User Reviews

It doesn't take much research into the real story of Danny Greene and the Cleveland mob war to recognize that there was potentially a great Mobster movie waiting to be made. This film misses the mark, which is sad, because the players were there to craft something special.

The downfall of this film is the script and the way it rushes through time and space without ever focusing enough on the characters and their relationship with each other (and in the case of Greene with society) to really get us connected into the world they inhabit. We see scene after scene that remind us of gangster movie staples. Greene beaten by Italian kids as a boy, Greene standing up to the crooked Union leadership, Greene making deals with the mafia, Greene gets a girl and they wind up married, Greene beats up bikers, Greene gets a partner out of hot water and tells him never to gamble again...and duh..he gambles again. Unfortunately, we always stay on the surface of people's motivations as these scenes fly by, we never stop and get a sense of why with the characters. And we never connect with them.

The acting is fine, Ray Stevenson's Greene is tough and smart and world-worn, everyone else is fine but they just stay on the periphery and play stock characters who come and go for the most part.

If the script had made a choice to either be the story through the eyes of Val Kilmer's Cleveland police detective, or the story through the eyes of Irish Danny Greene, instead of just a linear montage of standard gangster film clichés, we all could have been treated to a top-notch tale.

The movie just proves you need a great script to make a great movie, and it didn't have one.

Kill the Irishman tells the story of Danny Greene and his rise from rags to riches through the mob and their many attempts at killing him. Being of Irish decent, the aspect of this one Irish guy who kept getting on the Italian mob's nerves, it peaked my interest.

The film has a great story to tell and I can only imagine how amazing the film would have been if they had a director like Martin Scorsese behind the camera. That's what I kept feeling while I watched this film, that it was a Scorsese wannabe. That's not exactly a bad thing, because I did enjoy the film, but I wanted to enjoy it so much more.

There are aspects of the film that are great and if a masterful craftsman were behind the camera than I can honestly see this film being one of the best of the year. The film feels short on a lot of things, mainly the small things that would have made this film great. The relationship between him and his wife was nonexistent. The smaller characters played by Christopher Walken, Val Kilmer and Vinnie Jones deserved more screen time. There was a relationship between Stevenson and Kilmer that was interesting, as one was a cop and the other a known mobster, but the film decided not to dive any further than two scenes. I hate to throw Goodfellas into the mix, but had the story been crafted more like that film, then this could have been great.

The story is based on true events, with some liberties of course. Some of the special effects, like the car bombings are incredibly poor. A story like this deserves a bit more attention to detail from the writer and director. It felt like they loved the story, but didn't know exactly how to tell it. Again, if they had proper backing in the budget department, then this film would have been really great. The car bombing scenes are really poorly done and this is such an integral part of the film. Some of them are actual explosions, others aren't. It's poor production values, stick with the real thing.

Kill the Irishman is a good movie when it should be a great movie. In terms of gangster flicks, it's one of the better ones. It's nowhere near the calibre of Goodfellas or Donnie Brasco. It feels like the odd film that wants to be apart of the family. It just falls short of admittance. A good film is good film though.

The author of the book in which the movie is based has a unique insight, he's a cop, his family was part of the old "mustache pete" mafia. the book and the movie, demonstrate in realistic detail just how far the Mafia has declined in the post golden era of the 50s and 60's. One Irishman, with the help of an old Mafia associate, showed the world just how incompetent the mob had become in Cleveland and elsewhere. The movie deftly shows that level of incompetence.

Ray Stevenson does a credible job as Irish Danny Green and Vincent D'Onforio is even better as the conflicted John Nardi. Christopher Walken is barely visible as Shonder Burns. Tony Lo Bianco does a great job of a weak, indecisive mob boss who just can't get it right.

The movie is burdened with low production value, but the story is true. And the life they highlight deserves low production value. Anyone who compares this to Goodfellows or the Soprano's is out of touch.

Wow..... Wow..... Wow.............

I DID NOT EXPECT THAT! I AM STUNNED!

The Hunter becomes the Hunted in KILL THE IRISHMAN. In the year 1976 in Cleveland 36 bombs went off but could they get Danny Greene?

Based on the life events of Irish American gangster Danny Greene KILL THE IRISHMAN is by far one the most involved movies I have watched of its kind. Danny Greene a gangster from Cleveland in 1970s is a man with pride and honor. Quite unusual traits for a gangster don't you think? Exactly what I did think as well until I completed the whole movie! Danny Greene's story brings to light the hardships that certain people go through to meet their ends in life. Although not most of them are legal methods, sometimes these seem to be the only way out for some of them. Most learned folk at this point would think I am a few screws lose upstairs to agree with an illegal approach to life. I sincerely believe that all humans will tread paths they never would if they too are pushed to extreme limits. This is just me, however I am sure some may feel that to die with hunger is better than steal, try it and let me know! Please note I am not promoting criminals since Danny Greene's revelation is entirely different. Danny Greene earned his bread and butter until the associations abused them and ill-treated them. Danny stood up to them and took over the associations and became a self-found businessman. However when authorities came for him few years later, he did not run, he had the courage to stand up to his faults.

Ray Stevenson, Christopher Walken, Vincent D'Onofrio and Val Kilmer bring to life the dark early 1970s of Cleveland. I am impressed of the precision performances. Especially Ray Stevenson, he is amazing and its wise choice by the casting directors to go with an unfamiliar face (although Ray Stevenson has appeared in a fair number of movies) since it's a biography of an actual person. I believe Ray Stevenson fits into the character with ease rather than to have a Hollywood regular play the protagonist. I need not speak about Christopher Walken, you put him in front of a camera and wonders emerge. Val Kilmer's weight does not stop him from slamming a great performance either. Unison is what it is with these men pulling the movie through.

A very appropriate and touching soundtrack evokes a great emotion within me. Much like BRAVE HEART or ROBIN HOOD PRINCE OF THIEVES she captures and wraps me with a strange enchantment. It's like a spell, I need to admit there were moments in the early parts of the movie where I did consider switching it off. The interest did not seem to be consistent. In my terms the attention span of the viewer is violated with Jonathan Hensleighs directorial approach. It lost me a few times, however it did not LOSE me. I am having difficulty expressing what I felt, let me try to elaborate. It's like water, tasteless, however after a long night when you wake up dehydrated after one too many drinks, and that one glass of water you have at that point of time is the perfect drink. This is the only way I can bring myself to explain the feeling of this movie.

A definite skip for those who look out for action and cleverly choreographed fight sequences. A good one for the mature audience who savor biographies and slow paced dramas.

This is how I see it, nothing more nothing less!

Title: Kill the Irishman Directed by: Jonathan Hensleigh Starring: Ray Stevenson, Vincent D'Onofrio, Val Kilmer, Robert Davi, Vinnie Jones & Christopher Walken Rated: R for strong violence and some sexual content/nudity Rating: 07/10 106 Minutes

I'm not often writing critics on IMDb, but when i checked the page of this movie I was really surprised that there were so few reviews.

I must confess that I haven't heard anything about this movie before I read that there will be free theater screenings of "Kill the Irishman" in my hometown. As far as i know, the film also had a very limited theater release in the USA, which is a sad thing because this movie was surprisingly good and well-crafted and was one of the best films I've seen in the last months.

The film tells the true story of Danny Greene, a tough irish gangster - and let me tell you, it is definitely a story worth telling.

I guess many of you are informed about the story of Danny Greene, so i won't go further into the story.

The movie features an impressive cast including Ray Stevenson, Val Kilmer, Christopher Walken and many other familiar faces known from other mob movies. Ray Stevenson gives an incredibly good performance as Danny Greene and manages to keep his character really violent, but also likable. This movie could give him a career boost for bigger roles.

The direction and the cinematography are very nice and i'm hoping this movie will enable Jonathan Hensleigh more work soon, because he's definitely a talented craftsman.

In some reviews i read that other people complained that this movie is just a ripoff of Goodfellas. That isn't true. The movie stands well on his own, despite featuring some actors known from Goodfellas, and wasn't that also the case in Shows like The Sopranos? Why complain about that? And last but not least, it IS a true story and who grows sick of seeing good mobster movies? Definitely not me.

Review by Ruby: If you are reading this, you have probably read the background info about The Irishman Danny Greene and his Italian buddy John Nardi who worked and broke the law many times over in the streets of Cleveland throughout the 1970s. In addition to Greene and Nardi, many of the cast members were familiar "mob types," and testosterone was practically flying off the screen in the midst of bravado, fistfights, gunfire, and countless explosions. But there was an actual story to follow also, so it offered more substance than much of the drivel that manages to run in the theatres today.

Even though they were gangsters, Greene and Nardi were surprisingly likable characters—for killers, that is—mostly because of the charismatic acting of the two leads, Ray Stevenson and Vincent D'Onofrio. The supporting characters were interesting also, including the talents of Christopher Walken, Val Kilmer, Steve Schirripa, Paul Sorvino, Tony Lo Bianco, and Mike Starr.

Interspersed with the actors' scenes were actual clips of film footage from local newscasts of the day, which added authenticity and a touchstone to the amazing story that unfolded in Cleveland some 30-40 years ago.

I highly recommend "Kill the Irishman" as an action-packed, escapist, period piece, featuring superior acting and excellent film editing. It was a thoroughly enjoyable 100+ minutes!

Ray Stevenson carries this otherwise amateurish production into the realm of almost great.

None of the side characters get enough time to shine, thanks to a script that should have been more polished before making it.

The story is interesting enough to make a great film - it just needed someone like Scorsese to bring life to it.

Still, Ray Stevenson is so great as Danny Greene - that the thing is watchable.

Val Kilmer is probably the worst part of it, though I hate to say it.

It is from the time in his career where his passion was long gone, but he still needed paychecks.

Walken is shamefully wasted.

Great cast, great acting, and an absolute must-see for mafia-philes. Ray Stevenson and Linda Cardellini give exceptional performances as Danny and Joan Greene in this hard hitting story based on his life. Unlike many bio-dramas, this one moves along at a rocket pace, leaving the audience on the edge of their seats. D'Onofrio is exceptional in this role, as is Christopher Walken, and you have to wonder how Stevenson keeps up with such powerful performers, but he does. Lots of favorite character actors dress up this larger than life scenario, including the lovely and always enticing Fionnula Flanagan as the neighbor, Mike Starr as one of Tony Lo Biano's enforcers, and Bob Gunton as the Union President who can't stand on his own. Paul Sorvino gives us the perfect NYC mob boss image and, while his role is brief, it's a performance worth watching. Val Kilmer's role as the police officer who grew up with Greene is subdued, but he carries it off with the right tone and balance to the film. Since a great film always comes down to the director, we have to give Jonathon Hensleigh a resounding round of applause for this fascinating and entertaining portrait of the under-workings of the mob. Rated R for violence, language and sexual situations, if you like films like the Godfather, Goodfellas, Casino, etc, you are going to love this one. And if you are a fan of those, this needs to be added to your collection.

I had a chance to catch this at the Sunshine Theater on East Houston in NYC. I was looking forward to seeing this movie after reading about it a few months ago, and luckily found a theater that was actually screening it. I initially heard of Danny Green from the Mobsters series on BIO Channel, so I already knew the background story, and overall this movie keeps things pretty real in that regard(with some dramatics added here and there for the sake of entertainment). Overall I was slightly disappointed as parts of the movie and the dialog was too "Hollywoody". Casting Christopher Walken for example, he's become such a fixture of humor because of the way he talks, so when he talks in this movie about serious subjects, its still funny. Plus the meetings and interactions(especially amongst the Italian characters) was so typical it seemed like a 18 year old wrote the script after watching a few episodes of the Sopranos. The special effects seemed very low budget on the car bombing sequences, you can totally see a green screen poorly camouflaged into the some of the shots. That being said it is a good movie, just not a classic like Goodfellas, The Godfather, or even something one tier lower like Casino or The Departed. Ray Stevenson is awesome and is able to carry the movie past some of the shortcomings I mentioned, but with the talented names in the cast and the storyline they had to work with, it could have been so much better.

I've been pretty excited about getting my hands on this film for some time now without knowing very much about it. But watch the trailer and if you're a fan of your 'Goodfellas,' 'Donnie Brasco's and 'Casino's then you'll probably relate.

'Kill The Irishman' has been called the best film since 'Goodfellas' as was stated on the DVD box that came in the mail today. Now all that tells a man to begin with is that the film is the best imitation of 'Goodfellas' there's been since 'Goodfellas' was introduced to cinemas and VHS tapes. Fear not, it is actually good enough to compare to the many times already aforementioned gangster classic and what comes as a surprise is pretty much everything about the film.

Firstly, a synopsis. Danny Greene's story - narrated by Val Kilmer (who lends some heavy support throughout the film) - tells of a tough Irishman working the grain silos at the Cleveland Docks whose rise to infamy begins when he goes to work for the mafia after a jail term for larceny makes headlines due to his muscling in on his former factory boss's business.

Greene is an old fashioned street fighting man who will stand up to anybody and although readily willing to commit crimes to make money, he is an honest and caring man by nature and this quickly endears us to the complex character so easily portrayed by Irish-born up and coming actor Ray Stevenson. I say up and coming but if you're British you'll already know him for television and minor film roles. If you're American you may know him for 'King Arthur', 'Outpost', 'Book of Eli' and 'Punisher: War Zone'.

As events unfold and just as Greene became unhappy with his factory boss, he sees the mafia acting unfairly, abusively and little involved. He declares that he will go into business for himself, meaning that he will inevitably have to declare war on the Italian mafia.

Naturally, what follows is the titular plot; the mafia attempting and failing over the duration of many years to hit the unflappable Irishman as he goes to great lengths to rub it in their faces and get revenge where necessary.

The film, based mostly in Cleveland throughout post-war '70's America, looks and feels authentic but it is the strong, earthy Irish charm that sets it apart from all those old classic I-tallian-American gangster films and a style of film-making that sometimes takes you back even as far as the forties for its occasionally rich film-noir texture.

What I find amazing because this is actually no huge Hollywood film is that 'Kill The Irishman' boasts a hugely classic cast including Val Kilmer (Heat), Christopher Walken (explanation???), Vincent D'Onofrio (Law & Order), Paul Sorvino (Goodfellas) and Robert Davi (Die Hard and The Goonies) to name a few. They're all very admirably cast in familiar roles, some unfamiliar which works in favour of plot tiwsts, and help to endear us towards a film that is actually very down to earth and sometimes even hilarious for a such a darkly toned crime drama.

What surprised me the most is the link I made earlier on as I looked over the cast and crew of the film. Ray Stevenson (the last man to portray killer ex-military vigilante Frank Castle AKA The Punisher) being directed as the film's lead by Jonathan Hensleigh, director of the 2004 Thomas Jane version of The Punisher. And the team works brilliantly. Hensleigh who I associated with slow and simplistic storytelling since the latter has really thrown a curveball with this one and I can't help but wonder; what if Hensleigh had directed Stevenson as the Punisher instead, what kind of comic crime caper would we have gotten then? Kill The Irishman boasts some hilariously offensive dialogue that cannot be mistaken for anything but Irish, the film to me at first glance was authentic and quite realistic and I recommend it to everyone with a fully functioning brain and heart. 'Kill The Irishman' is one of the best dramas on offer at this moment!

America loves the tough guy. The guy who faces the impossible odds and beats them to a bloody pulp. Examples - Rocky, Dirty Harry or Dalton ("Road House"). America also loves the bad guy. The guy that we really shouldn't support but we do anyhow. Examples - The Godfather, Scarface and Henry Hill ("Goodfellas"). In "Kill the Irishman" we are now given a new underdog, bad guy to cheer for, Danny Greene (played by Ray Stevenson). All-American tough guy.

In Jonathan Hensleigh's latest movie based on Danny Greene's life in the 1970s, we see the tough guy who works his way up from the docks in Cleveland, Ohio. Greene has it rough from the beginning, an orphan raised on Cleveland's mean streets. He takes a job on the docks shoveling grain and is soon given the opportunity to become a union leader because he is one of the only guys that reads books. So, he is also a tough guy with some intellect. He literally fights his way into his position of Union Boss. From there he leads a corrupt life assisting the local Italian mafia in robbing the docks where he works.

Does this sound like any kind of movie hero? Why are we intrigued to continue watching? Maybe it's because some of us (mainly us guys) secretly want to be Greene. The guy that doesn't take nonsense from anyone. If someone gets in your way, break his jaw, beat him down and don't worry about consequences.

Things are going well for Greene until his arrest; his bad deeds finally catch up to him. He cuts a deal with the FBI to become an informant and is back home with his wife and kids. He now needs to find work. He soon becomes a debt collector for Shondor Birns (played by Christopher Walken). Although Greene is Irish and Birns is Italian they don't let that stand in the way of their friendship, especially since there is money to be made.

Again things are going well for Greene, he patrols Cleveland with his crew collecting past due balances for the mafia. Being a tough guy he usually lets his fist or hand gun do the talking. Things soon go south for Greene and Birns due to a lost $70,000. Immediately there is a price on Greene's head.

In 1976 there were 36 explosions that rocked Cleveland therefore dubbing it as Bomb City, USA. This is all due in part to the Italian mob trying to kill the Irishman, Greene. He dodges bullets like Superman and survives explosions like John McClain ("Die Hard") then walks away with an indifferent attitude.

How does he survive all of these assassination attempts? He is an Irish Catholic with the grace of God. Greene doesn't show fear; he keeps himself believing his intent is to be a modern day Robin Hood for the community. Even after losing his children and wife, he sticks it out because tough guys never give up. Especially Irish Catholic tough guys.

Should you see this movie? Sure, if you like tough guys and if you like cheering for the bad guy. Greene's take-no-guff attitude kept his character interesting when the story seemed to lag or when there weren't any cars blowing up. He is supported by a cast of strong veterans, Val Kilmer, Vincent D'Onofrio and Paul Sorvino. The film also has an authentic documentary feel to it since Hensleigh incorporates actual footage from newscasts covering Greene's life as a local legend.

I'm not too sure just how much of Kill The Irishman is based in actual truth, but if even half of what we see on screen did happen, that is some pretty impressive stuff. The film focuses on the life of Danny Greene (a bulked, sturdy Ray Stevenson), who was an Irish American mobster working out of Cleveland back in the 70's, a guy who seems to have caused quite a stir of chaos amongst organized crime back then. Getting a leg up from the longshoreman's union, Danny quickly rose to power alongside several other key figures including numbers man John Nardi (Vincent D'Onofrio), enforcer Joe Manditski (Val Kilmer) and nasty kingpin Shondor Birns (Christopher Walken). It seems it all went south pretty quick though, because before he knew it he was at odds with Birns, and dodging multiple brash assassination attempts coming at him from all directions. What's remarkable about Danny's story is his sterling resilience: something like over a dozen attempts were made on his life and the darn mick just kept on going, even taunting the underworld between car bomb blasts and raucous shoot outs. Of course, such a life alienates him from his wife (Linda Cardellini) and puts him in perpetual crosshairs, but Stevenson plays it casually cavalier, a gentleman gangster who really cares not for the danger he's wading into, and treads lightly amongst the mess, making me wonder if the real Greene had such an attitude and the sheer luck to back it up. Walken is quiet and dangerous in a somewhat underplayed role, but he is entertaining doing anything, so it's all good. The cast is enormous, and includes the like of Vinnie Jones as a bruiser of an Irish street soldier, Robert Davi in an explosive third act cameo as a lethal specialist brought in to neutralize Danny, and your usual kennel of Italian American character actors like Mike Starr, Bob Gunton, Tony Lo Bianco, Steve Schirippa, Paul Sorvino and others. It's loud, fast paced and ever so slightly tongue in cheek. As a crime drama it works great, could have been slightly longer, but Stevenson keeps things moving briskly with his affable, hyperactive performance and it goes with out saying that the rest of them provide excellent supporting work.

I was impressed by "Kill the Irishman" the first time I saw it, and couldn't work out why it wasn't a bigger success. On this repeated viewing, it was like my blinders had been taken off and I could see the film for what it is: an under-written, over-cast mediocrity.

It just feels like a mob movie by numbers. What really grated, however, was the deification of the main character, an Irish mobster who actually was responsible for spreading corruption throughout his city. He went to war with the Mafia, and of course they are depicted as the bad guys, but how would you feel if you lived in the city where this was going on? Criminals fighting criminals. They're all the same, and their method of disposing of each other was most commonly explosions which would wipe out any innocent bystanders who happened to be in the vicinity of this squabble between sociopaths. The working man wouldn't much care who won: they'll get screwed over by the victors either way.

The movie also glosses over Greene's rise to power in some silly scenes where he beats up a hitman, and slaps around the guy who sent the hitman after him... and bam, he's boss of the union. Why did the hitman give up after being physically beaten? And are we expected to believe the union boss had no other connections to rely on?

The movie was criticised as being too much like "Goodfellas", but Scorsese would never put out something this cookie cutter.

In a flashforward to 1975, Danny Greene (Ray Stevenson) survives a car bomb attempt in Cleveland. In 1960, he and friends Billy McComber and Art Sneperger are longshoremen. He takes on corrupt union boss Jerry Merke who doesn't care about the working members. Sneperger is in gambling debt to Cleveland Mafia John Nardi (Vincent D'Onofrio) and Danny offers to help him steal from the docks. Danny takes over the union and marries Joan (Linda Cardellini). Police Detective Joe Manditski (Val Kilmer) takes him down and he's banned from unions. He gets work from loan shark Shondor Birns (Christopher Walken). After a dispute over money, he gets into a car bombing war with New York mobsters. He gains notoriety as the "Robin Hood of Collinwood" surviving multiple murder attempts.

This is very much a Goodfellas wannabe including a "Based on a True Story" moniker. There isn't anything wrong with aspiring to be one of the best films of all times. It's got plenty of solid actors in the many supporting roles. D'Onofrio is a standout although it may be trying to fit in too many characters. As for Ray Stevenson, he has a really powerful presence. He's a hulking man. The movie has minor flaws here and there that keeps it from being a truly great mobster movie. Some of the side characters need to step up. The wife and mistress are bland. The movie doesn't always flow well but it's a good watch.

I was surprised at how this was a really well told story.

It was made in 2011, but took place in the mid 70s. It is the story of Danny Greene an Irish mobster who would not sell out to the Italian mafia as they fought over turf in Cleveland.

And the Director, Jonathan Hensleigh did a great job on the direction and script. Too many who knew him, Danny had a 'good' side and a bad side and it was represented in the movie. Danny served Turkeys at holidays, saved an old lady from an explosion, yet easily planted a bomb to eliminate adversaries.

Jonathan told the story in 70's film language which has a lot of natural lighting, some hand held camera, realistic scenes, and sort of a cinema-verite feel to the movie. This made the film seem like a documentary but without the ponderous narrator and constant talking heads. Hensleigh told the story with action and character. The lighting, film stock, and camera work was reminiscent of The French Connection, a gritty 70's film.

Ray Stevenson was almost a look alike for the real Danny Greene and added to the realism of the story.

Even the fights were very realistic. There was no whack, thwack of a bamboo rod on leather as is typically overdone in movies. Those fights are a realism unmatched in cinema. a) they did not go on forever, with high kicks and constant up and down moments for the hero. b) sound of fist heating a chin was very real. Fights aren't an array of sound effects. c) most real fights end pretty quickly as in the movie, a few punches and the guy is down and you beat him up, he doesn't keep popping up like a whack a mole after being knocked out. Thank goodness the fights didn't go on forever with 'artsy' camera angles.

The feel of this movie was gritty, and matched the grittiness of the story and labor (garbage and longshoreman activities) and you didn't feel the supporting cast was acting but that you were watching a mafia spy cam on their activities. See the extra features and the movie is pretty much the real story. The supporting cast of name actors had them nicely blended into the background and not upstaging the main character. Nicely done.

I liked the incorporated newsreel footage, and forgot about all those explosions in the 70s in Cleveland. Funny how bombs are the "weapon"of choice for criminal types.

Thank goodness Scorsese did not direct this movie as it would have been over lit and much more hyped up and with those whack fist effects and other posed scenes.

And people died in these explosions, they didn't run ahead of them like Tom Cruise and Harrison Ford to "beat" the blast.

If want to learn about the historic story of mobster vs. mobster in the 70s and an icon of resistance...this is the movie.

Ray Stevenson is Danny Greene, an Irish mobster, active in the Cleveland underworld during the 1970s. Greene started as a union organizer and within a short time, won election to the presidency of the longshoreman's guild, which he ruled with an iron fist. He was eventually an FBI informant and was a Mafia enforcer at the same time.

Greene became entangled with the traditional Italian-American La Cosa Nostra with his own crew of criminals who ran gambling operations in competition with the already established gangsters. A series of bomb explosions made Cleveland one of the most violent American cities of the era.

The movie is brutal but also has great wit and Stevenson is as charming as can be as Danny Greene. The supporting cast includes Vincent D'Onofrio, Val Kilmer and Christopher Walken, and all are as good as expected. This may very well be the best unknown and unseen crime drama ever released.

Frankly, I liked it almost as much as Good Fellas". The fact it's based on a true story is amazing. It's a good idea to read Danny Greene's bio on Wikipedia. Those were very violent times in the city of Cleveland. Danny Greene is a seriously tough guy, one you wouldn't want to mess with.

The movie has an excellent cast. Ray Stevenson from HBO's Rome is really excellent here. Unexpectedly, Christopher Walken and Val Kilmer round out a familiar crew and give solid performances.

Detroit is where the movie was made. It's seriously as depressing as Cleveland ever was.

Too bad this didn't get a good theatrical run. I caught it on cable and it grabbed me within the first few minutes of watching.