"The Return of Joe Rich" is set in Chicago where every mob story should be set. Joe Rich is a story about a son/nephew, Joe (Sam Witwer) returning to Chicago to live with his mother after the financial crisis hits him and he has lost everything. Joe's family is "connected." His Uncle Dom (Armand Assante) is the patriarch of this connected family and Joe "wants in". As he says, "Crime does pay." How far will Joe go? Is this type of work truly in his blood?
As Joe moves back in to his childhood home, we see the immediate struggles any man moving back home would have. These struggles are compounded by a very strong mother in an intimidating family. Joe's relationships with his mother and other family members appear to pick up right where they left off when Joe was young. He also reunites with his long lost love adding the necessary love story in a rather brutal mob tale. Joe sees first hand where loyalties truly lie and what kind of a person he actually is.
Violence is a big part of this movie, but there are also some great comedic lines thrown in to balance the film. The rolling meatballs across the screen to segue from one scene into the next are reminiscent of Batman, taking the tension of the film down a level. The home movies and the interviews with the "retired connected men" were the two aspects that keep this movie grounded and real. These men were truly a part of "The Family." These old guys tell it like it was back in the day. The scenes of Joe pretending to shoot a gun in the bathroom add yet another level of entertainment in this film. No, not just because he shows off his six pack abs (although, that is a bonus!), but because it's funny and immature in a serious movie. He shows us that moving back home and living with mom in your late 20's has it's drawbacks!
The cast is outstanding. Talia Shire plays Joe's mom with a sense of ease and reality. Armand Assante is perfectly cast as the mob boss. He is exactly how I imagine one to be. Sam Witwer takes on this rather complex role effortlessly. The writing, directing and acting seem to meld seamlessly to give us a compelling story not just about the mob, but about people.
As Joe moves back in to his childhood home, we see the immediate struggles any man moving back home would have. These struggles are compounded by a very strong mother in an intimidating family. Joe's relationships with his mother and other family members appear to pick up right where they left off when Joe was young. He also reunites with his long lost love adding the necessary love story in a rather brutal mob tale. Joe sees first hand where loyalties truly lie and what kind of a person he actually is.
Violence is a big part of this movie, but there are also some great comedic lines thrown in to balance the film. The rolling meatballs across the screen to segue from one scene into the next are reminiscent of Batman, taking the tension of the film down a level. The home movies and the interviews with the "retired connected men" were the two aspects that keep this movie grounded and real. These men were truly a part of "The Family." These old guys tell it like it was back in the day. The scenes of Joe pretending to shoot a gun in the bathroom add yet another level of entertainment in this film. No, not just because he shows off his six pack abs (although, that is a bonus!), but because it's funny and immature in a serious movie. He shows us that moving back home and living with mom in your late 20's has it's drawbacks!
The cast is outstanding. Talia Shire plays Joe's mom with a sense of ease and reality. Armand Assante is perfectly cast as the mob boss. He is exactly how I imagine one to be. Sam Witwer takes on this rather complex role effortlessly. The writing, directing and acting seem to meld seamlessly to give us a compelling story not just about the mob, but about people.