The Bronx, New York, 1960. 9-year-old Calogero grows up admiring and fascinated by the local mob boss, Sonny. Calogero's father, Lorenzo, wants to have nothing to do with the mob and does his best to keep his son away from Sonny and mob business. However, it may prove a losing battle...
Good, but not great. Written by Chazz Palminteri and directed by Robert De Niro (and starring the two of them), the movie had heaps of potential: a gangster story that revolves around how a kid gets sucked into the world of the mob and how this affects him and the people around him.
However, while reasonably engaging and entertaining, the movie doesn't quite live up to its potential.
The main problem is the script. The main plot is fine, it's the sub-plots and scene-to-scene development that sometimes don't work, feeling at times clumsy and contrived. There's also an idealism and preachiness that start to grate after a while. The conclusion is okay, but is not as profound as it takes itself.
Robert De Niro, in his directorial debut, does okay behind the camera, though the editing does feel choppy at times.
Overall, I liked it, but it could have been better.
Good, but not great. Written by Chazz Palminteri and directed by Robert De Niro (and starring the two of them), the movie had heaps of potential: a gangster story that revolves around how a kid gets sucked into the world of the mob and how this affects him and the people around him.
However, while reasonably engaging and entertaining, the movie doesn't quite live up to its potential.
The main problem is the script. The main plot is fine, it's the sub-plots and scene-to-scene development that sometimes don't work, feeling at times clumsy and contrived. There's also an idealism and preachiness that start to grate after a while. The conclusion is okay, but is not as profound as it takes itself.
Robert De Niro, in his directorial debut, does okay behind the camera, though the editing does feel choppy at times.
Overall, I liked it, but it could have been better.