Cops, drugs, and family loyalty
Lately
the Russian Mafia are getting some bad press out of Hollywood.
We Own the Night is another competent cops v. Mafia drama
which achieves very suspenseful moments; while at the same time
creating an immediate need for actors with Russian features to
play the heavies in these new excursions into Mafia territory.
Are Italian godfathers are old hat now?
Recently we had the excellent thriller Eastern
Promises and now this lighter weight follow up. Both suggest
the Russian mafia make the Sopranos positively look like altar
boys. What is commendable is the good cast and tricky script,
which translates to a snappy suspenseful movie - including one
of the best car chase scenes to hit screens for a long time. The
movie takes its title from the motto of the NYPD street crimes
unit back in the 80's.
It's New York City, 1988. Bobby Green (Joaquin Phoenix)
manages a swinging Russian Nightclub in Brighton Beach, owned
by Marat Buzheyev (Moni Moshonov) training Bobby to a bigger future.
The club has regular guests who are seriously bad news like Buzheyev’s
nephew the malevolent gangster drug dealer Vadim Nezhinski (Alex
Veadov). A new form of narcotics is sweeping the city, in the
crime wave the police are being gunned down by the Russian mafia
who simply laugh at law enforcers. Bobby has a secret, his brother
is Police Captain Joseph Grusinski (Mark Wahlberg) and his father
the legendary Deputy Police Chief Bert Grusinski (Robert Duvall).
All Bobby wants to do is progress in the club business, snort
coke and enjoy the charms of girlfriend Amada (Eva Mendes). His
relationship with his father and brother are strained when they
tell him in the battle of the drugs he’s finally going to
have to choose a side. When his brother is seriously wounded in
a mafia execution style shooting, and his father also on the hit
list he agrees to help them get Vadim Nezhinski.
The
script's got the lot: corrupt cops, brave cops, super nasty Russian
mafia types, and a hero who doesn’t know which side he’s
on. He’s living the good life at the club while his brother
and dad in the force are risking their lives in a thankless job
with little reward. Writer/director James Gray (The Yards)
manages to squeeze suspense out of scenes as when Bobby wearing
a wire is lead into a dark corridor in the mafia drug factory.
He is swallowed up in blackness as we expect the worst. Equally
the pursuit in the cornfields is choreographed for maximum suspense.
While the dramatic car chase in the rain is one of the most effective
recently seen. There’s just the feeling better things could
have happened here. While well paced and some clever plot developments,
for the most part it doesn’t rise too far above similar
films and TV shows.
Robert Duvall (Lucky You) plays the tough
police chief easily enough its his type of role, although he looks
rather aged to be in active service. But Duvall’s good at
this, as is Mark Wahlberg (The Departed) as the equally
hard nosed captain. Joaquin Pheonix (Walk the Line) convinces
as the son torn between different loyalties and lifestyles. Some
may find his changing sides and subsequent actions stretch credibility
in the real world. But that’s the script not the actors
fault. While Alex Veadov makes a suitably sinister gangster even
his face would frighten cattle. Eva Mendes (Ghost Rider)
looks the goods and improves as the film progresses.
Cinematography by Joaquin Baca-Asay suits the mood
and style of the film. The opening sequence with montage monochrome
stills of police at work sets the scene with a sense of realism.
While We Own the Night isn't altogether
in the league of Eastern Promises but there’s enough
going for it and certainly worth a look.
John Bale
