Film Review: Reviewed By Adrian Turner; 5 out of 5

In this riveting take on the old TV show from director Brian De Palma, Kevin Costner gives a star-making performance as Eliot Ness, the quiet Treasury agent and family man who picks up a pump-action rifle in order to rid Chicago of bootlegger Al Capone. Always a showman, if not a show-off, De Palma lets loose with a barrage of bloody set pieces, notably the climax at the railway station - a nod to the famous Odessa steps sequence in The Battleship Potemkin. David Mamet's dialogue crackles, Ennio Morricone's music soars and the production design sparkles. Andy Garcia joins the team, and a plumped-up Robert De Niro plays Capone, yet for many the main attraction of this modern classic is Sean Connery's Oscar-winning turn as the veteran Irish cop who shows Costner the ropes.

Plot Summary

Incorruptible federal agent Eliot Ness is assigned the task of fighting organised crime in Prohibition-era Chicago and bringing the notorious crime boss Al Capone to justice. Aware crooked police are undermining his investigations, he puts together his own elite squad to take on the Mob. Brian De Palma's crime thriller, with Kevin Costner, Robert De Niro, Andy Garcia and Sean Connery, who won an Oscar for his performance.