The Penguin Season One Overview

Colin Farrell is the Penguin.

This was a near perfect show in a lot of ways. Farrell was fantastic as was Milioti. However, there were some issues.

Broadly these can be boiled down to two things, firstly it was stupid that Batman was not mentioned on the show, realistically in that world he would have shown up and tried to end the gang war, but to not even mention him is just silly. Secondly, the tone of the show was a bit all over the place, at times it was incredibly dark and gritty such as when Sofia gassed her family, however, there were also lighter scenes such as the end of episode one that felt tonally mismatched.

That aside this is a fantastic crime show, I wouldn’t go so far as to call it a fantastic superhero show as really it has very little to do with them, but as far as a mob show this is right up there. The show is well written which is becoming increasingly rare these days and has a show don’t tell approach to storytelling. You can see and imagine Oz’s machinations but they are never spelled out to you.

I also appreciated how brutal this series got at times and that it wasn’t afraid to be bloody when it needed to be, despite some folks thinking of it as a comic book show and hence inherently for kids.

Overall, one of the best DC projects in years.

4/5

Pros.

The grit

The lore

Farrell

Milioti

Cons.

The uneven tone

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Mafia Mamma: The Suburbs Take Italy

Written by Luke Barnes

Summary

After being cheated on Kristin, played by Toni Collette, travels to Italy for her grandfather’s funeral. However, little does she know that once their she will become the head of a prominent crime family.

In many sense this is a lame wine mum esque comedy, but in truth these days that is really becoming my bag. I enjoy the sort of films where female characters get to have The Hangover style shenanigans and even more so when it is mature women doing it. This is because as many have noted once women reach a certain age in Hollywood it seems all they are good for is playing mothers to younger teen characters or even in some cases grandmother, regardless their days as the protagonist having fun adventures is over. That is why films like this are so needed.

Yes I feel like I have seen it before but at the same time there is something very comforting about a film like this. Collette plays the role to perfection and your really go on this journey with her when she comes into her power both in a sexual sense but also in terms of self-worth. At the same time we get a lot of good nods and outright parodies of The Godfather movies across the film and a lot of the gangster stuff is quite funny due to the drastic culture clash

Overall, it is a lovely feel good film boosted by a strong performance from Collette

4/5

Pros.

It is feel good

It is comforting and easy

It is quite funny and has a number of good references

Collette

Cons.

It feels a little familiar

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Godfather Part III: The Odd One Out

Written by Luke Barnes

Summary

Michael Corleone, played by Al Pacino, dies.

Many people have a real sour taste in their mouths when it comes to this film and to an extent that is understandable as this is definitely the worst film of the trilogy, however, I also think it isn’t terrible and in some ways I actually liked the film.

Let’s get my most controversial opinion on the film right out of the way now, I thought Sofia Coppola was good in this and I liked her romance with Andy Garcia’s character. I thought they had good chemistry together and I was hit emotionally somewhat as her character died.

However, I think the issue with Coppola’s character and Garcia’s is that they are underdeveloped. They could have done with having been introduced in the second film maybe as an epilogue, as it stands we don’t feel like we know them very much at all. This is especially troubling as Michael hands over the family to Garcia’s character, this should be a big moment but instead feels rushed and underwhelming.

I also thought though the international Vatican murder plot had a few interesting moments, the film gets bogged down far too much in this idea of Michael seeking forgiveness and redemption. In many senses the heavy religiosity of this film only serves to slow it down, which in turn creates pacing issues. This is the only one of the trilogy that I found to be dragging on, which is saying something as I think it is shorter than the others.

Overall, not terrible by any means but certainly not in the same league as the other films that came before it.

3.5/5

Pros.

Garcia

A few interesting twists and turns

It is nice to see Michael’s story wrapped up

Coppola

Cons.

Pacing issues

Underdeveloped characters

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The Godfather Part II

Written by Luke Barnes

Summary

We follow the twin stories of the rise of Vito Corleone, played by Robert DeNiro, as well as the dominance of Michael, played by Al Pacino.

I thought this was a near perfect sequel and as such it gets the same top rating as the original. There is no fat to trim here which is incredibly surprising considering the incredibly long run time of this film

Both of the character journeys are equally fascinating and importance and the themes and such text of each feed into the other nicely. I think you can really tell that these are two young actors at the top of their games as it is a fierce fight between the two for who gives the better performance. I would lean to DeNiro, but maybe that is just personally preference.

The plot of the film about familial betrayal strikes hard and deep and it seems to effect both you watching and the characters at the same time. The first film teaches you to like Michael and to relate to him, but then this film highlights his monstrosity and shows you why that emotion was misplaced.

Overall, an incredibly well done sequel.

5/5

Pros.

The tension

The family drama

The performances

The pacing

The interconnectivity of the two split narratives

Cons.

None

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Gangster No.1: More American Psycho Then Lock Stock

3/5

Written by Luke Barnes

Summary

An east end gangster, played by Malcom McDowell, recounts the story of his rise to power.

I thought this film felt very original and had a voice entirely separate from the early noughties gangster fare put out by the likes of Guy Ritchie. In many ways this film has more in common with American Psycho then it does Snatch and is all the better for it.

I thought the philosophy of this film and its comments on what it means to have it all where interesting and McDowell does a good job playing unhinged, although Paul Bettany who plays the younger version of McDowell’s character does out stage him on a number of occasions in terms of sheer fright factor.

Where this film was weaker for me was in the few instances wherein it was trying to replicate Ritchie’s style and have that same sort of tongue in cheek irreverent tone, that I think didn’t work. I think this film could have been better if it had played itself more straight and been more of a character study into the mind of a crime boss. Ultimately, I think the film should have leaned into its own voice more and stayed away from what was popular at the time.

Overall, a fun and interesting film when it is leaning into the warped psychology of a gang enforcer, less so when it is trying to rip-off Lock Stock.

Pros.

Bettany

McDowell

The physiological spin

Cons.

The ending doesn’t land in a dramatic sense

It is trying to hard to be like a Guy Ritchie film at times

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The Outfit: The Perfect Fit?

3/5

Written by Luke Barnes

Summary

A humble tailor, played by Mark Rylance, becomes wrapped up in a war between two rival Chicago gangs.

I thought this film leant a bit too heavily on Rylance, luckily he is more than capable of not only keeping it going but also elevating it, however without Rylance this film would be lost in a sea of mediocrity.

I thought for the few brief scenes he had Dylan O’Brien was a very welcome presence, and he also entirely lost himself in the role, however, the film kills him off early on and creates some what of a void for itself, as none of the other characters, bar Rylance, are in anyway interesting.

I enjoyed the mystery about Rylance’s characters past and found myself keenly invested in it. The same can’t be said for the warring gangs plotline which for the most part felt incredibly played out and more than a little overly familiar. The ending somewhat brought it all together to offer us something satisfying but even then I think the film could have gone further.

Overall, Mark Rylance makes this film what it is, but even he can’t propel it to greatness.

Pros.

Rylance

O’Brien

The mystery surrounding the lead’s past

Cons.

The central plot all felt very generic and familiar

The rest of the cast outside of Rylance and O’Brien are forgettable

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Villain: The Saddest Of The Gangland Films

1/5

Written by Luke Barnes

Summary

A recently released convict, played by Craig Fairbrass, must try and save his families pub from gangland threats.

To me this film failed to be in any way fun, yes though it is a different type of fun a lot of the gangland films, particularly those with Danny Dyer, have enough charm or gravitas to keep you around and enjoying yourself until the end of the film, this didn’t have that.

Not only was this film depressing, it was morbidly depressing, and seemed to go out of its way to be grim and off putting, honestly watching it made me sad. I understand the point the film was trying to make by having Fairbrass’ character die at the end, the superfluousness of his life style and how in the end even if you win you die, and it did deliver this message however, it just made the film feel even more of a downer and left a bit of a bad taste as well.

Fairbrass is fine he is playing a slightly toned down version of his Rise Of The Foot Soldier character. He tries hard to try and round the character and to add emotional depth though this ends in a colossal failure.

Overall, who was this made for?

Pros.

It is short

Fairbrass is trying

Cons.

The ending

It is depressing

There is no charm to it

It has pacing issues galore

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The Many Saints Of Newark: Did You Really Save The Theme Song Till The End

3.5/5

Written by Luke Barnes

Summary

This film serves as a prequel to the beloved gangster TV series The Sopranos showing Tony’s, here played by Michael Gandolfini, younger years.

I enjoyed this film, but it was not perfect. Firstly do not watch this film if you have not seen the series beforehand. It is not easily understandable if you haven’t seen the series, you won’t understand various elements of the plot. However, if you are a fan of the show you will find a lot to enjoy here from Christopher’s, Michael Imperioli, ghostly narration of things to come to the show’s opening credits music playing as the film ends. One thing I will note is though I enjoyed how this film paid off the series there were a number of inconsistencies that soured my enjoyment somewhat.

The trailers for this film have lied to you, for rather obvious reasons, as this film is not really about Tony Soprano and rather instead about Dickie Moltisanti, Alessandro Nivola. We see Tony and his family appear but they are side characters at best. I thought the focus on Dickie helped keep the film feeling fresh and I enjoyed his story for the most part. The race war aspects I thought were needless as they do not pay off in the show in any way and feel instead like an unnecessary attempt to be political. I think it would have made more sense to focus on in fighting amongst the family with Dickie having to try and fight off assassination attempts from various members after his early in the film secret is slowly revealed.

Overall, it is a pleasant return to that world, was it needed? No not really but it could have been worse. More good than bad.

Pros.

Further exploring the world

Good tension

Solid drama and action

The theme song playing at the end

Cons.

It is not really about Tony

The race war storyline doesn’t feel needed

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Black Mass: The Comeback That Never Quite Panned Out

3.5/5

Written by Luke Barnes

Summary

This film recounts the life of ‘Whitey’ Bulger, here played by Johnny Depp.

This film always feels like a shame to me. Not because the film is bad but because it could have been the start of a big comeback for Depp and yet it never panned out.

I think that this is one of Depp’s finest roles, he manages to capture the ruthless killer whilst also making us somewhat like/understand him. The character that Depp brings to life in a nuanced and multi layered way reminds us that no character is simply good or bad but shades in-between.

Moreover, this film is also strengthened by a terrific supporting cast with Benedict Cumberbatch, Jessie Plemons and Joel Edgerton all giving terrific performances and really helping to bring the film together. Cumberbatch in particular steals the show here.

I also think the score of the film adds a lot and serves to nicely compliment the film and reflect the emotion of the scenes. I would say of all the gangster films I have seen this one’s soundtrack was the only one to stick with me after watching.

My main criticism of the film would be the pace, the film takes a long time to get where it is going. Though his early life is interesting the film spends far too much time there and not nearly enough time on his later life.

Overall, a strong Johnny Deep fronted gangster film.

Pros.

Deep

The supporting cast

The score

The ending

Cons.

The pacing

A very slow start

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The Birthday Cake: What Is In The Box?

4.5/5

Written by Luke Barnes

This film is the best gangster/crime film I have seen in a while. The pacing of this film is terrific, and it takes you on one hell of a ride. There are scenes in this film where I was on the edge of my seat, I know that is a cliché, but for once it accurately describes the situation.

I enjoyed how this film places so much emphasis on its titular cake, always making sure to feature it in every sequence throughout the film. Moreover, the final reveal involving the cake makes the film, or at least it did for me, it was so perfectly built up to and it truly delivers.

Furthermore, the acting is strong across the board with every actor bringing their A game to this project and being memorable as a result. I would be hard pressed to pick a favourite moment from the film as the whole of it is so good and each actor really has their own moment to shine.

My one criticism of this film would be that it could have better used Ewan McGregor, as he is barely in the film though when he does appear he steals the scene. I would have liked the film to further explore the relationship between his character and Gio as clearly he is somewhat of a mentor to him, but we don’t really see this happen on-screen and can only imply it as an explanation.

Overall, perhaps the best gangster film of the year.

Pros.

The cast is terrific

The cake payoff

The tension

The pacing

Cons.

Under-using McGregor

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