Gangster Squad
Warner Brothers
Rated R for profanity and graphic violence
Sean Penn Shines In Crime Saga About Legendary Mobster
Mickey Cohen (Sean Penn) was born and raised in Brooklyn where he started out as a prizefighter before moving to Chicago during Prohibition to become an enforcer for Al Capone. In the ‘40s, he was sent by Meyer Lansky to Los Angeles to establish extortion, gambling, prostitution and loan shark operations on behalf of the Jewish Mafia.
Mickey gradually began to make inroads, which didn’t sit well with L.A. Police Chief Bill Parker (Nick Nolte), who was determined to prevent any crime syndicate from gaining a foothold in his city. But that would prove easier said than done since the vicious mobster had already succeeded in bribing and/or intimidating many cops, judges and powerful politicians.
Given the frightening degree of corruption, Parker decided that the only way to bring down Mickey was to behave just as ruthlessly. So, he asked one of his most fearless officers, Sergeant John O’Mara (Josh Brolin), to form a top secret team whose mission would be to enforce the law by breaking it.
For, the so-called Gangster Squad’s mission was simply to enter each of Cohen’s establishments anonymously in order to break kneecaps and generally trash the place. Of course, if any of O’Mara’s goons were killed or captured, the Commissioner would have to disavow any knowledge of their actions.
Thus unfolds Gangster Squad, a stylized costume drama with far more charm than one would ordinarily expect to find in an old-fashioned shoot ‘em up. Directed by Ruben Fleisher (Zombieland), the film is based on the clever Paul Lieberman best-seller of the same name.
The production was blessed with an A-list cast, which includes Sean Penn, Ryan Gosling, Josh Brolin, Emma Stone, Nick Nolte, Anthony Mackie, Giovanni Ribisi, Michael Pena, Robert Patrick and Mireille Enos. Therefore, there are no throwaway roles here, with even lesser characters benefitting from development as a consequence of veteran thespians putting their all into their performances.
As a result, you come to care not only about whether or not Mickey will ever be brought to justice, but about surprisingly-engaging subplots involving a lawman (Gosling) going gaga over the gangsta’s moll (Stone), and about a pregnant wife’s (Enos) worry about whether her gung-ho hubby (Brolin) will live long enough to witness his baby’s birth. Nevertheless, the front story does feature all the staples of the genre, from flashy zoot suits to Tommy guns to street-smart dialogue mixing slang and savoir-faire in a manner reminiscent of Damon Runyon.
A high body-count showdown between rogue cops and the Kosher Nostra for the future of Los Angeles!
Excellent (4 stars)
Running time: 113 minutes
Quartet
The Weinstein Company
Rated PG-13 for suggestive humor and brief profanity
Love And Opera Are In The Air In Romantic Dramedy Directed By Dustin Hoffman
Sometimes a gem of a movie slips through the cracks that really has no business getting lost. Such is the case with Quartet, a delightful dramedy directed by Dustin Hoffman and starring Maggie Smith.
Since the film was released in late December by the esteemed Weinstein Company, one would naturally expect it to generate a lot of Academy Award buzz. But it was overlooked entirely, which means moviegoers might now be tempted to pass on the picture in favor of Oscar contenders. I just hope audiences don’t dismiss Quartet because it lacks the Academy’s stamp of approval.
The story is set at Beecham House, a sprawling estate in England that serves as a retirement home for accomplished classical musicians. At the point of departure, we are introduced to three of its residents: Wilfred (Billy Connolly), Cecily (Pauline Collins) and Reginald (Tom Courtenay), opera singers who once shared the limelight as members of a famed quartet.
Melancholy Reggie is rather reserved in contrast to the comic relief coming courtesy of slightly senile Cissy and ladies’ man Wilf, a frisky codger quick to flirt with anything in a skirt. Otherwise, Beecham House is busy preparing to put on an annual concert, staged each year on Verdi’s birthday.
The plot thickens when Jean Horton (Smith), a very demanding, former diva, moves in unannounced. For not only was she responsible for the breakup of the aforementioned quartet, but the adulteress was also to blame for the failure of her brief marriage to Reggie.
Jean is so narcissistic that she’s initially oblivious to the effect that her arrival is having on her ex, who ostensibly never fully recovered from their divorce. Instead, she spends her time complaining about having to adjust to the relatively modest circumstances.
Will the two reconcile, let alone be able to even share the same space? And can the quartet be reunited to perform as headliners at the recital, a fundraiser suddenly critical to Beecham’s remaining afloat? These are the pivotal concerns that will keep you entertained and engaged every step of the way to the glorious resolution.
A charming, romantic romp revolving around a couple of unexpected encores.
Excellent (4 stars)
Running time: 98 minutes
OPENING THIS WEEK
Kam’s Kapsules:
For movies opening January 18, 2013
Broken City (R for sexuality, violence and pervasive profanity). Revenge thriller about a streetwise ex-cop (Mark Wahlberg) hell-bent on evening the score after being framed by the mayor of New York (Russell Crowe). Supporting cast includes Catherine Zeta-Jones, Jeffrey Wright and Barry Pepper.
The Last Stand (R for profanity and pervasive graphic violence). Arnold Schwarzenegger stars in this present-day Western about a disgraced, LAPD narcotics detective who gets a shot at redemption when a drug kingpin (Eduardo Noriega) on the 10 Most Wanted List makes a break for Mexico through the sleepy border town where he’s now serving as sheriff. Featuring Forest Whitaker, Harry Dean Stanton and Johnny Knoxville.
Mama (PG-13 for violence, terror, disturbing images and mature themes). Haunted house horror flick about a young couple (Jessica Chastain and Nikolaj Coster-Waldau) that encounters nothing but supernatural trouble after taking custody of two orphaned nieces (Megan Carpenter and Isabelle Nelisse) found alive after fending for themselves in the forest for five years. With Jane Moffat, Daniel Kash and Hannah Cheesman.
Brief Reunion (Unrated). Stalker thriller about an Ivy League grad (Joel De La Fuente) whose perfect life comes apart at the seams when a jealous ex-classmate (Scott Shepherd) crashes his 40th birthday party and starts stalking his wife (Alexie Gilmore). With Francie Swift, Quentin Mare and Kristy Hasen.
Hors Satan (Unrated). Minimalist tale revolving around a mysterious drifter (David Dewaele) who manages to perform miracles on behalf of an equally-inscrutable damsel in distress (Alexandra Lematre). With Christophe Bon, Juliette Bacquet and Aurore Broutin. (In French with subtitles)
Luv (Unrated). Fact-based drama, set in Baltimore, about a day-in-the-life of an abandoned 11-year-old (Michael Rainey, Jr.) who becomes embroiled in an escalating series of events leading to a triple-homicide while hanging with his recently-paroled uncle (Common) haunted by a criminal past. Cast includes Meagan Good, Dennis Haysbert, Danny Glover, Lonette McKee and Charles S. Dutton.
