Reviews (6)

Mob Hit!
If you loved GOODFELLAS and THE SOPRANOS, this should be on your Christmas list. Vincent Pastore (Big Pussy), Michael Imperioli (Christopher Moltasanti) and Kathrine Narducci (Charmine Bucco) all appear in this film along with Nicholas Turturro, the first cousin of Aida Turturro (Janice Soprano). As with most mob films the story tends to be cliche but well acted. The only disappointment, aside from the incrediably long wait for this movie's release, is that the film isn't available on DVD. Let's hope the DVD version isn't far behind and that Kathrine Narducci won't be lost in the transfer.

Good alright, almost as good as Gotti
This is a good picture alright, Although I would have preferedto have done the casting my self, However I disagree with Michael Cellio regarding Abe Vigoda from the godfather who's playing Big Paul Castellano, I think he's the perfect guy for the role. But Tom Sizemore and Nicholas Turturro could have a number of replacers though. But I am a big fan of mob movies and cant judge this picture to hard, my final words are: "It was good but not as good as Gotti with Armand Assante". And Michael take a look at the real Paul Castellano and maybe you'll see that Abe Vigoda is pretty similar...

Excellent film--Not to be missed by fans of "mob" films
This film is an excellent adaptation of the story told in "Sammy the Bull" Gravano's book, *Underboss*, the reading of which would actually enhance this film for any viewer. Nicholas Turturro does with his acting the same magic Gravano performs with the written word--taking you directly into the mind and the world of a real gangster with few excuses offered.

Gravano was raised to revere and respect "the mob" the same way other kids in the U.S. learn to idolize sports heros and financial wizards today. To get into the mob was to "make it", and Sammy Gravano did just that as few others have, ultimately rising to be second-in-command of one of the country's most powerful mobs.

This is the story of the decline in power of the Gambino crime "family" following the death of its formidable founder, the low-key but lethal Carlo Gambino. His replacement, "Big Paul" Castillano proved not as devoted to "the family" or to his own family his forerunner, both colossal faux pas for a crime boss. His being replaced with the flashy, all-too-public "Teflon Don" John Gotti dealt the Gambino organization a blow from which it has yet to recover (it may be supposed; who knows what underground operations may yet be going on?).

Gravano's hands somehow appear much bloodier in the movie than in the book--perhaps because the book allows more time for the protagonist to tell his side of the story and come up, if not smelling like a rose, at least not smelling quite as much like stinkweed. In Witness for the Mob, his true status is more clearly spelled out as that of a serial killer who was granted immunity in exchange for the testimony that put John Gotti, among others, away for life. Gravano entered the witness protection program and, the film tells us, is now "doing business somewhere in the United States."

This film makes it appear that at least as late as the 1980's, before the fall of Gotti, members of "the mob" enjoyed the same sort of glory and hero-worship as the bankrobbers of the American Old West and Depression-era. Every little boy dreamed of growing up to be a gangster, and every woman of marriageable age wanted to marry into the lavish lifestyle such a life afforded. In fact, one of the most interesting aspects of this story is the way the mob wives lived in luxury while turning a very practiced blind eye to the means by which the money rolled in.

"Sammy the Bull" employs a candor in his book that spills over into this movie. At no time does he claim to be a hero of any sort and freely admits that saving his own skin was his primary motivation in becoming a federal witness against his former partners. That candor becomes a reason to believe, if not admire, him.

Nicholas Turturro is outstanding in this roll, portraying Sammy the Bull in the way that Gravano himself would probably have preferred, judging from his book. Tom Sizemore is totally believable as the "Dapper/Teflon Don" whose love of being in the public eye began to tighten the snare set for him. And it is great to see Abe Vigoda again, this time as "Big Paul" at the end of his reign, too smug and self-satisfied to think that the new "up and coming" members of his own gang might break long-standing Cosa Nostra taboos to get rid of a leader they came to regard as ineffective at best. And it is amusing to see Gotti, as portrayed by Sizemore, make the same mistake of thinking that once you are "the boss", no one can take you down, even though he was very actively involved in the assassination of his predecessor.

There are no heros in this film, which adds to the veracity of its story. What the viewer gets is a far above average look into the world of the mob, a world that is confusing, horrific, and occasionalliy amusing in a dark, sardonic sort of way. For three hours, you see it all through the eyes of "underboss" Salvatore Gravano. And that is about as close an observation as you can get and still live to tell about it.

Mob Madness
This movie is about the rise of mobster Sam Gravano, whose testimony put John Gotti and others in jail. Some may find this movie too long. I thought the nearly three-hour length allowed the story to develop more fully. The story drew me in. The film raises the question of what is ethical. According to this movie, it depends upon one's point of reference. The mob has its own code of ethics. Gravano is depicted as striving to live according to that code. It is a code that jusifies murder. This film has plenty of executions but I did not think the violence was overdone. This movie draws the viewer into the mad world of the mob. We are enticed to see Gravano, who murdered 19 people, as an honorable hero. This view is questioned at the end, however, when we begin to emerge from the darkness of the crime world and see the cost of crime to all of us.

government rat
What do you rate a good mob movie on. Maybe how it compares to Godfather or Goodfellas. No, you rank them based on the material in the movie and in this case I would have to say that they used alot of useless parts of this story and put it in the movie. They(mafia rats) all tell stories to make them selves look like the victim. But the truth about Sam gravano is that he was a stone cold killer and the movie gives you the idea that he was just doing what he was told. Not true, instead of puttng the courting of his wife, who left him because he was a rat and killed her brother, the movie should have focused on why he became a killer. ... Read more

Reviews (2)

Its always personal
I have been studying late modern Irish history for a few years now and this is one of the best works depicting Northern Irish life that I have seen. Not only were the 1970s a confussing time in Northern Ireland, but more than likely Catholics and Protestants alike found themselves on opposite ends of the battlefield from some of thier closest childhood friends. I think that the movie vividly gives the viewer an understanding at just how complicated the situation in Northern Ireland really was during the early years of the Troubles. The film shows that things like violence and peace were not always as black and white as they seemed. Although the movie may leave the lay-person a little in the dark at times when dealing with some of the deaper issues involved, it does get the point across that the violence in Northern Ireland was very confusing and not everything was as it was thought to be. Even for the people educated in Northern Irish history it may take a few viewings to catch all the little subtalties that make this film a real find.

Nothing personal
Nothing personal is set in Northern Ireland during the 1970's, when the Troubles were at their height. The story centers on one memorable night when two former friends, one a UVF member and the other a humble catholic fatehr raising two children. The meaning of the title is most likely a comment on the war that has been going on for years, that the war is no longer about personal hated toward a specific person for anaction they had done, but for just what they represent. The movie isn't that centered but the ending does give off the message very clearly: Violence is wrong. Duh! We know that but the message comes heartbreakingly and most unfairly, but then again all violence is unfair. ... Read more

Reviews (7)

If you liked this one...
If you enjoyed Heart of Me as I did, I would also suggest the movie "Emily Bronte's Wuthering Heights" (with Ralph Fiennes and Juliette Binoche) and "Till Human Voices Wake Us" (also with Helena Bonham Carter and Guy Pearce). Wuthering Heights is chilling and the acting is superb. Till Human Voices is a powerful story with brilliant cinematography. Hope you enjoy.

disappointing audio commentary
The movie was great, but the commentary is pretty awful, as the director seems largely inarticulate and has little to say. while the movie continues in full sound without any commentary (we have already watched the movie), but, then, it seems that good commentary is rare.

Brilliantly acted drama
"The Heart of Me" is pure, unadulterated soap opera redeemed by the kind of high-toned, stiff-upper-lip seriousness of which the British seem uniquely capable. Set primarily in the 1930's, the film tells the story of two sisters caught in a passionate and quasi-incestuous love triangle. Madeline (Olivia Williams), the older of the two, is an uptight woman whose weak-willed husband, Rickie (Paul Bettany), falls in love with her younger and more free-spirited sibling, Dinah (Helena Bonham Carter). These two in-laws, soul mates for life, carry on a torrid love affair until Madeline discovers the truth - and even for a time thereafter.

Given the material, "The Heart of Me" could easily have devolved into a cheap, sensationalistic melodrama for the "Masterpiece Theatre" set. Instead, thanks to truly brilliant performances by the three principal actors and an intelligent, thoughtful screenplay, the film becomes a wholly absorbing drama that offers profound insights into the realities of the human heart. The pain each of these people experiences is so palpable in its intensity that it washes away all traces of artificiality and contrivance. The film becomes a fascinating study of what happens when clanging passions are hemmed in by the restrictions and proprieties of a strict, morally repressive upper class society. Rickie and Dinah choose to turn themselves into social pariahs, then must face the consequences of their convention-defying actions. Of most interest is the emotionally complex relationship between the two very different sisters. What makes the film special is the way in which it allows the seemingly cold-hearted Madeline to become as much a sympathetic figure as the two impassioned lovers. Thanks to Williams' impeccable performance (she played Penelope in the TV movie version of "The Odyssey"), Madeline is allowed to live and breathe and have her own say, making her, in many ways, the most intriguing of the three main characters.

"The Heart of Me," which is beautifully detailed in costumes and settings, transcends the limits of its genre to deliver a heartbreaking tale of love, loss, lament - and hope.

about the movie the heart of me.......
The storoy is basically about one of the actress Dinah whom got pregnant after sex with the actress's husband(Maldeleine) whom later try to tie down Maldeleine's husband by messing with their marriage. I am notgoing to say anything more to the story to make the movie boring to watch. There are two sex scenes inside and also for those whom are interested to watch this genre of movie. I watch this at Singapore theatre.

Amazing Movie
This movie strikes a deep emotional chord... two sisters, both very different, one an artist who follows her heart, which at times seems a bit impetuous, the other a reserved and proper wife and mother seeking seemingly unselfishly to maintain her status quo. The movie takes you deftly into their positions in life, and though you may have a favorite of the two by the end, it is surely not for lack of understanding the entirety of each character. Love and betrayal, candor and lies. Each loving the same man, for different reasons and purposes. It is an amazing journey that will take you through the spectrum of each emotion - longing, hope, despair, love, angst, pride, freedom, ultimate loss and again, hope. I highly recommend this movie.

If you enjoy the dynamics of this movie, you may also enjoy Possession, in which Jennifer Ehle and Jeremy Northam shine. ... Read more

Reviews (11)

Disappointing, normally Kevin Spacey guarantees a good movie
I viewed this movie just waiting for the usual Kevin Spacey twist. It was there; kind of. However, there was not enough of it and in too convoluted of a movie.

The story line is of a two-bit criminal David Lynch (Kevin Spacey) who plays just outside the line of the law. Due to antiquated rules and laws in Ireland, not only can he avoid prison, but he can also receive his unemployment check while being a happy well paid citizen who just happens to be a crook, hence the title; "Ordinary decent criminal".

David Lynch at one time, a happy beatnik living in subsidized housing gained notoriety for standing up to an eviction notice on this housing prior to its demolition and in order to leave was granted a free home for his cooperation. Learning from this success he continued thumbing his nose at local law enforcement and just steals enough to support his and his cronies lifestyle. However, as an aging crook and being recently enamored with this "fame" on TV, he decides to overreach his limit and gains not only attention by the local authorities, but by members of the IRA that want a cut of his proceeds. Now things get complicated.

There are several other well-known stars supporting such as Linda Fiorentino and Colin Farrell. They are never really used to their best advantage. Kevin Spacey's blissful nose thumbing attitude also comes across as a modern day twisted Leprechaun as well. It never really sets the right mood.

This movie could have been so much more. I felt it was slow, poorly crafted and a waste of some spectacular actors.

It's fun to cheer for the bad guy!
While it's not the best 'cheer for the criminal' movie I've ever seen it is still fun. My only complaint is that Colin Ferrell's part is so small. It's entertaining, although it is a bit dark at times. I would recomend it for anyone who is a fan of Boondock Saints or Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels, as it's very much in the same vein as these films. Kevin Spacey and Linda Florintino are great as usual. it's tons of fun to watch Spacey's character run the poice around in circles. So if you're in the mood for a smart criminal drama I think Ordinary Decent Criminal is a great pic at least for a rental.

Enjoyable as Snatch? Yeah, right....
This is one of the most boring movies that I ever saw. The DVD box says: "If you enjoy Snatch you'll enjoy this" (or something like that)... with this great cast you must think that's true, but the movie is horrible, I tought Kevin Spacey was a smart guy when he pick un scripts, but I guess I was wrong. The movie is soo slow that you may get sleep... Don't buy it, don't rent it, don't see it on television...

Spacey moons the camera, then the movie gets mooned
starts off as Spacey's moons the cameras and people and then goes on with a boring pace and the worst part is that Colin Farrell has little screen time in this one and gets killed as hes shooting from behind a painting, what the hell. Fiorento has a good British accent but the story is to dumb and Spacey's friends and the cops are obnoxious, but Farrell was mute maybe for most his part. for Spacey or Farrell fans

TOTALLY MISSED THE POINT
Before I get started here, let me just point out to some of the other reviewers that this is a work of fiction "based on (not recreating) a true story" and that Kevin Spacey played Michael (not David) Lynch. That said, I was happy to find this little gem last night and surprised that I'd never heard of it. With a cast that includes Spacey, Linda Fiorentino, Peter Mullan, and Colin Farrell to go along with the beautiful Irish scenery, this movie tells it's quirky little tale in just 94 minutes. Short, sweet, and to the point. It's a shame that more movies (and reviewers) can't do the same but instead totally miss the point. ... Read more

Amazon.com

In the early 1900s, Sarah (Saskia Reeves) and her mother go to work on a farm in rural Ireland as servants. The father of the family dies in an accident, but Sarah stays on with the two brothers. Her relationship with them becomes more complex and involved, to the chagrin of her mother and everyone else in the community. Eventually Sarah renounces the church and bears a child by one of the two men, but refuses to name the father. The three become pariahs in the town, as one brother is savagely beaten at an Orange Society gathering. DecemberBride goes a long way in dealing with what one character calls "the threecurses of Ireland: England, religion, and drink." Its slow pace, florid dialogue, and dreary narrative are offset by the thought-provoking nature of the story. Director Thaddeus O'Sullivan uses the Emerald Isle's gorgeous settings to full advantage in his shot compositions, with the landscape almost seeming like a separate character at times. Those who can live with the film's admittedly poky tempowill be rewarded with an absorbing tale of a hard life in 1909 Ireland.--Jerry Renshaw ... Read more

Reviews (3)

Costume drama coloured by the Northern Ireland Troubles.
'December Bride', the story of a servant girl who takes her two masters as lovers in a bleakly Presbyterian rural Ulster community, has been called one of the rare art films in the Irish cinema. It certainly has a compositional care and beauty almost entirely absent from this country. I don't just mean the filming of nature - anyone can stick a camera in front of striking landscape and call it beautiful; director O'Sullivan's achievement is his interplay between this landscape, with its different seasonal characters and its changes under light, its individual components (trees, lake, sky, plains, hills) and the human players it (often literally) frames, expressing the emotional solitude of one, the patient labour of another, or the rigid groupings of the community, lined outside church or formed in sinister marching bands.

'Bride' might also be called an art-film in the way it treats narrative. The film is based on a 1951 novel by Sam Hanna Bell which is written in a residual 19th century style, with character psychology, motivation and social status clearly related to the action. O'Sullivan removes all explanatory frameworks, refusing to add audience-friendly voiceover or any contextual informaton that would explain the historical setting or the economic, social, political and sectarian realities. Dramatic set-pieces in the novel are compressed into elliptical tableaux which the viewer has to connect and elaborate. This has the effect of making the material more modernist, giving the story its proper poetic and symbolic weight, making the action more abrupt and private; but it also prevents us from understanding or truly sympathising with the characters.

This compression and excision is also, of course, in the service of a particular viewpoint. Unlike the novel, the film is made with two decades' knowledge of the Northern Irish Troubles, and it was impossible for O'Sullivan to avoid treating a story about the land, religion, sectarianism, community and the Orange Order without political hindsight, adding layers Bell couldn't have foreseen. This sometimes coarsens the work, in particular the crucial climax, in which the pagan, but Chekhov-coloured games (men competing in events to win ladies' scarves etc.) takes place on the same site as a bleating Orange rally. Paradoxically, the lack of detail (O'Sullivan wanted to universalise the story) serves to dehistoricise and depoliticise the source. The limited budget also causes the film to falter on occasion, the drowning accident and the trip to Belfast diminished by their lack of scope.

O'Sullivan has said that the directors such as Dreyer and Bergman influenced the film's muted visuals - one can see this most clearly in the representation of Puritan Ulster life, the black clothes, pinched expressions and bare interiors evoking a chilly, oppressive, loveless religious existence. This is contrasted with the bright greens of the fields and the shining mirror-blue of the lake. O'Sullivan's direction, however, avoids the true rigour of an art-film - the editing and music lead the viewer too much, not always trusting them. The film nevertheless is more pessimistic than the novel, made in the unavoidable knowledge of what came after.

Beautiful, carefully made
This beautifully shot and paced film tells of Sarah (Saskia Reeves)who goes to work at a young age for the landowning Ecklund family in the pre-six counties Ulster of almost a century ago. After Ecklund senior sacrifices his life to save hers and his two sons during a storm, she develops an independence shocking to an intolerant age and place: forsaking Presbyterian church services, helping the sons manage their property while sleeping with both and refusing to marry either at the request of the local minister (Patrick Malahide)after she gives birth to a daughter. Twenty years later her daughter begs her to marry so that she herself can become a "legitimate" bride. Sarah realizes her unbending independence has made her as rigid as the society she rejected, and she finally weds one of the sons(Donal McCann).The film ends with her overlooking the bleak, omniscient Strangford Lough around which the film is set, telling her grateful daughter: "Our children must live. Things move on."

A unique and exquisite portrayal of emotions
This film goes to places in the heart i've never seen in the cinema before. Sarah, a fiercely independent woman in rural Ireland, loves two brothers. Rather than bowing to religious pressure to marry one or the other, she chooses them both and rejects the church. Together, they form a family bond stronger than their conservative community can break.

The pacing and cinematography remind me of Ingmar Bergman at his best - in other words, incredibly slow and dreary to Americans who can't imagine a movie without car crashes, cheesy jokes, and graphic sex. The rainy, rolling Irish landscape and long silences provide the room for deep and subtle emotions to develop. It's more like a really good play than a movie. So if beauty, depth, and sensitivity are your thing, you'll love it. If you want action or a pat chick-flick romance, go watch some Hollywood blockbuster. ... Read more

Reviews (11)

Disappointing, normally Kevin Spacey guarantees a good movie
I viewed this movie just waiting for the usual Kevin Spacey twist. It was there; kind of. However, there was not enough of it and in too convoluted of a movie.

The story line is of a two-bit criminal David Lynch (Kevin Spacey) who plays just outside the line of the law. Due to antiquated rules and laws in Ireland, not only can he avoid prison, but he can also receive his unemployment check while being a happy well paid citizen who just happens to be a crook, hence the title; "Ordinary decent criminal".

David Lynch at one time, a happy beatnik living in subsidized housing gained notoriety for standing up to an eviction notice on this housing prior to its demolition and in order to leave was granted a free home for his cooperation. Learning from this success he continued thumbing his nose at local law enforcement and just steals enough to support his and his cronies lifestyle. However, as an aging crook and being recently enamored with this "fame" on TV, he decides to overreach his limit and gains not only attention by the local authorities, but by members of the IRA that want a cut of his proceeds. Now things get complicated.

There are several other well-known stars supporting such as Linda Fiorentino and Colin Farrell. They are never really used to their best advantage. Kevin Spacey's blissful nose thumbing attitude also comes across as a modern day twisted Leprechaun as well. It never really sets the right mood.

This movie could have been so much more. I felt it was slow, poorly crafted and a waste of some spectacular actors.

It's fun to cheer for the bad guy!
While it's not the best 'cheer for the criminal' movie I've ever seen it is still fun. My only complaint is that Colin Ferrell's part is so small. It's entertaining, although it is a bit dark at times. I would recomend it for anyone who is a fan of Boondock Saints or Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels, as it's very much in the same vein as these films. Kevin Spacey and Linda Florintino are great as usual. it's tons of fun to watch Spacey's character run the poice around in circles. So if you're in the mood for a smart criminal drama I think Ordinary Decent Criminal is a great pic at least for a rental.

Enjoyable as Snatch? Yeah, right....
This is one of the most boring movies that I ever saw. The DVD box says: "If you enjoy Snatch you'll enjoy this" (or something like that)... with this great cast you must think that's true, but the movie is horrible, I tought Kevin Spacey was a smart guy when he pick un scripts, but I guess I was wrong. The movie is soo slow that you may get sleep... Don't buy it, don't rent it, don't see it on television...

Spacey moons the camera, then the movie gets mooned
starts off as Spacey's moons the cameras and people and then goes on with a boring pace and the worst part is that Colin Farrell has little screen time in this one and gets killed as hes shooting from behind a painting, what the hell. Fiorento has a good British accent but the story is to dumb and Spacey's friends and the cops are obnoxious, but Farrell was mute maybe for most his part. for Spacey or Farrell fans

TOTALLY MISSED THE POINT
Before I get started here, let me just point out to some of the other reviewers that this is a work of fiction "based on (not recreating) a true story" and that Kevin Spacey played Michael (not David) Lynch. That said, I was happy to find this little gem last night and surprised that I'd never heard of it. With a cast that includes Spacey, Linda Fiorentino, Peter Mullan, and Colin Farrell to go along with the beautiful Irish scenery, this movie tells it's quirky little tale in just 94 minutes. Short, sweet, and to the point. It's a shame that more movies (and reviewers) can't do the same but instead totally miss the point. ... Read more

Reviews (6)

Mob Hit!
If you loved GOODFELLAS and THE SOPRANOS, this should be on your Christmas list. Vincent Pastore (Big Pussy), Michael Imperioli (Christopher Moltasanti) and Kathrine Narducci (Charmine Bucco) all appear in this film along with Nicholas Turturro, the first cousin of Aida Turturro (Janice Soprano). As with most mob films the story tends to be cliche but well acted. The only disappointment, aside from the incrediably long wait for this movie's release, is that the film isn't available on DVD. Let's hope the DVD version isn't far behind and that Kathrine Narducci won't be lost in the transfer.

Good alright, almost as good as Gotti
This is a good picture alright, Although I would have preferedto have done the casting my self, However I disagree with Michael Cellio regarding Abe Vigoda from the godfather who's playing Big Paul Castellano, I think he's the perfect guy for the role. But Tom Sizemore and Nicholas Turturro could have a number of replacers though. But I am a big fan of mob movies and cant judge this picture to hard, my final words are: "It was good but not as good as Gotti with Armand Assante". And Michael take a look at the real Paul Castellano and maybe you'll see that Abe Vigoda is pretty similar...

Excellent film--Not to be missed by fans of "mob" films
This film is an excellent adaptation of the story told in "Sammy the Bull" Gravano's book, *Underboss*, the reading of which would actually enhance this film for any viewer. Nicholas Turturro does with his acting the same magic Gravano performs with the written word--taking you directly into the mind and the world of a real gangster with few excuses offered.

Gravano was raised to revere and respect "the mob" the same way other kids in the U.S. learn to idolize sports heros and financial wizards today. To get into the mob was to "make it", and Sammy Gravano did just that as few others have, ultimately rising to be second-in-command of one of the country's most powerful mobs.

This is the story of the decline in power of the Gambino crime "family" following the death of its formidable founder, the low-key but lethal Carlo Gambino. His replacement, "Big Paul" Castillano proved not as devoted to "the family" or to his own family his forerunner, both colossal faux pas for a crime boss. His being replaced with the flashy, all-too-public "Teflon Don" John Gotti dealt the Gambino organization a blow from which it has yet to recover (it may be supposed; who knows what underground operations may yet be going on?).

Gravano's hands somehow appear much bloodier in the movie than in the book--perhaps because the book allows more time for the protagonist to tell his side of the story and come up, if not smelling like a rose, at least not smelling quite as much like stinkweed. In Witness for the Mob, his true status is more clearly spelled out as that of a serial killer who was granted immunity in exchange for the testimony that put John Gotti, among others, away for life. Gravano entered the witness protection program and, the film tells us, is now "doing business somewhere in the United States."

This film makes it appear that at least as late as the 1980's, before the fall of Gotti, members of "the mob" enjoyed the same sort of glory and hero-worship as the bankrobbers of the American Old West and Depression-era. Every little boy dreamed of growing up to be a gangster, and every woman of marriageable age wanted to marry into the lavish lifestyle such a life afforded. In fact, one of the most interesting aspects of this story is the way the mob wives lived in luxury while turning a very practiced blind eye to the means by which the money rolled in.

"Sammy the Bull" employs a candor in his book that spills over into this movie. At no time does he claim to be a hero of any sort and freely admits that saving his own skin was his primary motivation in becoming a federal witness against his former partners. That candor becomes a reason to believe, if not admire, him.

Nicholas Turturro is outstanding in this roll, portraying Sammy the Bull in the way that Gravano himself would probably have preferred, judging from his book. Tom Sizemore is totally believable as the "Dapper/Teflon Don" whose love of being in the public eye began to tighten the snare set for him. And it is great to see Abe Vigoda again, this time as "Big Paul" at the end of his reign, too smug and self-satisfied to think that the new "up and coming" members of his own gang might break long-standing Cosa Nostra taboos to get rid of a leader they came to regard as ineffective at best. And it is amusing to see Gotti, as portrayed by Sizemore, make the same mistake of thinking that once you are "the boss", no one can take you down, even though he was very actively involved in the assassination of his predecessor.

There are no heros in this film, which adds to the veracity of its story. What the viewer gets is a far above average look into the world of the mob, a world that is confusing, horrific, and occasionalliy amusing in a dark, sardonic sort of way. For three hours, you see it all through the eyes of "underboss" Salvatore Gravano. And that is about as close an observation as you can get and still live to tell about it.

Mob Madness
This movie is about the rise of mobster Sam Gravano, whose testimony put John Gotti and others in jail. Some may find this movie too long. I thought the nearly three-hour length allowed the story to develop more fully. The story drew me in. The film raises the question of what is ethical. According to this movie, it depends upon one's point of reference. The mob has its own code of ethics. Gravano is depicted as striving to live according to that code. It is a code that jusifies murder. This film has plenty of executions but I did not think the violence was overdone. This movie draws the viewer into the mad world of the mob. We are enticed to see Gravano, who murdered 19 people, as an honorable hero. This view is questioned at the end, however, when we begin to emerge from the darkness of the crime world and see the cost of crime to all of us.

government rat
What do you rate a good mob movie on. Maybe how it compares to Godfather or Goodfellas. No, you rank them based on the material in the movie and in this case I would have to say that they used alot of useless parts of this story and put it in the movie. They(mafia rats) all tell stories to make them selves look like the victim. But the truth about Sam gravano is that he was a stone cold killer and the movie gives you the idea that he was just doing what he was told. Not true, instead of puttng the courting of his wife, who left him because he was a rat and killed her brother, the movie should have focused on why he became a killer. ... Read more