We Own the Night
WE OWN THE NIGHT: STRONG POLICE MOVIE
With an outstanding cast and a good story, We Own the Night comes out swinging and will knock you out. It is set in the 80s in Brooklyn and is not your typical cop movie. Eva Mendes is smoldering and Joaquin Phoenix stands out as the selfish brother.
Bobby Green (Joaquin Phoenix) is a night club manager. He is estranged from his cop brother Joe (Mark Wahlberg) and dad Bert (Robert Duvall). Joe and Bert ask Bobby about some questionable characters that are regulars at his club. Specifically Vadim Nezhinski (Alex Veadov), who they believe is running drugs through the club. Bobby rebuffs, telling them he won’t inform but that club owner Marat Buzhayev (Moni Moshonov) and himself are clean. When the police raid the club, Bobby his arrested among others. This widens the estrangement between the brothers. But when Joe is shot and it is not sure whether he will live or die, Bobby steps up to help clean up the Brooklyn streets.
This is not your regular cop story where the cops are crooked or alcoholics. You have two brothers on opposing sides. Night club manager Bobby is just enjoying life, trying to keep his relationship with his dad and brother under wraps. His character is complex, not entirely a bad guy. He is just self-centered with screwed up priorities. The story showcases a strong family bond and what is sacrificed to keep the streets clean. The cast is top notch. There are two Academy Award nominees (Phoenix and Wahlberg) and one winner (Robert Duvall). Eva Mendes is the beautiful Amada, Bobby’s girl. The opening shot of her will leave a lasting impression. But “Baby” should only be said so many times in a movie by any female character. There are classic 80s costumes, being understated with just a little bit of flare. They are mostly vintage, with Eva’s Amada standing out with her club wear. Bobby’s club is fantastic. DVD Extras reveal that more than three different locations were used for the club. And the last scene by the water will leave your heart pounding. Tall blades of grass sway to the wind as Bobby looks for the drug dealer with a shotgun.
Intelligent dialogue for Amada would have helped her character to be more than just eye candy. It would have been easier to take her seriously if every word out of her mouth wasn’t the aforementioned “Baby”.
The men of We Own the Night bring it to life. It is an intelligent and unexpected story about a cop family in 80s Brooklyn, making it a solid film.
Report Card:
Story-B
Acting-A
Visuals-B
Originality/Innovation-B+
Enjoyability Grade–B
Overall Grade-B+
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