Gotti
was directed and co-written by actors, which tracks because it’s filled with
scenes in which the performers are given showy, blustery set pieces that allow
them to wear an assortment of period clothes, a variety of old age make-ups,
and silly wigs. Some individual scenes
work, but there’s no dramatic through line connecting them. It’s all scenery-chewing, would-be Oscar
clips in search of a movie.
Gotti
wants to show us the rise and fall of notorious crime boss John Gotti. Gotti is played by John Travolta, who is
clearly invested, just underserved by the slapdash screenplay. Major incidents in his life are shown (like
the death of his son), but are quickly forgotten almost as soon as they are
introduced. The narrative hops back and
time through the years, seemingly at random.
It feels more like a collection of deleted scenes than an honest to goodness
plot. The framing device, with his son
visiting the cancer ridden Gotti in prison is also forgotten at random in favor
of more Mob movie clichés and made for TV level theatrics.
Travolta’s
performance alone makes it watchable. He
singlehandedly prevents the film from being as bad as its reputation, but even
he can’t keep it afloat. His real-life
wife, Kelly Preston plays Gotti’s wife, and it’s an extremely underwritten
role. She probably only took the role because
she wanted to work with her husband once again, or more likely, because no one
else would. Stacy Keach has some good
moments as an elder Mob statesman and Gotti’s mentor, and old pros Pruitt
Taylor Vince, Chris Mulkey, and Leo Rossi (who also co-wrote the script) appear
as assorted Mafioso.
Some
amusement can be had from the horrible usage of pop songs that play over certain sequences. Many of the needle drops are
bizarre and they seldom fit the action onscreen. (Like the inexplicable use of the theme from
Shaft.) I did like the Christmastime Mob
hit set to Elvis’ rendition of “Silent Night”, which means only one thing…
Guys, Gotti is a Christmas movie!
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