Interesting to see the reactions to Pride and Glory on IMDb: some people like it a lot, so much so that they rank it as one of their favorite films of the year, while others rank it low, very low, saying it's low-end predictable trash that rips off from every other cop movie around including last year's We Own the Night (that title comes up often, which I can't comment on as I've yet to see it). I might be one of those small handful that are in the middle: Pride and Glory is an alright cop drama, not amazing or really terrible. It borrows from many movies and TV shows, this much is definite, and its directorial style goes between fine competence with actual dialog scenes (with the occasional noir-ish flourish) and overbearing with the hand-held in action scenes. It seems as if no cop drama in recent memory can quite come up to the height that Narc reached with that- coincidentally in this case Narc director Carnahan had a part in writing P&G's script- and for most of the running time the film suffers from a lack of real stylistic vigor.
But, thankfully a big but, the performances are all stellar all-around. From the big players like Edward Norton (who, unless under duress or restraint by the studio, turns in fantastic work that's subtle for the camera but as intense as a theater performance) and Colin Farrell (gaining cred fast this year with this, In Bruges and underrated Cassandra's Dream), Jon Voight (who, somehow, has bounced back from the STP-nightmare appearance in Bratz), and character actor Noah Emmerich (often with one facial expression- tension and an inner sadness- but still good if not as good as Little Children), to Jennifer Ehle who plays Emmerich's dying wife who is, for every moment she's on screen, absolutely terrific and even makes great scenes out of otherwise OK elements.
This is, in fact, a real actor's movie, unlike Righteous Kill which rested entirely on he heels of its two stars, and for all the black-and-white-and-sometimes-gray areas of the script- about a family of cops who become embroiled in one member, Jimmy (Farrell) and his incredulously corrupt dealings and murders- the bulk of the cast make it more than watchable: one is almost fooled from time to time, with all its rampant cursing and crazy bits (i.e. threatening hot-iron on a baby), that it is great. But it isn't. So much of its plot is middling and only sparks of fascinating scenes keep it together, like when a sleazy Hispanic character pays a personal call to Jimmy's house while his family is home, and its final 15 minutes are a mix of wild hysterics (a supporting character, part of Jimmy's corrupt crew, snaps in a convenience store during a 'pick-up' and a big race-inspired protest happens on cue) and a true-blue Irish bar fight that perhaps would've benefited from John Ford rising from the grave to guest direct.
So catch it on TV, now that it's almost gone from theaters, if you haven't seen it yet, and judge for yourself if it's high, low, or in the middle of expectations. I'm in the middle, though it does seem like the kind of OK movie that may play better on repeat viewings when nothing much else is on. 6.5/10
But, thankfully a big but, the performances are all stellar all-around. From the big players like Edward Norton (who, unless under duress or restraint by the studio, turns in fantastic work that's subtle for the camera but as intense as a theater performance) and Colin Farrell (gaining cred fast this year with this, In Bruges and underrated Cassandra's Dream), Jon Voight (who, somehow, has bounced back from the STP-nightmare appearance in Bratz), and character actor Noah Emmerich (often with one facial expression- tension and an inner sadness- but still good if not as good as Little Children), to Jennifer Ehle who plays Emmerich's dying wife who is, for every moment she's on screen, absolutely terrific and even makes great scenes out of otherwise OK elements.
This is, in fact, a real actor's movie, unlike Righteous Kill which rested entirely on he heels of its two stars, and for all the black-and-white-and-sometimes-gray areas of the script- about a family of cops who become embroiled in one member, Jimmy (Farrell) and his incredulously corrupt dealings and murders- the bulk of the cast make it more than watchable: one is almost fooled from time to time, with all its rampant cursing and crazy bits (i.e. threatening hot-iron on a baby), that it is great. But it isn't. So much of its plot is middling and only sparks of fascinating scenes keep it together, like when a sleazy Hispanic character pays a personal call to Jimmy's house while his family is home, and its final 15 minutes are a mix of wild hysterics (a supporting character, part of Jimmy's corrupt crew, snaps in a convenience store during a 'pick-up' and a big race-inspired protest happens on cue) and a true-blue Irish bar fight that perhaps would've benefited from John Ford rising from the grave to guest direct.
So catch it on TV, now that it's almost gone from theaters, if you haven't seen it yet, and judge for yourself if it's high, low, or in the middle of expectations. I'm in the middle, though it does seem like the kind of OK movie that may play better on repeat viewings when nothing much else is on. 6.5/10