LINE OF DUTY

US, 2019, 98 minutes, Colour.
Aaron Eckhart, Courtney Eaton, Ben Mc Kenzie, Giancarlo Esposito, Dina Meyer, Jessica Lu.
Directed by Steven C. Miller.

Line of Duty is a police thriller, which, one hopes, is very far-fetched, the elaborate chases throughout the city, in the home, Birmingham, Alabama, on foot, by car, crashes, shootouts. The film was directed by Steven C. Miller who directed a number of action films including Arsenal, Marauders.

The film offers a star turn by Aaron Eckhart, as a policeman, Frank Penny, who has shot a child in the line of duty, is looked down on by the fellow police. Giancarlo Esposito is the police chief, concerned about the abduction of his young daughter and the time limit for her rescue, hoping to arrest the criminal in an elaborate setup but his escaping. Frank Penny then pursues him on an extensive chase through the city, traps him, the criminal pulling a gun and Frank shooting him.

Because of his past, Frank wants to continue the action to rescue the little girl, the criminal’s brother emerging, literally guns blazing, chases and shootouts in the city streets. There is a final confrontation in an old house, explosives, a helicopter rescue, a fight in the helicopter and a fall.

The film also focuses on young people with phone cameras, linking up with social media contacts, information also taken on by the networks. Courtney Eaton (Australian actress from Western Australia) links up with Frank Penny, wanting to walk in his shoes, get the footage of the chase, gradually realising the dangers of his work, willing to participate, helping the rescue.

Which means then that social media can impede police work – but with extensions, possibilities for research, gathering a wide audience who can come to the aid of police.

1. Title? Police work? Procedures? Shooting, an internal investigation? Consequences?

2. Birmingham, Alabama, the city, buildings and overviews, streets, elaborate car Chase, the pursuit through lanes and buildings? Interiors? The cemetery? The musical score

3. Action taking place in seeming real-time, the sense of urgency? Editing and pace?

4. Frank Penny getting up his exercise, life at home? Going to work, the street corner, chatting with the young boy and encouraging him? The information about the chase? Ordered to keep out? The animosity from the Chief? The pursuit, the information on the radio, pursuing the chase on foot, getting the car, the car pursuits? Trapping the criminal in the lane? Pulling his gun? Penny shooting him? The reaction of the Chief? His handing in his gun?

5. The focus on Ava, age, enthusiasm, the collaboration with Clover, the TV work, camera, interviews?

6. The film’s focus on social media, phone cameras, handheld cameras, on the spot, filming everything? The link to a studio, editing? The networks getting the information, images, using and exploiting? Interfering with police work? Yet the collaboration of everyone at the cemetery at the end?

7. Ava, pursuing Frank, his reactions, hostility? Her suspicions? His reputation of having killed the boy? Television asking if he would kill another child?

8. Frank in action, Ava and her participation, continued filming? Walking in his shoes? Her learning more? Clover and her doing research and getting information and addresses? Travelling through the streets, the building, the bodybuilder, the fight, information about the passport documents? Another address? Ava able to give the address to the networks and to the police?

9. The background to the Chief, the abduction of his daughter, the time limit, her drowning? The two criminals, the death of their sister, the police raid, blaming the Chief? The initial set up of the watch, the focus on the criminal, high contact, his running away, the pursuit?

10. Dean the killer, avenging the death of his brother, memories of his sister, all guns blazing? The car, in the street, the drivers, the bystanders? Pursuit of Frank, the fights? The police arriving, shooting so many police?

11. In the building, the family house, the basement and the skeleton, the bombs, the tripwire? Ava, the dangers, her staying with Frank, the filming? Dean’s arrival, the fights, the roof, the explosion, the helicopter, rescue, fight, Dean falling to his death?

12. Frank and his regrets, not doing enough, his finding the sister’s skeleton, the clue for the cemetery, hastening to the cemetery, the information, digging up the coffin, the rescue, restoring the daughter to her father?

13. The role of the police? The role of the media? Interference? Support?

14. In such mayhem on the streets of an American city, guns, deaths?