Woody Harrelson as Officer David Douglas Brown in “Rampart.” Harrelson plays a corrupt Los Angeles cops that slowly loses his mind. (Photo Courtesy of Lightstream Pictures)

As a director, Oren Moverman is known for magnifying small subjects into full-length featured films. His newest film, “Rampart,” follows Moverman’s classic foundation of storytelling as he tells the story of a corrupt L.A. cop with particular focus on the main character’s psyche.

Woody Harrelson, Moverman’s lead actor in his previous movie “The Messenger,” plays David Douglas Brown, the film’s main focus.

“Woody and I became really close on the set of ‘The Messneger,'” Moverman said. “I knew I wanted him to be the lead for this movie.”

“Rampart” breaks away from the typical convention of a cop drama as Moverman explores the inner-workings of a corrupt cop’s psyche. Moverman roots his story within actual events that happened during the late ‘90s in Los Angeles.

Besides Harrelson’s blistering performance, “Rampart” features a wealth of supporting cast members that include names like Sigourney Weaver, Steve Buscemi and Cynthia Nixon.

“We had a really strong cast that is recognized for what they do,” Moverman said. “Everyone plays a role that is based on their talents. Their jobs are not to nail something on paper, but to find themselves in the scene.”

With such a large and talented cast, Moverman encountered numerous challenges during post production.

“We had a big problem with editing, we essentially had to cut down a four hour movie,” Moverman said. “We basically had to restructure the entire movie.”

Moverman had no idea that his 2009 feature “The Messenger” would be such a success. The movie won critics over and was eventually nominated for two Oscars. This amount of success made Moverman’s follow-up closely watched.

“‘The Messenger’ was a very specific kind of movie but it taught me a lot as a director,” Moverman said. “I learned so much about the scripting process and what worked well from script to screen.”

Moverman co-wrote “The Messenger” alongside Alessandro Camon. Moverman changed co-writers for “Rampart” and worked with James Ellroy. Ellroy has written such films as “L.A. Confidential” and “The Black Dahlia.”

“It’s an interesting thing to write and direct a film,” Moverman said. “I really got to have my hands on the entire process and figure out what I liked best before I stepped behind the camera.”

Moverman’s “Rampart” is a thrilling story that breaks away from the regular conventions of typical Hollywood cop dramas. Much like Moverman’s other movies, “Rampart” presents a new angle on a recycled story.

“It was a tremendous opportunity to lead this type of group for this film,” Moverman said. “When you leave a set with gratitude, you can never go wrong.”