Pride and Glory

[MacGuffin]

Trailer here.

Release Date: March 14, 2008

Starring: Edward Norton, Colin Farrell, Jon Voight, Noah Emmerich

Director: Gavin O'Connor (Miracle)

Premise: Set in the New York City Police Department, this is the gritty story of three generations of cops whose family resolve is tested when one of the grandsons becomes involved with an investigation that implicates his brother in a corruption scandal.

[modage]

We Own The Night II?

[grand theft sparrow]

We, Too, Own The Night?

[modage]

damnit!  i knew i should've spent another minute on that one.  and just yesterday we were discussing Teen Wolf Too at work, as in, Teen Wolf As Well or Also.   

[MacGuffin]

New Trailer here.

[SiliasRuby]

I don't like using the word "Gritty", its cliched, overused and can be construed as quite a quite a trite word but thats what the movie has the atmosphere of "grittiness", and there are some moments in this film that are completely hard to watch. "Spoiler* Colin Farell's character threatening to use an iron on a baby's face. *Spoiler* Its quite a dark movie and though not as intense as 'Narc', it does have that carnahan touch. Since it wasn't directed by Joe C it isn't too hardcore and some scenes are quite pedestrian. I haven't seen 'We Own The Night', but I am looking forward to it, to compare and contrast. Ultimately, this was your basic story of currupt cops in New York but the writing and the actors highly elevate the story. Rent it on a slow tuesday night if you like.

[private witt]

Meh, I'll re-watch some Cassavettes instead.

[Sleepless]

I admit it took me a while to get into it, but by the end I was totally engrossed. Of course, after The Wire any gritty cop film is bound to be hard to totally admire. Here is my full - spoiler free - review:

I'm a big Ed Norton fan, and I feel sorry for the guy. He's had some bad luck of late. His turn as The Hulk was less than incredible, and this multi-generational cop saga went pretty much un-noticed; barely getting a cinema release. Thankfully, the film itself is well worth the wait. Given the circumstances surrounding its release this film has been widely overlooked. And that's a shame.

The story involves four cops found killed in a shoot out when they were ambushed at a drug dealer's apartment, and the subsequent investigation. Patriarch Tierney (Jon Voight) is top NYPD brass, and he requests his son Ray (Norton) head up the investigation into the deaths. The deceased cops served under Ray's brother - Francis (Noah Emmerich), as does the Tierney boys' brother-in-law Jimmy (Colin Farrell). When evidence of police corruption is found, however, things start to unravel - putting stress on the department as much as on the family.

The keen directing by Gavin O'Connor is deftly handled. Non-intruding. Observant. Each frame perfectly composed to ensure a sense of simple naturalism. It stands out as some of the more astute directing efforts I've seen in a while, due largely to the fact it doesn't draw attention to itself at all. This is an actor's film, after all, but O'Conner - directing from a script by Jim Carnahan and himself - ensures that the story keeps ticking along at the correct pace, never getting sidetracked, and keeping it lean. Trust me, it is a difficult art to master to make such a complex film seem so simple and effortless.

Norton, of course, is his usual brilliant self. But maybe he's just done a lot of street-smart good guys lately, but this performance rang with a sense of nothing new to me. We've seen him jump through these hoops before. Perhaps with the cred and power he's amassed for himself he's getting too comfortable. Considering he's the among the few greatest actors working at the moment though, he still fills his character with the necessary weight to carry the picture. Easily one of the best leading performances of 2008.

The supporting cast is similarly impressive, not least Emmerich as a cop torn between following the law to the letter and protecting his men... all whilst struggling with his cancer-ridden wife's declining condition. Like O'Connor's direction, Emmerich's performance is low-key, thoughtful, and exudes complexity by keeping it simple.

Farrell surprised me with his abilities as Jimmy; I'd never really thought that much about him as an actor, but here he proves he can play with the big boys. Voight, of course, brings the mature heft and reason that he and Brian Cox both dole out so ably - and often. The other performance that is particularly noteworthy is that of Jennifer Ehle as Francis' wife, Abby. As a woman slowly dying she maintains dignity and strength (when she needs to), and brings a whole other dimension to the family side of the film. This is not just dads and sons playing boys in blue. This is real stuff. You can't just do right by yourself and the badge, you gotta do right by the woman in your life too. Abby is a vital character in that she truly drives Francis as he progresses throughout the story, and their relationship subtly exposes more creases in Francis' character than would otherwise have been possible.

At first I thought this was going to be a cop film in the sense that the institution is the be all and end all - did you see We Own The Night? It isn't. Pride And Glory has much more going on that that. It digs a little deeper; examining not only what it takes to do the right thing, but also how fragile the balancing act can be between looking after yourself, maintaining your family's well-being, and doing what you know in your heart to be right. The cop thing is window dressing. That's a dilemma anyone can relate to.

[MacGuffin]

I admit it took me a while to get into it, but by the end I was totally engrossed.

Exactly. This film quietly builds and builds and builds until it sneaks up on you by how engaging it's become. It totally took me by surprise, added by the fact that it's not just a run of the mill corrupt cops, whodunit story. It also adds in some touching family and off-duty moments. This is not to say that it's not without its cop cliches (do any cops have happy marriages?). But it works because of the characters. Silias mentioned 'gritty' and it is that.