Spoilers Alert:
Never been to the cinema in this country, but instead one of the most respected insider tips of the past few years: THE CHAOS COP, which originally thrilled audiences and critics alike as “Thunder Road”, is a drama gem and completely different than the USA title suggests. We’ll reveal what to expect in our review.
A conversation at Crystal’s school turns out differently than expected…
At first glance, the second one-shot repeats the unpredictability in Jimmy’s demeanor that was highlighted at the beginning, but feels completely different due to the time and events that have passed since then. On the one hand, any change in Jimmy is hardly noticeable until the end and is largely due to external circumstances rather than an internal confrontation with his problems. On the other hand, Jim Cummings finds unexpected nuances in his portrayal of desperation that sometimes make him seem like a powder keg, and sometimes like a pretty poor sausage. This also means that, despite all the tragedy, “The Chaos Cop” is always funny in a morbid way; for example, Jimmy’s clumsy attempts to have a normal dinner conversation with a family friend. Or his freak-out during a parent-teacher meeting at his daughter’s school, which results in a “punchline” that almost brings you to tears.
“Between self-sacrificing grief, complete self-sacrifice and the helpless attempt to retain the last bit of dignity, Cummings presents us with the complete range of human emotions – and as much as that sounds like a cliché in many film reviews, it really hits home here to.”
In particular, Jimmy’s efforts to care for his daughter – even through such inconspicuous things as secretly practicing a hand-clapping game so that he can finally keep up with her and thus find access to her – make “The Chaos Cop” a touching portrait of a self-sacrificing father. And Jim Cummings delivers one of the best acting performances in recent film history. You simply don’t need to say anything more about it.
Conclusion: “The Chaos Cop” is actually called “Thunder Road” and doesn’t offer any silly comedy stunts, but rather is a superbly acted character drama that strictly adheres to its strenuous main character in terms of form, risking offending, but in the end it moves you to tears and just because of that makes you think about the film for a long time.
“The Chaos Cop” is available on DVD, Blu-ray Disc and VOD.
