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Mob films that Hollywood has produced are as plentiful as there are actors that play in them. The list is endless: "Godfather", "Godfather II", "Godfather III", "Casino", "Goodfellas", "Untouchables", and that's not even delving into the films of the '30's and '40's. "This version of "Capone", while it's not the first, it certainly is the most unique.
Once a ruthless businessman and bootlegger who ruled Chicago with an iron fist, Alfonse Capone (Tom Hardy) was the most infamous and feared gangster of American lore. At age of 47, following nearly a decade of imprisonment, dementia and neurosyphilis rots Alfonse's mind and his past becomes present. Harrowing memories of his violent and brutal origins melt into his waking life. As he spends his final year surrounded by family, including his wife, Mae (Linda Cardellini), Junior (Noel Fisher), and confidantes, Ralphie (Al Sapienza), Johnny (Matt Dillon) and Gino (Gino Cafarelli), with the FBI lying in wait, this ailing patriarch struggles to place the memory of the location of 10 million dollars he hid away on his property.
others to round out the cast are Katherine Narducci as Rosie, Mason Guccione as Tony, Jack Lowden as Crawford, Kyle MacLachlan as Doctor Karlock, Rose Bianco as Nanna, Manuel Fajardo Jr. as Manny Fajardo, Christopher Bianculli as Young Tony, Edgar Areola as Rodrigo and Jhemma Ziegler as Betty.
This was interestingly and grittily written and directed by Josh Trank ("Chronicle" (story) '12, "Fantastic Four" '15, plus TV and a short). This is one of those filmmakers that, through their career, slowly but consistently improves with each project. Although he's not a seasoned filmmaker (whether writing or directing), he certainly has enough on his resume to conclude that this filmmaker has what it takes to succeed in this crazy community. Even though the incomparable Hardy played the title role, it still took talented writing and especially directing to watch this notorious gangster deteriorate slowly as one watched the film. It was a site to behold! Hardy is a consummate actor--the quintessential method actor that has transcended every role he has played. In fact, assuming we even have an Academy Awards presentation next year, Hardy will surely nab a nomination for best actor. As I mentioned prior, this filmmaker only gets better with each film, so it will be interesting to see how his "The Rise of Theodore Roosevelt" is handled by him in its writing. To showcase Capone's dementia, there were places where is became fuzzy where reality ended and the dementia would kick in. I believe this was purposed to show us what it's like to be demented and how subtle fantasy and reality can actually blur.
As I was watching this biopic film, I couldn't help but think of the scripture, "what you shall sow, you shall also reap", or the adage, "what goes around, comes around". This expose certainly allows us to see the consequences of Capone's brutal past and how he reaped a pathetic present. This is a must see! I'm not sure if it's playing on VOD still, but you can purchase it online or most likely Netflix it.
Out of 4 Stars: 4 Rated: R 103mins.
