Grotto Arts & Leisure Dept. Recommends WE OWN THE NIGHT

I thought this one looked pretty good from the trailer, but it turned out to be excellent.  Written and directed by James Gray, the movie stars Joaquin Phoenix, Mark Wahlberg, Eva Mendes, and Robert Duvall.  Eva Mendes proves once again that it's entirely possible to get by on looks alone, as she's one of the least charismatic or impressive actresses I can think of. Robert Duvall is as solid as always, and Mark Wahlberg adds to his reputation, as I see it, of being a shrewd and humble actor who chooses to take parts in the best films even if it means playing second or third banana.

     Joaquin Phoenix firmly occupies a spot on the Top Five list of currently-working actors.  He, like his companions in that category Russell Crowe and Leonardo DiCaprio, combines a gigantic acting talent with a perfectly chosen range of roles.  This is a good one for him.

     Here's the summary from ComingSoon.net:

  Bobby Green (Joaquin Phoenix) has turned his back on the family business. The popular manager of El Caribe, the legendary Russian-owned nightclub in Brooklyn's Brighton Beach, he has changed his last name and concealed his connection to a long line of distinguished New York cops. For Bobby, every night is a party, as he greets friends and customers or dances with his beautiful Puerto Rican girlfriend, Amada (Eva Mendes), in a haze of cigarette smoke and disco music.

But it's 1988, and New York City's drug trade is escalating. Bobby tries to keep a friendly distance from the Russian gangster who is operating out of the nightclub – a gangster who is being targeted by his brother, Joseph (Mark Wahlberg), an up-and-coming NYPD officer, and his father, Burt (Robert Duvall), the legendary deputy chief of police.

.

Comments

[terry Brown]

Saw ity last night with Luke G. Liked but did not love it. Sloppy directing failed to tell the story without meandering between genres and styles and failed to get the best out of the all-star talent. But it was still good. Phoenix is always excellent and is second only to Phillip Seymour Hoffman in the talent ctaegory- in my humble opinion.