We Own the Night

We Own the Night, a motto of the New York Police Department in the early 1980's in their failing attempt to clean up the streets, is a story about a family of cops and the black sheep son who is a night club manager and drug user. The setting works well and credit has to go to a very inexperienced Gray for writing and directing a pretty decent story.

Based on the previews, this film had the feel of the Departed to me, which was my favorite of 2006, and also had Joaquin Phoenix, one of the most underrated actors around. He should have won the Oscar for Walk the Line in 2005. What it didn't have was supporting players or a satisfactory ending. Mark Wahlberg had a meaty role, but just didn't perform up to his potential. His character lacked any emotional depth and he played the disapproving brother a little too blindly. Robert Duvall, on the other hand, who is a classic actor who just hasn't had a decent role in a decade, just didn't seem to fit as the police chief and father of the two boys.

Over the course of the movie, the line between family and justice becomes blurred over and over, and ethical obligations are questioned by nearly everyone. I will say that there is a good deal of suspense, and the turn of events in the film are more realistic than they could have been if the intent was more for audience approval. The high point for me was the car chase scene, which was absolutely brilliant. No music, no explosions, just an obscured view out of a rain-drenched windshield. I was very impressed with the scene, it was just flat-out cool. Not the way Jason Bourne car chase scenes are cool, but the way that you envision it would actually go down if it were to happen in front of you.

Overall, Phoenix delivered in another great performance, putting him right up there with Christian Bale as one of the most talented leading men around. The ending warranted comparison with Heat, a great movie, but it just didn't seem to satisfy me. The realism was commendable, but overall the whole thing was a little disappointing. 7/10.