If you've seen one police flick, you've seen them all - they're well filmed and nicely framed with good acting. Although, just like all of these movies, "We Own the Night" fails to bring the twists, turns and emotional revelations that audiences crave. It meanders through a mediocre script, but has flashes of brilliance due in large part to a good cast and a few fun special effects.
This movie tries to do too much, but in overreaching its script, it really fails to deliver any sort of dramatic peaks. Instead, audiences can expect some amazingly realistic action scenes interspersed with tedious dialogue. In truth, this movie is only watchable because of Joaquin Phoenix's amazing performance.
Set in 1980s New York, "We Own the Night" chronicles one man's struggles with his family, his business and his love life. The story takes place during a particularly nasty drug-fueled crime wave with two brothers on opposite sides of the battle. Joaquin Phoenix plays Bobby Green, the high flying club manager with the hot girlfriend, Amada (played by Eva Mendes). He's forsaken his family's law-and-order roots for the wilder side of life and from the first moments of the movie, the story's main tension arrives. When his family is under attack from criminals, will he return to protect them or sacrifice them altogether for his new lifestyle?
The film tries to be more than just a cop thriller, but its story ultimately falls short. There just isn't enough dramatic tension for the audience to really believe that this could ever happen. Too much is assumed, and not enough is explained. Mark Wahlberg plays the up-and-coming brother cop, Joseph Grusinsky, and their father Burt Grusinsky (Robert Duvall) is the legendary Deputy Chief of Police. Even they are unable to save what is, in essence, a mediocre story. Wahlberg plays a more complicated role than in "The Departed," and Duvall is solid as the often cantankerous but supportive father.
Joaquin Phoenix makes this movie. Other actors are good, but in every instance it is Phoenix's intense performance that elevates the scene. When he fights with girlfriend played by Eva Mendes, who is surprisingly good, it's physically painful. There are no Bonds, Bournes or even "French Connection" (1971)-style Gene Hackmans in this movie. The acting is wonderfully believable, until they try to advance the plot.
A good story has an arc, a destination and hopefully something that you walk out of a theater talking about. "We Own the Night" feels like it took plot ideas from five other cop-verses-gangster movies and threw them all together. Add tough cops, Russian gangsters, New York City action scenes, a hot girlfriend and a rebel son not knowing which way to turn, and hope for the best.
It's really a shame that, in addition to directing, James Gray thought writing the screenplay was a good idea. As far as aesthetics, the film looks incredible, evoking earlier, utterly realistic New York movies like "Mean Streets" (1973), "The Godfather" (1972) and "Do the Right Thing" (1989). Gray does some interesting things with angles and some unusual but effective framing. The score is understated but effective, and the on-location sets are perfect.
The film definitely delivers for any action fan. Jolting, shocking action scenes seem to pop out of nowhere and the warehouse fight in the middle of the movie features some hardcore gunning and running. Plus, they throw in a "Scareface" (1983)-style surprise attack at the end - not that it makes any sense in terms of the story, but it's pretty badass nonetheless.
"We Own the Night" is a movie of family strife set within the dynamics of a cop-versus-gangster movie. It tries to be a piece of high drama, and it tries too hard. The film takes itself so seriously that it almost ruins some great performances and some impressive action scenes. Unless you're a cop movie fanatic or an action junkie, this is one movie to happily skip.
