Written and directed by James Mangold (Heavy), Cop Land is set in Garrison, New Jersey, just over the George Washington Bridge from New York City. Garrison is populated by the NYPD's most questionable, with the powerful, mob-bought Ray Donlan (Keitel) as its unofficial mayor. Among Ray's minions are his main henchman Jack Rucker (Robert Patrick) and the coke-fried Gary "Figs" Figgis (Liotta), who was brought into the inner circle after his partner died in an incident that brought Internal Affairs sniffing around. Watching over Ray's little slice of paradise is Sheriff Freddy Heflin (Stallone), a wannabe cop who was kept from the big-city force by a bum ear. With a badge that is little more than a vanity plate, Freddy's main duty is turning a blind eye to the shady dealings of Garrison's most prominent citizens.

The trouble begins when Ray's nephew Murray "Super Boy" Babitch (Michael Rappaport) is sideswiped on his way over the George Washington Bridge. Mistakenly believing that one of the passengers has a gun, Murray shoots, killing both of the African-American men in the car. The boys from Garrison quickly arrive, and one of them tries to plant a gun in front of the unbelieving eyes of the paramedics. As a fight breaks out, Ray announces that Murray has jumped to his death.

The situation on the bridge brings Internal Affairs officer Moe Tilden (De Niro) to Garrison to investigate. With no jurisdiction in New Jersey, Moe visits Freddy. He knows that Murray isn't dead and he knows that Freddy knows it. He then gives Freddy a frightening offer -- to act as law enforcement and help him bring in the men that have the sheriff wrapped around their fingers.

While Cop Land is nothing too astounding, it is a good, solid drama, with a climactic scene that's worth the admission alone. Mangold's team of cops is a complicated bunch. They're all on the take, but each operates by his own set of values. What's sacred to one is easily violated by another. The tension is thick as each man watches his own back. Keitel's Ray is perhaps the least complex, signaling with the set of his jaw that he is pure menace, whereas Liotta's Gary is a rambling mess with wavering loyalties.