{mosimage}Not the title of a vampire’s movie, but a thrilling drama with Joaquin Phoenix jumping on both sides of the law.
Having Robert Duvall in the cast of a police thriller dealing with mafia and corruption is always synonym of good acting quality. If added to him, we find the great performances of Joaquin Phoenix and Mark Wahlberg (so far the times of Marky Mark…) and the Latin beauty of Eva Mendes, the ingredients for cooking a dish of good drama and thrilling action are perfectly disposed on the table. That is exactly what director James Gray achieves: a tasteful piece of cinema with characters that look real and authentic, torn by circumstances beyond their control (much more than what The Departed was able to achieve last year).
If we can find a “but”, maybe we should complain that the rhythm declines during the second part of the movie, and Joaquin Phoenix looks more plausible like a fast-living nightlife animal than as a responsible and family cop. Pretty recommendable and enjoyable for all of you who love a movie about gangsters, narcotics and dutiful policemen well made.
Rating 4/5.