a sense of comfort that you can just relax and enjoy some good old police glorification. But when the first body drops and no jokes are cracked, you begin to realize that there’s something more to this that’s not visible on the surface. By the time you get to the midway point of the narrative, it becomes extremely evident that it’s a really serious story about systemic corruption, which is having a direct and harmful impact on the younger generations. And while van der Ree, Reijmers, and Asporaat’s blend of comedy, crime, and drama isn’t as sharp as Edgar Wright and Simon Pegg’s work, they manage to get their point across regarding the top-to-bottom change they wish to see in their country.
Almost Cops’ visual storytelling is fine. Carmona, along with cinematographer Gregg Telussa, editors Erik ten Brinke and Jurriaan van Nimwegen, production designers Hiske de Goeje and Hanneke Wind, art directors Esra Ghilane and Nicole Nieuwenhuis, and costume designer Daphne Jonas, has done a good job of putting the audience in the streets of Rotterdam along with Jack and Roman. The conversation scenes have a fair amount of visual gags that spice up the comedic exchanges between the characters. The chase scenes, especially the one involving an electric bicycle and a go-cart, are really good. The stunt work is surprisingly phenomenal, maybe because I’m not used to such high-octane action in Dutch cinema. The hand-to-hand combat did need some more fine-tuning in order to avoid the need for so many cuts. I mean, the final confrontation is supposed to be this sentimental resolution to so many things. However, the shot selection and the editing are so amateur that it really dampens the emotional gut punch of that moment. I think that, instead of going down the “gritty and realistic” route, if the movie doubled down on its satirization of American cinema, much like Hot Fuzz did in its 3rd act, that conclusion would have been quite funny and poignant at the same time.
Coming to the performances in Almost Cops, the entire cast is simply excellent. Jandino Asporaat’s transformation from a meek CSO officer to a roaring lion, and then finding something that exists in between those 2 extremes, is fascinating to watch. Werner Kolf’s work is much more reserved and muted, but through his calm and composed demeanor, he manages to convey the hurt he is feeling after losing Kevin, as well as the affection he has for Ramon. Florence Vos Weeda, Ferdi Stofmeel, Ergun Simsek, and Rian Gerritsen are all amazing, but out of the CSOs, Juliette van Ardenne and Stephanie van Eer stood out to me most. Juliette’s portrayal of anxiety is funny without being demeaning. Meanwhile, the casual manner in which Stephanie spouted conspiracy theories had me in splits every single time. Teun Kuilboer, Victoria Koblenko, and Daniel Kolf did a pretty solid job of getting on my nerves; I think I’m going to hear Juan giggling in my nightmares. Phi Nguyen, despite having such limited screentime, paints such a vivid portrait of what Snoopy is made of. The same can be said about Moussaab Mahyu and Youssef Omri. Mark Rietman, Romana Vrede, Nazmiye Oral, Steef Cuijpers, Boyd Grund, Yannick Jozefzoon, and the rest of the supporting cast are all really great.
I know that Hot Fuzz comparisons sound like overkill, but once you are done watching Almost Cops, I’m pretty sure you’ll be itching to rewatch the Edgar Wright classic or commence the Bay-hem (that’s what a Michael Bay movie is called). And that’s fine, because those films have clearly influenced Gonzalo Fernandez Carmona. But once you are done scratching that itch, I implore you to sit and think about what the movie is actually talking about under the guise of silly comedic shenanigans. It’s highlighting the role of the criminal investigation department in the destruction of the social fabric that’s supposed to support young minds. It’s questioning the role of the police and whether or not they have the courage to look inwards and wonder whether they’ve forgotten that they exist to serve the general public, not rich thugs barking orders from their ivory towers. And it’s requesting the law to consider a systemic overhaul before the damage that’s been done becomes irreparable. In addition to all that, it’s quite a funny movie. So, I recommend giving it a watch. And if you happen to have any thoughts on the movie that you want to share with us, feel free to use the comments section and let us know.
