We Own The Night

STARRING: Mark Wahlberg, Joaquin Phoenix View Trailer RELEASE DATE: 10/12/2007 DATE SCREENED: 10/09/2007 The Verdict OK - Wait for the DVD

We Own The Night derived its title from a slogan the NYPD used in the late ‘80s to publicize their anti-drug efforts. The twist is that the film is more of a family drama than a film on the war on drugs. Set in 1988, Bobby Green (Joaquin Phoenix) manages a hot night club in Brooklyn, and has a hot girlfriend played by Eva Mendes. His big secret is that he has changed his last name to hide the fact that he comes from a family of cops. That’s not a good thing in the nightclub business, especially when your club is frequented by drug lords. His father is Deputy Chief Burt Grusinsky (Robert Duvall), and his brother Joseph Gusinsky (Mark Wahlberg) is a detective, following in dad's footsteps. When a Russian mobster who frequents the club is targeted by police, Bobby is asked by his family to become an informant. Bobby refuses, as he wants nothing to do with his family or the police department. Later, Joseph leads a raid on the club in which the Russian mobster comes up clean, but Bobby ends up being arrested for possession and resisting arrest. This further widens the rift between Bobby and his family.

The night before Thanksgiving, Joseph is shot in the face, right in front of his home. He survives, but is hospitalized. The father suggests that if Bobby had worked as an informant, this may have never happened. While dining with his girlfriend, Bobby gets a visit from the Russian mobster. He wants him to help distribute drugs to his patrons at the club. But the Russian makes a big mistake by telling Bobby that he is the one who had the cop shot. Bobby keeps his cool and says he needs to think about it. He goes right to his father, but his father does not want him involved. Bobby goes behind his father’s back to work with other members of the NYPD. Bobby tells the Russian that he will help him but needs to sample the product. Bobby is eventually taken to one of the secret drug dens. While there, his cover is blown and the police are forced to barge in, in what is one of the most well crafted scenes of that type that I have ever seen. The Russian is arrested and Bobby and his girlfriend are placed in protective custody. Just as Joseph has healed from his injuries and gone back to work with the NYPD, the Russian escapes. This leads to a spectacular car chase scene, as Russians try to assassinate Bobby in a driving rainstorm. Bobby’s father is the one who ends up being shot. The brothers bond and Bobby must step up and join the NYPD, against his girlfriend’s wishes, to help take down this Russian mob.

The film is like a retro action drama. It has the feel and pace of older movies from the ‘70s, with a grittier look than we normally see today. The problem is that the slow pace of movies from the ‘70s does not hold up well today. The movie is almost 2 hours long, and it felt longer. On the positive side, it has two scenes that I won’t forget for a long time. Although we’ve seen raids on drug houses before, and seen car chases in movies ad nauseum, you rarely see them as well done as they are in this movie. You really feel the tension. The final showdown was also well done. The family drama bored me for the most part. The acting performances were just average, and I would have preferred Marky Mark taking on the lead role as opposed to Joaquin.

The audience at the screening didn't have much of a reaction to the film at all. One couple thought it was a family film and brought their baby and two kids. It's definitely not a family film, but a sex scene in the first 5 minutes did nothng to convince the young parents otherwise. There were some claps at the end. I can’t really recommend you spend the time and money seeing this in the theater based on 2 great scenes. It might be worth it if you are a big fan of ‘70s cop movies. Otherwise, wait for the DVD.