Haven’t we seenthis movie before? Several times? Multi-generational cop family. Old school pop. High up the food chain. Sons of various moral standards. Sons of various policing capabilities. These do not necessarily go hand in hand. Corruptions runs deep. Threatens to tear the family apart. Adhere to the higher standards of law and order? Or cleave to the call of family. Of blood.
The movie has atmosphere. I’ll give it that. Jon Voight is, of course, the grizzled and besotted clan leader. Chief of Detectives and keeper of the flame. Then there’s Ed Norton and Colin Farrell. I’ll leave it to you to figure out who is the conflicted cop with the moral core that flies in the face of family first. And who is the corrupt cop who professes family loyalty and clean streets, but who is sick in his soul.
Gavin O’Connor (director and co-writer) has tenuous control of this film, but it ultimately gets away from him.
Pul-eeez don’t make this film again. We’ve seen this all before. Some better. Some worse. I think we get it now.
♦♦½
