What Do The Critics Say?

"James Ellroy's satisfyingly solid and complex story makes a powerful structure for David Ayer's film of corrupt cops and their milieu, with the violence balanced by characterisation. The film probes the moral divide between the consciences of men who are empowered by the law to guard society from harm. Graeme Revell's punchy score is as throaty as the subject matter. It's not a chick flick, nor a date movie: take your hard hat and safety goggles." Andrew L Urban URBANCINEFILE "The movie belongs to Reeves, who at 43 is finally starting to look like an adult, with greater heft all round. He does Clint proud. As LAPD Det. Tom Ludlow, Reeves gives Clint's soiled cop a run for his magnum. Call him Very Dirty Harry ... it's more homage than rip-off by Reeves, director David Ayer (Harsh Times) and author/screenwriter James Ellroy. (L.A. Confidential)." Peter Howell TORONTO STAR "It does provide a compelling, edgy ride around the underbelly of life, worth the trip to bask in the tough-guy bloodshed and bullet-riddled nightlife of Los Angeles." Brian Orndorf BRIANORNDOEF.COM "This is a film in which you need not worry about falling asleep. Even if you don’t like the violence, the story and action are riveting. ...a slam-bang, violent, profane, non-stop action police thriller." Tony Medley TOLUCAN TIMES "Street Kings is a lean, energetic film that takes us through increasingly brutal scenes until it climaxes with a burst of violence so baroque and intense that you're not sure which part of the screen you're supposed to be looking at." Chris Hewitt ST PAUL PIONEER EXPRESS "Like director David Ayer's previous movies (he wrote Training Day), Street Kings is about the joy of badass coppery. Alarm clock goes off. Load an automatic weapon, have a light vomit, and start looking for people to shoot. It's how I start my day, and it works pretty well for Keanu Reeves as an LA cop in "Street Kings," a wet, red chunk of pulp that knows what it is and doesn't care." Kyle Smith NEW YORK POST

"... becomes an enjoyably tough, blood-splattered action drama that revolves around the one good cop at its center. The director, David Ayer, wrote "Training Day" - another atmospheric winner. A lot of that danger comes courtesy of the sly supporting cast. "House" star Laurie fills even straightforward conversations with little insults, and Jay Mohr, John Corbett and Amaury Nolasco all give feisty turns as members of Ludlow's squad. Whitaker uses his hulking mix of friendliness and intimidation to great effect, while Chris Evans .. makes the most of his sidekick status. But it's Reeves who anchors the film. "Street Kings" is an arresting ride." Joe Neumaier NEW YORK DAILY NEWS "Street Kings is the cinematic equivalent of solid crime-genre fiction. It keeps the visual pages turning for a couple hours and navigates the dark corners of corruption and dishonor among men." Chris Vognar DALLAS MORNING NEWS "Street Kings is buoyed by the spirit of Keanu Reeves, who never fails to astound, at least this critic, by being consistently better than he’s given credit for and nearly always better than most of the films in which he appears." Tom Cogshell BOXOFFICE MAGAZINE "From his first scene, you know this is not going to be the family-friendly Keanu Reeves. He looks puffier and more out of shape, like he's actually lived in his character's well-worn shoes. There's something to be said for being entertained for two hours (even if it's a guilty pleasure), something not a lot of 2008 movies have been able to pull off." Brian Tallerico THE DEADBOLT "Much of the casting is dead-on, from Cedric the Entertainer as a street dealer to Jay Mohr as a slimy cop and Chris Evans as an earnest rookie who saddles up with Reeves' Ludlow." Steven Rea PHILADELPHIA ENQUIRER "There's a lot to appreciate in Street Kings, a tight, propulsive action thriller, but there's one thing to marvel at, and that's James Ellroy's command of story. It's satisfying and consistently surprising ... and the directions Ellroy chooses are invariably better and wiser than anything anybody might have guessed." Mick LaSalle SAN FRANCISCO CHRONICLE

The Inside Story A huge fan of award-winning crime-writer James Ellroy, producer Erwin Stoff ("Chain Reaction", "The Matrix" & "The Lake House") came across the script for "Street Kings" as a potential project for Keanu Reeves. Stoff, founder of 3 Arts Entertainmentand manager of Reeves, Eathen Hawke and Matthew Broderick, recognized the moral relevance of the story in today’s world and began searching for ways to get the movie made. "I’ve always been an admirer of James Ellroy’s work and became completely enamored with the script," Stoff recalls. "It was the kind of movie that I love and thought it would make a phenomenal film." To help foster the development of the project, Stoff, who has managed Reeves since the actor turned sixteen) brought producer Lucas Foster on board, knowing his experience with numerous large-scale action movies and personal interest in the culture of law enforcement would benefit the project. Originally a period piece set in post Rodney King Los Angeles, the producing team began to re-conceptualize the film in a contemporary setting while keeping the general thematics of the story in line with Ellroy’s original vision. "Erwin and I decided to not make a period movie, which was a big decision that had various consequences both good and bad," producer Lucas Foster ("Bad Boys", "Crimson Tide" & "Jumper") explained. "We stuck to our guns and wanted to make a movie for adults so that we could have the freedom to be edgy and tell the truth, or at least our perception of the truth, about what it is like to be a cop in Los Angeles." The producing team approached accomplished screenwriter and director David Ayer ("Training Day" & "S.W.AT.") for the project. He turned them down because he'd already committed to another project. Then fate stepped in. And all I can say is thank goodness it did. The project Ayer was working on fell through. As luck would have it, Ayer was interested in working with Reeves. Another big plus was the films elements which encompassed his interests and inside knowledge of both the LAPD and Los Angeles. "I’m fascinated by corruption in law enforcement and what can happen psychologically to someone trusted to exercise deadly force on our behalf," Ayer (who played a Russian Hitman in "Training Days") explained. "Giving someone the potential to take a human life is incredible power and I like to explore what change the perpetrators of violence, even if it’s on our behalf, undergo psychologically." Stoff sensed that the pairing of Ellroy and Ayer would put a unique spin on the LA crime drama. "In a lot of ways, I felt like they are an ideal pairing because David has the same level of fascination with Los Angeles and the tribal culture of the police as Ellroy," Stoff offered. "David is a product of LA, he grew up on the streets and is able to preserve the incredibly complex characters that Ellroy created and fit them into an ethnically diverse Los Angeles of today. They are two very similar sensibilities separated by different eras." "By combining Ellroy’s incredible novelistic story and grand canvas with my organic understanding of what’s happening on the streets of LA on any given day, you end up with an incredibly rich tapestry in a very realistic environment," Ayer adds. There's no doubting the filmmakers, who set out to put their own unique spin on the 'police-thriller' genre have accomplished that. "From the beginning we set out to make a movie that transcended the genre and not just hit the expected beats of the traditional police thriller," Stoff says. "We made it a point to have the world inside this film populated with real characters with real dilemmas without being white-washed." Ayer adds, "To me, this film is different than the others in this genre because of the meticulous attention to detail, the level of reality and hand-crafting that has gone into every aspect of the physical world and character design. It has an awareness of time in the present day while also having a timelessness associated with the genre, which has been a challenge to achieve." The central character in their film is LAPD Detective, Tom Ludlow. The character of Tom Ludlow essentially represents all of the complex and contradicting ideals of the film’s title "Street Kings". He is the king of the streets and society’s protector willing to deal with the most repugnant aspects within the community. He deals a swift and uncompromised justice without the limitations of red tape and standard protocols. While America prides itself on due process and constitutionally secured personal rights, the Ad Vice, a specialized unit of the LAPD, are a necessary evil that allows civilians and common people the freedoms and security they enjoy on a daily basis. "Ludlow represents the men who stand guard in the night; he sees all the things we don’t want to see and guards us from the evils in the dark," Stoff says. "He does the things we aren’t capable of and may repudiate, but benefit from when we enjoy the safety that Ad Vice provides." Foster ("Man on Fire" & "Mr & Mrs Smith") agrees with Stoff's assessment. "The Ad Vice are the guys who suffer so that we don’t have to. I appreciate the nobility of the idea that there are people whose lives are dedicated to dealing with things to allow the rest of us to live our lives and enjoy our personal freedoms." Ludlow is the very opposite the actor who plays him, three time MTV Movie Award winner Keanu Reeves ("Point Break", "Speed" & "The Matrix"). "The character of Tom Ludlow is an interesting head space for Keanu to get into," Foster revealed. "Keanu is very much a pacifist in real life and we’ve asked him to play a very dark human and it’s been amazing to watch him rise to the challenge." "I’m an actor and it’s all make believe, but in the imagining of this world steeped in violence it can be intoxicating," Reeves said. "Violence is an elemental force and acting it out has a weird illusion of control." Does violence work for Ludlow? Not according to Reeves, who notes: "as someone says in the film, 'Blood doesn’t wash away blood.' In the end, violence doesn’t change anything." Ludlow's superior officer is Captain Jack Wander, a larger than life figure played by a larger than life actor, Academy Award winner Forest Whitaker. "I always saw Wander as the father of a dysfunctional family," the director notes. "In dysfunctional families you’re often handed your reality by Dad who tells you how ugly the world is outside the house but that inside the house there’s love." The filmmakers knew they would need a powerful actor to flesh out this intense and charismatic man. They achived that, when they cast Whitaker in the role. On the back of "Vantage Point" Whitaker has produced another award worthy performance. "To me, Wander is a guy whose trying to take care of what he considers his family," Whitaker states. "He lives by a code and feels like he’s justified in acquiring power." Being a black american Whitaker nows what it's like, dealing with the LAPD, after all he grew up in L.A. And he's has acting experience playing a police officer. "I played a cop on "The Shield" for a year and have been on many drive-alongs and had extensive weapons training so I’ve done that research. In my personal experience, growing up in Los Angeles, I know about cops from the other side. I know how they throw people on the ground and shine lights on them because I’ve dealt with them. I know what they say to you when you’re arrested, so I feel I probably have more research than most." Ayer ("The Fast and the Furious") recalls: "The second they sat down together and started riffing on the material, it was obvious that they would be a believable combination." And Whitakers thoughts on Star on the Walk of Fame recipient Reeves? "I think Keanu is great in the film and is an actor that people want to walk with. Audiences can journey through some really dark places with Keanu because he’s the kind of actor you can follow and trust." Hugh Laurie, two time Golden Globe winner (2006 & '07), star of TV'S "House" and the man known to moviegoers all over the world as Mr Frederick Little, father of "Stuart Little" was cast as Internal Affairs Captain, James Biggs. "Biggs was one of the most difficult characters to develop in the film," the writer of "The Fast and the Furious" recalls. "He is a very self-aware character who understands the grey areas of this world, yet isn’t cynical and is ultimately very smart and pragmatic." A big fan of James Ellroy, the film offered Laurie a new environment. "It was wonderful opportunity to work with this fabulous cast in a very different environment for me. After playing one character for the last three years it was rather wonderful to be able to do something a little different." Ayer was impressed by Laurie’s performance and dedication to the complexities of the character. "Hugh did quite a bit of research and was able to understand the politics and psychology of the department. Here you have a British actor from the European school of acting who was able to really transform himself into a captain of the LAPD." Laurie was impressed by the performances of his co-stars Keanu Reeves and Forest Whitaker. "Although Forest is the kindest and most gentle person to work with, at the flip of a switch he’s able to summon up the most extraordinary reserves of physical menace and power. Keanu has often played characters who you root for and sympathize with and he’s able to draw on those reserves when delving into some very dark and frightening stuff." To ensure authenticity the team brought on-board Technical advisors Jaime Fitzsimons who spent fifteen years in the LAPD, thirty-five year LAPD veteran Brian Davis whose unit has trained with the Navy Seals, Marine Force Recon and S.W.A.T teams. "In most movies you don’t see the specifics of an agency like LAPD, you see a mixed bag and we worked very hard to make sure that wouldn’t be the case with this film," Fitzsimons noted. Davis "taught Keanu how to handle a gun; how it felt, how to shoot it, to the reaction from the recoil, how to walk with it. He has worked very hard and it shows" Synopsis

Tom Ludlow is a veteran LAPD cop who finds life difficult to navigate after the tragic death of his wife. He's flavour of the month with the public and his fellow officers after rescuing twin fourteen year old girls who had been kidnapped by local gang members. But when evidence implicates him in the execution of fellow officer Detective Terrance Washington, he is forced to go up against the cop culture he's been a part of his entire career. ultimately it will lead him to question the loyalties of everyone around him. Ludlow sets out on a quest to discover the killers of his former partner. It's not easy. His superior officer Captain Wander is trying to keep Ludlow out of the clutches of Internal Affairs head, Captain James Biggs. Ludlow teams up with Robbery Homicide Detective Paul Diskant and the two set out to track Washington’s killers through the diverse communities of Los Angeles. Their determination pays off when the two Detectives track down Washington’s murderers and confront them in an attempt to bring them to justice.

The Verdict "I for one, have always had a soft spot for Keanu Reeves and as he did in "The Matrix" trilogy, "Speed" and "Chain Reaction", the 2006 Teen Choice Award winner ("The Lake House") never for a moment disappoints in "Street Kings". The joy of watching this film is not limited just to corrupt cops, gang leaders, drug dealers or their violent lifestyle, it's feasting on the performances of Reeves; Laurie; Fantastic 4"s Chris Evans; five time Image Award winner Cedric The Entertainer (brilliant alongside John Travolta & Uma Thurman in "Be Cool") and 2007 Academy Award winner Mr Forest Whitaker, whose talents were recognised years ago when the 1988 Cannes Film Festival presented him with the Best Actor Award for his role as Charlie 'Bird' Parker in "Bird". Director David Ayer, who hails from Champaign Illinois, makes the move from writer ("Training Days") to director with seamless efficiency. The night images, shot by cinematographer Gabriel Beristain ("S.W.A.T.") are exceptional. The style and texture are crisp, lacking that 'grainy' appearance so often seen these days in films. The films action, images and edgy feel are further enhanced by the original score composed by 1989 AFI (Australian Film Industry) Award winner. Graeme Revell ("Dead Calm"). If police, thriller, action drama's are your forte`, it will be hard to go past this very entertaining film. Very Recommended. 'Oodles of bang for your buck.' 4 1/2 STARS." Who's Who?

Keanu Reeves Forest Whitaker Hugh Laurie Chris Evans Cedric the Entertainer Daryl Gates Terry Crews Amaury Nolasco Kevin Benton Jay Mohr Martha Higareda Naomie Harris Common Cle Sloan The Game Kenneth Choi Noel G Kirstin Pierce Angela Sun Clifton Powell Walter Wong

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Detective Tom Ludlow Captain Jack Wander Captain Biggs Detective Paul Diskant Scribble The Chief Detective Terrence Washington Detective Cosmo Santos Lt. Van Buren Sgt Mike Clady Grace Garcia Linda Washington Coates Fremont Grill Boss Kim Quicks Clady's Wife Julie Fukashima Sergeant Green Thug Kim

Run Time 108 minutes Rated MA15+ [AUST] Copyright ©2008 - Fox Searchlight Films - All Rights Reserved ©2008 All Rights Reserved - Protected by Australian, International, Copyright & Trademark Laws.