For the first half of the film I was hopeful a point would be revealed to all the confusing scenes that never seemed to add anything to a weak story. For example, in one scene Det. Callahan (Steven Dorff) is told by his daughter that she wants to ask him about something that is troubling her. However, instead of actually listening to what she has to say he cuts her off with insistent question after insistent question until she runs off in frustration! OK, so the scene sort of had a point in that it showed the Callahan saw only what he wanted to see, or that his relationship with his daughter was being interfered with by his work, but in the end we never find out what the daughter was trying to ask. I mean it seemed like it was something important being that this daughter who barely said a thing to her father unless it was dismissive of his concern for her, was all of a sudden wanting to ask him something really important and not go to her mother! But we are just left hanging. That's just one small example of how little sense the film made, but the real nonsensical scene was at the end. The captain offers Callahan a pre-written statement that will absolve him of all blame and allow him to carry on with his life in possession of a new moral code forged in the mistakes of the past. Instead of signing the statement though Callahan owns up to the truth of the situation and goes to prison! That just makes no sense! What was achieved by telling the truth?! It wasn't like signing the statement meant he couldn't change his ways. And who in their right mind would knowingly allow themselves to be sentenced to prison? Especially a cop? He may as well have just shot himself in the head and been done with it? Basically none of it made sense and left me feeling rather unsatisfied - kinda like I had just wasted 100 minutes of my life because that's exactly what I had done!
Review of Officer Down
