BOTTOM
LINE:
This film is a solid,
character-driven film with an intricate story concerning a police
chief father and his two sons, one a policeman, the other a nightclub
owner associating with the criminal underworld. There’s a
lot going on and it’s well acted, but the tone of the film
is very depressing which detracts from the enjoyment of watching
the great complicated story unfold.
THE
GOOD: “We
Own The Night” has a very rich, dramatic texture to its story-telling.
It’s the type of film that will pull you in with the intricate
details of its story, and with characters that undergo major shifts
in their life journeys. The primary case in point is Joaquin Phoenix’s
character Bobby who initially shuns his father’s (Robert Duvall)
calls for help in nailing the Russian mafia who frequent his night
club. This brings him in to conflict with his brother Joseph (Mark
Wahlberg) when he leads a raid on Bobby’s night club. After
the three men come to blows, Bobby comes to see the light when Joseph
is shot by the Russian mafia but manages to survive. Bobby decides
to help his father catch the bad guys, but the costs are high and
the three men find they are involved in something they may not come
out of alive. The cast is excellent, with Joaquin Phoenix providing
a well rounded, three dimensional portrayal of his character Bobby
who has a big journey in this film, going from naughty playboy to
responsible citizen. Robert Duvall is excellent, as is Mark Wahlberg
who is perhaps more understated here than in his other films. Eva
Mendes also does a great job as Bobby’s girlfriend Amada,
providing a level of depth and quality in her performance that elevates
her character beyond a simple love interest. “We Own The Night”
is a dramatically rich, unwinding tale of a film that will keep
your attention right until the very end.
