- Film Review
- Reviewed By David Parkinson
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3 out of 5
New York's mass transit train yards provide the backdrop for this brooding tale of murder and union corruption. The top-notch cast includes Mark Wahlberg as a newly sprung con, Joaquin Phoenix as his hair-trigger buddy and James Caan as his grafting uncle. But director James Gray wastes what could have been the film's greatest asset - the atmospheric marshalling yards, with their sparks, floodlights, smoke and snaking rails. Too many verbose scenes are confined in characterless rooms, tempting Caan, in particular, to lapse into Mob mannerisms. The strong female contingent (Charlize Theron, Ellen Burstyn and Faye Dunaway) is also disappointingly underemployed. The end result is a tough, workmanlike drama, but it lacks pace and personality.
Plot Summary
Crime drama starring Mark Wahlberg, James Caan, Joaquin Phoenix and Charlize Theron. Leo Handler leaves prison with the intention of staying on the right side of the law, and when he is given a job in the New York subway repair yards by his high-powered uncle Frank, things seem to be going well. But Leo soon finds himself deep in violence and corruption when Frank's business methods prove to be less than ethical.
Cast and crew
Cast
- Leo Handler
- Mark Wahlberg
- Willie Gutierrez
- Joaquin Phoenix
- Erica Stoltz
- Charlize Theron
- Frank Olchin
- James Caan
- Val Handler
- Ellen Burstyn
- Kitty Olchin
- Faye Dunaway
- Bernard Stoltz
- Chad Aaron
- Raymond Price
- Andrew Dovoli
- Arthur Mydanick
- Steve Lawrence
Crew
- Director
- James Gray
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