Talking about my favorite Gary Oldman roles last week reminded me how much I like this movie. I’m not big into the mobster genre in general, but I like this one. It’s a strong character story (it reminds me of Infernal Affairs in that way) with intriguing internal and external conflicts and some excellent acting.
The film opens on Terry Noonan, recently returned to Hell’s Kitchen after a twelve-year absence. Some around the old neighborhood remain the same: his best friend Jackie, up to his eyeballs in organized crime, approaches his shady activities with playful verve. Others have changed: the old power structure is gone, and Jackie’s older brother Frankie is now running the show. Still others are alike and different at the same time: Jackie’s sister Kathleen has moved uptown and is trying to put her old life behind her, but she’s just as drawn to Terry as she ever was. And as for Terry, to what extent is he the same or different?
You’ll notice my synopsis dwells on the characters, and that’s where the movie best excels. It explores a number different personalities forged in the crucible of the Kitchen and examines how the crime that surrounds them all affects them and the relationships between them. Frankie, attempting to forge an alliance between his own Irish boys and the Italians down the street, is determined to prove his gang the equal of the richer, more established family. Jackie is equal parts recklessness, jocundity, hair-trigger temper, and affection, and he doesn’t know how to reconcile that his brother is now his boss. Kathleen pulls away from her family while simultaneously worrying for their safety and well-being. And Terry, in the middle of it all, is pulled by old and new desires, old and new loyalties.
I like that the main mobsters we see here are Irish. It’s a bit less typical, messier and grittier than the usual mob stereotypes that juxtapose violence and luxury. Someone like Jackie thinks his illegal extracurriculars are doing right by his neighbors; by torching a gentrified building, for instance, he’s keeping the yuppie scum from moving in and taking over. The Irish-Italian interaction is interesting, too. Loyalty and enmity runs deep here on both sides – strangers are trusted or threatened depending on their last name, and to the Irish boys, “pizza” and “spaghetti” are dirty words.
I singled out Gary Oldman in my earlier post, and I’ll single him out again here. His Jackie is a can’t-take-your-eyes-off-him character, explosive, engaging, and surprisingly sensitive. However, the acting is great all around, and several fine actors – all of whom look stunningly young here – deserve kudos for how well they handle the complexities of these characters. Sean Penn plays Terry’s internal tug-of-war to perfection, and as Kathleen, Robin Wright (Princess Buttercup!) likewise brings pathos to her conflict between worlds. Ed Harris (I’ll always think of him as Christophe from The Truman Show) is alternately hot and cold as Frankie, and both sides are terrific.
Warnings
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