All around, a very solid gangster flick that combines elements of noir and art-house. Exceptionally well directed, one might even argue a bit on the nose. But I like movies in that style. The cinematography, the period detail of Great Depression Illinois, the costumes all spot on. Thomas Newman's soundtrack I actually listened to a lot when I was a kid, stopped for a while, and watching the movie I again I realize how beautiful it is and it may now be among my favorite scores.
The performances, it goes without saying, is where the movie really shines. The story might be a revenge tale and another mob movie about family, but the actors really elevate it to a new level. Tom Hanks and Paul Newman have so many scenes where all they have to do is simply look into the camera, and yet their expressions give the viewer all they need to know about their characters. My favorite would probably be Tom Hanks in the Church, so not to spoil too much. The kid does an excellent job as well, and one props I got to give to the writers is that he actually sounds like somebody of his age rather than a 22 year old in a 12 year old's body as most writers tend to do.
The pacing is all excellent and all the relationships are fleshed out into the film's poignant crescendo. This is one movie, along with Zodiac and Kingdom of Heaven: DC, that I think deserves more attention and implore you to check out.
Submitted February 26, 2019 at 11:35AM by Sovereign14 https://ift.tt/2GLHvxd