Rated
R (Strong Violence and Language)
Running
Time: 1 Hour & 53 Minutes
Cast-
Josh
Brolin-Sergeant John O'Mara
Ryan
Gosling-Sergeant Jerry Wooters
Robert
Patrick-Detective Max Kennard
Anthony
Mackie-Detective Coleman Harris
Michael
Peña-Detective Navidad Ramirez
Giovanni
Ribisi-Detective Conway Keeler
Emma
Stone-Grace Faraday
Sean
Penn-Mickey Cohen
Nick
Nolte-LAPD Chief William 'Bill' Parker
James
Carpinello-Johnny Stompanato
Jon
Polito-Jack Dragna
Wade
Williams-Rourke
Directed
by Ruben Fleischer
 |
| All the gangsters say cheese! |
Note: Screened on Wednesday, January 9, 2013, at AMC Loews Lincoln Square 13.
Originally
set to be released last September, Ruben Fleischer's "Gangster Squad"
was delayed by Warner Brothers for an additional three months in the wake of
the mass shooting in Aurora, Colorado in order to reshoot a key scene that
'might' have been too controversial for sensitive viewers. Now why did I put
'might' in quotes? What happened last summer was terrible but the reactions
that followed were nothing short of ridiculous as once again Hollywood came
under intense scrutiny for 'encouraging' violent behavior through their films even
though it's been proven time and again that there's no link between the two. As
America mourned the victims of the shooting, Warner Brothers went into full
damage control mode, cancelling the remaining premieres for "The Dark
Knight Rises" and pulling the trailers for "Gangster Squad" as
one of the film's action set-pieces took place in a theater where a group of
mobsters burst in and began firing on the audience. The studio ultimately
decided to cut and reshoot the 'offending' scene, a move that I (and many
others) was vehemently opposed to because it was a form of self-censorship in
which Warner Brothers threw in the towel to avoid upsetting 'some' viewers.
Here's a solution for those people: don't watch the film. "Gangster
Squad" finally arrives into theaters in the dead month of January, by far the worst time to open a new movie but
Fleischer's film appears to buck that trend given the impressive cast he's
gathered. While "Gangster Squad" features some impeccable production
design, the film is unfortunately all style and no substance, marred by the lack
of a compelling script and one-dimensional characters.
The year: 1949. The
city: Los Angeles. Gangster Mickey Cohen (Sean Penn) has become one of the most
powerful figures in the criminal underworld. Despite being involved in the drug
and sex trades, witnesses are too afraid to testify against him as over half the
police force and the politicians are in his pocket. Yet Cohen isn't satisfied.
He wants more and vows that nothing will stand in his way of 'progress.' With
the City of Angels turned into a warzone and innocent civilians being caught in
the crossfire, LAPD Chief William 'Bill' Parker (Nick Nolte) enlists the aid of
honest cop Sergeant John O'Mara (Josh Brolin) for a secret assignment: recruit
a squad of police officers and do whatever it takes to bring Cohen down. With
the help of his wife Connie (Mireille Enos), O'Mara recruits fellow war veteran
and womanizer Jerry Wooters (Ryan Gosling), street-smart cop Coleman Harris
(Anthony Mackie), sharpshooter Max Kennard (Robert Patrick) and his partner
Navidad Ramirez (Michael Peña), and skilled wire-tapper Conway Keeler (Giovanni
Ribisi) as his team, known as the 'Gangster Squad.' They begin by hitting
Cohen's illegal operations, one-by-one, but the mission is complicated when
Wooters falls in love with Cohen's top gal, Grace Faraday (Emma Stone).
Loosely
based on Paul Lieberman's 2012 true crime novel of the same name, "Gangster
Squad" purports to be a 'true story' but this label is nothing more than a
misnomer. Yes, there was a gangster named Mickey Cohen (although he bore no
resemblance to Sean Penn) but he was not brought to justice in a fist fight.
Instead, it was tax evasion that finally landed him in prison. Director Ruben
Fleischer made his feature film debut with 2009's critically-acclaimed
"Zombieland" but since then, he's been unable to make lightning strike
twice as his follow-up, 2011's "30 Minutes or Less," received mixed
reviews. This downward trend continues with "Gangster Squad," a film
that exudes the pulpy, film noir style of the late-1940's thanks to Maher
Ahmad's sumptuous production design yet behind its glossy veneer is a generic
shoot-'em-up filled with one-dimensional characters. Josh Brolin and Ryan
Gosling receive perfunctory subplots but they're either too clichéd or too
underdeveloped to make an impression. Everyone else is largely identified by
one-note personalities and their skill-set. The story is simply an excuse to
string together a few loud action scenes and what's disappointing is that the
moral grey area inhabited by O'Mara's team goes unaddressed except for one
throwaway scene. Ribisi's Conway Keeler wonders out loud if they're any
different from the mobsters they go after due to their increasingly violent
methods but O'Mara shoots him down, saying that 'it's the only way.' It doesn't
help that O'Mara frequently charges in with guns blazing without thinking of
the collateral damage or performing any actual detective work (besides
wire-tapping). The action set-pieces offer up some mild thrills with its
excessive violence and Tommy Guns but Fleischer relies on some indulgent
visuals a little too much. Bullets flying in slow motion end up being more
distracting rather than adding to the scene. That's ultimately "Gangster
Squad" in a nutshell, a bloody cops-and-robbers film that has its moments
but fails to give audiences anything of real substance.
The cast is certainly
high-profile given its January release yet it's clear that everyone involved
knew that this film was going to be a lark and adjust their performances
accordingly. Josh Brolin gets to pummel a few guys but is otherwise stuck with
a permanent grimace on his face. Ryan Gosling turns on the charm and is the
closest thing to being a three-dimensional character, as Wooters initially
turns down O'Mara's offer, having resigned himself to the fact that Los Angeles
will forever remain a cesspool of crime. He only accepts when a friend of his
is caught in the crossfire during a gangland shooting. Emma Stone is little
more than the damsel-in-distress but exudes such a Golden Age, femme fatale sex
appeal. Finally, there's Sean Penn, who goes way over-the-top with his
scenery-chewing performance as Mickey Cohen, complete with a prosthetic nose
and sprouting lines like 'My whole crop of cunts got ruined.' Penn is fun to
watch and even gets a "Scarface" moment but like everything else
about this film, it's hard to take seriously. Rounding out the cast is Nick
Nolte, who's barely decipherable with his overly gruff voice, Robert Patrick as
a gun-slinging detective, Giovanni Ribisi as the team's tech expert, with
Anthony Mackie and Michael Peña providing backup, although the two have barely
any dialogue.
Released on January 11, 2013, "Gangster Squad" has
received negative reviews with 32% on Rotten Tomatoes. Critics noted that it
was 'stylish and features a talented cast [but the film] suffers from
lackluster writing, underdeveloped characters, and an excessive amount of
violence.' Warner Brothers has put together a solid marketing campaign so it's
guaranteed to have a decent opening weekend in the $20 to $25 million range.
Audience reaction at the screening on Wednesday was positive, although it feels
like people would applaud anything nowadays. If you're looking for cheap
thrills, "Gangster Squad" will satisfy but anyone expecting another
"L.A. Confidential" or "The Untouchables" will come away
disappointed with Fleischer's latest film.
Final
Rating: 2.5 out of 5
"I'm not an educated man, but I've read some history. Every kingdom comes of blood, every castle's built on a pile of bones. When I came out here, L.A. was nothin'. Back east I was a gangster...out here, I'm God."
Posts
