Director James Gray
reteamed with the stars of The Yards, Joaquin Phoenix and Mark Wahlberg for
this gritty police drama that plays like a mash-up of Prince of the City, Goodfellas,
and The Departed. Phoenix is a sleazy nightclub
owner who tries to distance himself from his family, all of whom are cops. Since his club is a haven for drug dealers,
his police captain father (Robert Duvall) wants him to keep the cops informed
about what goes on there. Phoenix, who
is accustomed to his freewheeling lifestyle, refuses. After his brother (Wahlberg) is ambushed and
shot by a would-be assassin, Phoenix agrees to go undercover, inform on the
dealers, and go into the witness protection program. Eventually, he finally stops resisting and
follows the family code and becomes a cop too.
We Own the Night is a
solid drama filled to the brim with great performances. It’s absorbing and entertaining, but it
sometimes feels like Gray is trying to cram too many subplots into the
film. Some of the subplots work (like
Phoenix’s strained relationship with a party girl played by Eva Mendes), while
others feel rushed and inorganic (like Phoenix’s sudden ascension through the
police ranks). Adding to the rushed
feeling is the awkward, easy-to-spot ADR that helps speed the plot along.
I’m not saying that
this is a bad flick. There are stretches
here that really pack an emotional wallop.
It’s just that it feels really crammed for a two hour movie. There’s probably a great two and a half hour
version hiding in an editing bay somewhere.
You all know me. I mean, rarely do I wish a film was longer. I just feel that with a little breathing room
here and there that this could have been a classic.
AKA: Undercover.
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