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Notable Characters:
Joaquin Phoenix – Bobby Green
Mark Wahlberg – Joseph Grusinsky
Robert Duvall – Burt Grusinsky
Alex Veadov – Vadim Nezhinski
Plot (contains spoilers): Bobby Green, New York club owner, is living the life. He is in charge of the best club in NY, he is loved by many, has the girl everyone wants, and the drugs to go with it. Fortunately for him, no one knows about his family. His father, Burt Grusinsky is the police chief and his brother, Joe Grusinsky, is captain of the drug task force, which is dedicated to taking back the city. One night Joe and his team bust into Bobby’s club to catch drug lord Nezhinski only to come up empty. As a result of this raid, Joe is targeted by one of Nezhinski’s men but fortunately Joe survives the attack. Distraught over his brother near-fatal experience, Bobby agrees to help the police take down Nezhinski. Nezhinski is arrested and then escapes which puts Bobby and his girlfriend into protective custody. As he and his girlfriend are moved from hotel room to hotel room, tensions rise between them because they are prohibited from visiting family and Bobby is contemplating joining the police force. During one transfer, Bobby and his father are ambushed and during the exchange Bobby witnesses his father’s murder. Using his contacts, Bobby discovers where Nezhinski’s next drug deal is going down and along with his brother he tracks him down and avenges his father.
Reason why I didn’t like it:
• The opening scene was a little too much. The tone it set for the movie was uncomfortable and if the rest of movie was like the opening scene there is no way that I would have enjoyed this movie.
Reason why I liked it:
• It was not exactly what I thought it would be. I thought that it would be a movie focused on action and violence. However I felt that it was really focused on the emotional aspects of what Joaquin character was going through. Watching him experience the hurt of his brother and death of his father was really powerful and added another dimension to a, seemingly, regular action movie.
Final Notes:
This was a great movie. I really enjoyed the emotional focus of this movie. It made it unique from other action/gangster movies and I feel very glad that I made the choice to watch it.
Young's Review
Most crime dramas do not focus on a familiy's effort to reconcile its emotioanl baggage. Then again, 'We Own The Night' is not your typical crime drama.
Screenwriter/director James Gray deftly strikes a balance between action and emotion. The film kept me engaged while allowing me to empathize with the characters. This movie definitely gets a 'thumbs up'.
Joaquin Phoenix (Walk The Line) stars as Bobby Green, the manager of a hip New York City nightclub in 1988. His club is frequented by a group of Russian drug dealers, led by Vadim Nezhinski (Alex Veadov). Bobby's brother Joseph Grusinsky (Mark Wahlberg) and father Burt (Robert Duvall) are cops trying to bring down Nezhinski and his crew. Joseph is convinced the best way to accomplish this is to involve Bobby in an undercover operation. Despite his father's protest, Bobby eventually agrees to help after a failed bust leads to Joseph being shot in the head by one of Nezhinski's henchmen. What follows is a tale of suspense, tragedy and ultimately redemption.
This film marks Gray's second collaboration with Phoenix and Wahlberg. The trio also worked together in 'The Yards'. Both films had a gritty and blue collar feel. While 'The Yards' was a worthy effort, 'We Own The Night' is even better. Phoenix continues his string of fantastic acting performances. Bobby is a complex character, and Phoenix capably portrays the full range of emotions he is experiencing. Wahlberg and Duvall are always good, and this time is no exception. Veadov brings a genuine sense of creepiness to Nezhinski, and Eva Mendes is strong in the role of Bobby's girlfriend Amada.
There are several genuinely suspenseful scenes, but the heart of the film is Bobby's transformation from a drug addicted loner to a proud brother and son. Bobby and Joseph develop a bond that is is paid off nicely as the closing credits role. The film is an action movie on the surface, but is a wonderfully constructed drama at its core.
Other Joaquin Phoenix Movies
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Other Robert Duvall Movies
Other Alex Veadov Movies
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