When Dickie’s father with his new Italian wife, Giuseppina arrive in the USA, his life is turned upside down as he struggles to manage both his professional and personal activities.
Alan Taylor is vindicated after the diabolical Terminator Genisys and offers the fastest, sharpest ride in recent gangster film history. Offering a hard-hitting at times stylish film.
Both Tony Soprano and the organised crime takes a backseat in some respects focusing on the other characters. Even if you’ve not seen The Sopranos TV series, you would have heard of it. Keeping Tony not centre focus works especially watching The Many Saints of Newark as a stand alone.
All of the performances are first-rate. Alessandro Nivola gives a standout performance a Dickie Moltisanti. Ray Liotta playing duel twin brothers roles “Hollywood Dick” Moltisanti and Salvatore “Sally” Moltisanti, reminds us why he is so great. Liotta shines with his seemingly unscripted manner.
Yes, there are few clichés, spurts of violence, the obligatory GoodFellas-like voiceover that has become synonymous with gangster films. It echoes Carlitos Way in some respects; but from the present day camera passover graves to the 1967 riot setting and early 1970s Taylor offers some great cinema-and also a good time. It really works by avoiding the ‘business’ which has been seen before from The Godfather to The Irishman and everything in between; the writers refreshingly go out of there way to avoid as many tropes as possible.
It has a big budget on location feel. Production values and music are on point. Its scale and setting is rich and the story subtle and engaging. While Moltisanti’s stone walling Tony’s feels rushed and the ending abrupt - especially if you’ve not seen The Sopranos. With Jon Bernthal’s limited screentime as Johnny Soprano it is as if it’s setting up another film sequel.
One of Taylors best films, great entertainment.
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