The gangster movie is an American art form. This film was made with a lot of love and sincerity. It takes us through the life of a young man who turns to crime and ends up running a criminal empire. It shows the brutal realities of prison and like any good period gangster film teaches you a little bit about the world that you might not have previously known. For example, had no idea about the zoot suit riots of World War II.
The acting is superb, the story takes us through decades of time is truly ambitious. But the problem is the direction is workmanlike, and when you compare it with the best of the gangster films, it simply falls short at every level. The story and characters while heartfelt in their creation are nothing new. All of this feels incredibly sincere, but at the same time isn't really telling us anything we haven't already seen in better movies. Something a bit different, always good it just never elevates itself to great.
The acting is superb, the story takes us through decades of time is truly ambitious. But the problem is the direction is workmanlike, and when you compare it with the best of the gangster films, it simply falls short at every level. The story and characters while heartfelt in their creation are nothing new. All of this feels incredibly sincere, but at the same time isn't really telling us anything we haven't already seen in better movies. Something a bit different, always good it just never elevates itself to great.