One thing an American audience can always be counted on for is overrating a mob film. Look, I have no problem whatsoever calling The Godfather and The Godfather Part II two of the twenty-five greatest films ever made. But at the end of the cannoli, I’m not sure the lingering influence of these films or our national love for them is doing the world any favors.
For one thing, without mob films, do you think we actually get President Trump, the ultimate mobster wannabe?
For another, I present, The Many Saints of Newark, a title clearly intended for irony as the most saintly person in the film was in jail on murder charges. This material is a prequel to “The Sopranos” and specifically written to delight a Sopranos crowd as it details the abbreviated life of Dickie Moltisanti, Tony Soprano’s favorite uncle.
Dickie Moltisanti (Alessandro Nivola, who comes off Brian Benben without the humor) is a mob tool and kind of a jerk. The question is whether we forgive his boorish behavior because his father, Dick Sr. (Ray Liotta), is a USDA certified piece of crap. The film opens with Hollywood Dick bringing home an Italian bride about twenty years too young for him; it’s only a matter of time before he starts slapping her around like he did to mom.
After being pushed too far, Dickie does something he can’t take back and seeks penance by visiting Dick Sr.’s twin brother up in the big house. This sets up an odd set of scenes if which Sally Moltisanti (also Ray Liotta) acts as Dickie Moltisanti’s consciousness … and Dickie decides he may or may not pay attention. Meanwhile, the impressionable young Tony Soprano (Michael Gandolfini –son of James– as a teen and William Ludwig as a sub-teen) is learning
valuable lessons from uncle Dickie like “covet thy father’s hot wife” and “always let your temper be your guide.” The very best dialogue in the entire film is, in fact, a lesson Dickie teaches Tony which essentially boils down to: “it isn’t a lie if you lie to yourself.”
As after-the-fact movie re-visitations of TV shows go, I find The Many Saints of Newark lies somewhere in between Veronica Mars movie and Downton Abbey. It has a big step up on Downton in that it actually looks like a movie, not like somebody pasted two TV episodes together. However, it falls short of Mars in that if you weren’t totally into “The Sopranos,” I really don’t think there’s much here to enjoy – although, gee, I suppose using a lugnut drill for emergency dental work was an innovative discovery in the lines of mob torture.
The Many Saints of Newark is the kind of film you can turn off after an hour, never return to, and never be troubled that you actually missed something. Once upon a time, I was piqued by “The Sopranos” hype; I thought this might be a good starting point. Now I have zero desire to see “The Sopranos” For all you Sopranos fans … this may well have been exactly the prequel you were hoping for, but if either of those last two thoughts describe a great movie – or even a good one- then I’m Mario Puzo.
There was a conman who envied the mob
Even though he’s a pathetic blob
He spent four full years
Creating national fears
And concluded he had still earned the job
Rated R, 120 Minutes
Director: Alan Taylor
Writer: Lawrence Konner
Genre: Yet another tribute to mobsterism
Type of being most likely to enjoy this film: Did you enjoy “The Sopranos?”
Type of being least likely to enjoy this film: Are you planning to enjoy “The Sopranos?” Don’t start here.
