Reviews

After so much time, it is finally here. Many Saints of Newark.

First, my opinion is that this is first and foremost a story about the Newark Riots that happened in 1967. I read multiple times that David Chase wanted to make a movie or something about that, but, he did not have the backing to do so. He just decided that he would make a movie about that, and throw in some Sopranos into it to sell tickets.

What confuses me, is that the Riots are not really a major focus in this movie. Instead, it primarily focuses on Dickie Moltisanti, Christophers father. Alessandro Nivola does a pretty good job. I have no complaints about this casting choice. Characters that have great actors behind them are definitely Lidia, Silvio, Johnny and Junior. Paulie and Puss were okay.

Michael Gandolfini did a solid job, however, the enormous shadow of his father is pretty much impossible to step out of, and he will forever be compared and ultimately fail to match his father in this specific role. He did try his best however, and i cannot imagine how much of a burden this role was to him. I think he was used pretty well.

What irks me about this movie is the way they used Johnny, Hollywood Dick and his brother. Seeing Ray Liotta portray two characters that look absolutely the same was slightly confusing to be honest. The whole plot with Dickie killing his father and then seeking advice from his brother was really strange. We saw almost nothing from Johnny Boy, which is a shame, since Jon Bernthal is a fantastic actor and he found his footing easily in this role. I also love the fact that Michael Imperioli is the narrator.

And we come to the biggest problem of this movie: It basically has no coherent plot. It tries to tell so many stories and gives us some hilarious moments and answers a couple questions from the show, but it ultimately falls flat on its ass when it comes to telling a coherent and precise story that we didnt see or hear about before. I do not know what to think about this Riots storyline and the Harold character is just thrown in there for no apparent reason. I really wish that this was made into a 10 episode mini-series, where Chase could explore Tony Soprano as a kid, Tony Soprano as a teen, and also explore the Riots storyline and Dickie Moltisanti.

The movie as it stands right now, is a convoluted mess from a storyline perspective, but it delivers in everything else. You honestly should not watch this if you are not a hardcore fan of the show. You WILL be disappointed.

I just recently started delving into old Western movies, such as this one. The Wild Bunch carved out its own place and meaning on my list, in quite a violent, but still meaningful way.

If you are looking for some action, you will definitely get it here, make no mistake about it. Although the movie looks a bit dated, I still think that it holds up well in todays age, simply due to the atmosphere and great casting & music. The cinematography is fantastic and I have absolutely no complaints in that regard.

The opening sequence is very important in this movie, and sets the tone that The Wild Bunch rides on for the whole two and a half hours. This movie is loud, aggressive, it aint afraid to shock you, and I think that is something that the majority of the movies we see today lack. Behind all the grittiness, there is a soul, and a deep story that connects these outlaws who are completely spent and down on their luck. Its not hard to visualize that these guys spent countless years together and shot their way out of many dangerous situations.

At one point, the leader of this bunch claims that he just wants one last big score and that he is done, he claims that he "wants to back off". Ernest Borgnine, who portrays Dutch, simply replies with: "Back off to what?"

I think that is one of, if not the most important line in this movie. These guys know no other life, they are so used to being outlaws that anything that resembles the new generation is unfathomable. At one point you can see a car being driven around a small village, and our characters stare in amazement. They are being hunted down mercilessly, because, in all honesty, they probably deserved it. They are thieves, in a world that doesnt want them anymore. However, their fates were bound until the very end, they were not totally consumed with greed and lust. They still found a small way to redeem themselves, and i think there is something beautiful in that.