A One Mann’s Movies review of “The Many Saints of Newark” (2021).
Bob the Movie Man Rating:
With Bond showing on virtually every screen of my local Cineworld, there were few other choices for movies to go see this week. So even though I’ve never seen “The Sopranos” TV series, I decided to give this movie prequel a shot.
Someone to look up to. The teenage Tony Soprano (Michael Gandolfino) and Uncle Dickie (Alessandro Novola). (Source: HBO Films).
Plot Summary:
Anthony Soprano is a kid growing up surrounded by crime in Newark. His father Johnny (Jon Bernthal) is in and out of prison, much to the distress of his mother Livia (Vera Farmiga). But neither of them gives young Anthony much love and affection. As such he is drawn to his uncle Dickie Moltisanti (Alessandro Nivola), who heads one of the mobs ‘running the numbers game’ in Newark.
Dickie’s life gets made increasingly more complicated by his father bringing home a hot new Italian wife, Giuseppina (Michela De Rossi), and by one of his ex-colleagues Harold McBrayer (Leslie Odom Jnr) setting up a rival hustle on his patch.
Celebrating Johnny’s release from prison. (Source: HBO Films).
Certification:
Talent:
Starring: Alessandro Nivola, Leslie Odom Jnr, Vera Farmiga, Jon Bernthal, Corey Stoll, Ray Liotta, Michela De Rossi, Michael Gandolfini
Directed by: Alan Taylor.
Written by: David Chase.
Muscling in on the Newark action. With Harold (Leslie Odom Jnr, left) as the head. (Source: HBO Films).
“The Many Saints of Newark” Review:
Positives:
- Like any good mafia story, there’s a nicely developed sense of place for the action. The film is set in the late 60’s / early 70’s, and the score and the production design nicely portray the period. The rise of black factions to challenge the white status quo, even in the crime world, make this a nice companion piece to “Judas and the Black Messiah” .
- Although he’s been in films like “American Hustle” and “Selma“, I wouldn’t have been able to pick Alessandro Nivola out of a line-up. But he did a great job portraying the different sides of Dickie: both caring uncle and psychopathic gangster. And Odom Jnr is again impressive: I’ve not yet seen him deliver any role that’s been sub-par.
- It’s also impressive that they had Michael Gandolfini to play the younger self of his late father’s role. Although I kept being distracted by how much he looks and acts like a young John Cusack!
Mother worries for Livia (Vera Farmiga). (Source: HBO Films).
Negatives:
- The story is told over many years and the script came across as quite uneven. There are regular cut-aways to Dickie visiting his uncle “Hollywood Dick” (Ray Liotta) in prison, which a lot of the time, to me, felt disconnected from the main plot.
- Whilst most of the ensemble cast do a good job, some of the portrayals felt like forced caricatures of “Goodfellas” characters.
- As a “Sopranos” virgin, I could tell that there were lots of Easter Eggs and in-jokes in the movie (e.g. the baby Christopher crying whenever Anthony talked to him). WIth “Sopranos” regulars Alan Taylor and David Chase in charge, that’s not surprising. But I’m afraid all of these went right over my head.
Who better to represent the late James Gandolfini in the prequel? His son, Michael. (Source: newsbreak.com).
Summary Thoughts on “The Many Saints of Newark”
This wasn’t a complete bust for me, which it might have been if it had been a sequel rather than a prequel. Indeed there are the occasional flashes of brilliance with certain scenes. But neither did I find it so engrossing that it’s going to trouble my top 20 for the year.
I guess is that if you are a “Sopranos” fan, then you would get a lot more out of this than I did. But it’s still an interesting way to spend a couple of hours.
Trailer for “The Many Saints of Newark”:
The trailer is here – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dHa95iy2lF0 .
