Review: ‘Pride And Glory’

Melissa:

OK, so the first half an hour of Pride and Glory made me want to leave the theater. I decided to give the rest of it a chance, and I have to say that first impressions can be misleading.

The story follows the Tierney family and their chosen careers to serve and protect as police officers. Ray Tierney (Edward Norton) is the main character who has decided to go back to his street position after two years. He soon finds out that there is corruption going on between the drug peddling scum on the street and members of the police department. Even though he is asked to ignore it by his father (Jon Voight), he decides to pursue the matter further strictly on the principle of right and wrong. That is when he uncovers that his brother in law Jimmy (Colin Farrell) is in on the action with at least three other officers. Now the big question is whether family is more important than the law.

The first half an hour was painfully dull. It moves directly into the storyline, but not in an interesting way. They start referring to all of these last names that, at the time, make no sense. It took me quite some time into the movie to connect the characters to their last names… and I’m a pretty smart cookie, so I am curious if anyone else noticed this. Once the story started rolling (and the phlegm-bot sitting down the isle finally decided that gargling mucus in a theater might not be a good idea!) I really got into it. The scary part of this film is that it’s a little too life like. So much so that they put a disclaimer at the end of the film.

Edward Norton blows my mind. I cannot think of one movie where I questioned his role or talent. He has this sense of honor and likability that really plays into his role. When I look at him onscreen, I think, there is a normal, relatable guy. I think that is why he can be placed in any role and really succeed. That, and you can’t discredit his acting. There have been several Colin Farrell movies that haven’t been the best (Miami Vice), but he really is outstanding in this role. One second he is a loving family man, and then he flips the switch and turns into a shocking bad guy. There is one scene in this movie that actually made me gasp out loud. I won’t spoil it, but Mr. Farrell FREAKED ME OUT! Having said that, Colin Farrell plays a great bad guy, and I think that is part of his appeal to the ladies. Noah Emmerich plays Francis Tierney Jr., the other brother. He doesn’t really fit in the same league as Norton, Farrell, and Voight. To put him in that same family just doesn’t make sense. His acting was just flat, and he didn’t really stand out compared to the others. I think they were trying to lead you into making a decision about whether or not you like/trust him throughout the film, but it didn’t really work. I didn’t care. I was indifferent through the entire film. With being surrounded with such strong actors, and with him being a key character in this film, he needed to stand out more.

[rating:3.25/5]

Jeremy:

Mostly due to internal politics at New Line, ‘Pride and Glory’ is the latest in a long line of films that have sat on a dusty shelf for quite some time. Â  Principal photography began in February of 2006, and the film was initially set to be released this past March. Â  It practically got dumped this weekend, having to contend with two films that couldn’t be further apart in terms of audience, ‘High School Musical 3’ and ‘Saw V’. Â  It’s sad, really, because ‘Pride and Glory’ is much better than its studio is giving it credit for.

Directed by Gavin O’Connor (‘Tumbleweeds’, ‘Miracle’), ‘Pride and Glory’ tells the story of a group of New York cops and the investigation of four of their own getting brutally gunned down. Â  Corruption plays a huge part, as any good New York cop drama will tell you, and the lines between family and foe are blurred on several occasions.

Edward Norton plays Ray Tierney, an officer brought into the investigation by his father, a senior detective played by Jon Voight. Â  The four officers who were shot were under the command of Ray’s brother, Francis, played by Noah Emmerich. Â  Colin Farrell plays Jimmy, another member of the command who’s less-than-moral ambitions are shown very early on.

‘Pride and Glory’ is a tightly crafted cop drama that shows once again how much a film’s success rests on its screenplay. Â  O’Connor wrote the screenplay along with Joe Carnahan. Â  For those of you who don’t know, and you should, Carnahan wrote and directed ‘Narc’ and ‘Smokin’ Aces’. Â  While the latter film was a pretty ridiculous actioner, ‘Narc’ was also a well-written crime drama that featured well-written, believable characters.

When you’re dealing with something as familiar as police corruption in New York City, you’d better throw something into your screenplay that makes it stand out. Â  With ‘Pride and Glory’ just as with ‘Narc’, the screenplay works, because of the believable nature of its characters.

The characters in ‘Pride and Glory’ are its greatest asset. Â  Every character in the film is given just enough back story to make them realistic. Â  Francis’ girlfriend, played by Jennifer Ehle, has cancer. Â  This is a character detail that really doesn’t serve much purpose to the story other than to put their storyline that much further into reality. Â  There is so much character development, in fact, that I felt, at times, that ‘Pride and Glory’ could have been adapted into a television series. Â  Who knows? Â  It might, yet.

Helping the believability of its characters along are the incredible performances given by everyone. Â  Norton has a problem with acting with an accent. Â  He can either do one or the other. Â  This is most notable in his performance in ‘The Illuisionist’. Â  He doesn’t attempt the obligatory, New York accent here, and just acts the hell out of his part.

The same goes for Farrell, who you are really rooting for early one. Â  It isn’t until the last half of the film when you realize just how truly evil this character is, and Farrell plays that part well, too. Â  One particularly, cruel scene pretty much took the breath out of everyone in the theater.

There were times, especially early one, where the film suffered from “shaky cam syndrome”. Â  It doesn’t make any sense. Â  Any scene that works well with a handheld can be incredible if a dolly is used. Â  It never helps to put you into the film more. Â  It just ends up distracting you from what is going on. Â  Seriously, parts of ‘Quarantine’ featured less, shaky camera work than a few scenes early on in ‘Pride and Glory’. Â  That aspect goes away pretty quick, though.

The film also runs a little too long. Â  Just over two hours is the breaking point for a film like this, unless we’re talking something as incredible as ‘The Departed’. Â  We’re not, so the last 45 of the 130 minutes of film grow a little tedious.

Small complaint. Â  ‘Pride and Glory’ is a horrible title. Â  It ranks right up there with ‘Body of Lies’ as worst title of the year. Â  It sounds like it should be a football movie. Â  A title like ‘Honor and Loyalty’ would have been equally sappy, but it would have made more sense.

‘Pride and Glory’ is a solidly written crime drama from beginning to end. Â  A few of its flaws keeps it from being something as grand as ‘The Departed’ or ‘Copland’, but it’s definitely better than most recent cop dramas we’ve had. Â  ‘High School Musical 3’ is going to get the young, teen crowd. Â  ‘Saw V’ is going to get the horror crowd. Â  For those middle of the road moviegoers, they could have a much worse choice than ‘Pride and Glory’.

[rating:3.5/5]

Ram Man:

I started seeing trailers for ‘Pride and Glory’ last Christmas and wondered when is this film coming out. Originally to be released in March, Warner Brothers finally treated us to this film in October. Usually a bad sign. Pride and Glory is the story of the Tierney Family. A Family of New York City police officers led by their father Francis Sr. (Jon Voight)Â  Chief Detective, his son Francis Jr. (Noah Emmerich) Precinct Captain and commanding officer for Son-in-law Jimmy Egan (Colin Farrell). Tierny’s other son Ray (Ed Norton) Â  who, at his own request has buried himself at a desk in missing persons to stay off the streets, now has been brought back by his dad to lead an investigation into the assassination of four fellow officers.

As Ray and his fellow officers on the task force start to dig up evidence all roads lead to a known drug lord Angel Tezo (Ramone Rodriguez) who is in the wind and vanished from the city. One thing the investigation does uncover is a line of corruption in The New York City Police department that ranges from payoffs, shakedowns, drugs and murder for hire plans that  run right back to Ray’s brother Francis’ precinct  and the cops he commands including Jimmy.   Jimmy and his gang of dirty cops are racing the task force to find Angel first in order to silence him and keep their asses from being hauled in front of Internal Affairs and being fired or worse going to jail themselves. Any time there are two parties racing toward the same goal there is bound to be an explosive conclusion. The same holds true here, including a slobber-knocker fight between Farrell and Norton that is the highlight of the film.

From the trailers and the description I just gave I though this is going to be a great film. Unfortunately the trailers tell the entire story. There were no twists or surprises  and you knew what was going to happen 1/2 way through the film. The screening I was at the was a malfunction with the sound. It was like they were playing it in a library. Every time the would whisper on screen (it was often) we would see their lips move but nothing came out. I was able to give the film a pass on that. The other problem I had was the failure to tell us we should be bi-lingual to see this film. A majority of the dialogue during the investigative part of the film is in Spanish with NO subtitles. I don’t know about you but my last Spanish class was in 1982…it doesn’t comeback that fast. ‘Pride and Glory was an entertaining, but predictable, cop drama that is a worthy matinee or video rent.

[rating:2.75/5]

Zac:

Ed Norton’s latest is a brutal dirty cop drama that never really settles into itself and can be a bit all over the place, yet remains entertaining for the most part.

Ray Tierney (Ed Norton) comes from a family of cops, but is kind of the outsider of his family at this point and juncture.   His dad, Francis Sr. (Jon Voight), is a big wig in the NYC police system with his son Francis (Noah Emmerich) is Chief of a precinct where, their son/brother in law Jimmy Egan (Colin Farrell) is currently a patrol man.   Jimmy might be biting off a bit more than he can chew though, after he becomes under suspicions of Ray who takes over a Task Force that is investigating the death of 4 cops in a drug blood bath.

Ray spends the film tracking down, Angel Tezo, the lone escapee of the drug bust gone bad, and as Ray gets closer he finds out less and less that he wants to hear.   Jimmy on the other hand is trying to cover up his tracks and finish the deal that went bad with Tezo under the threat of his partner in the deal, a drug dealer, Casado.   The viewer learns of Jimmy’s corruptions from the get go, but how deep things go is slowly uncovered with Ray’s investigation.   Meanwhile, the elder father and son, Francis Sr. and Jr., are trying to get a grasp on the situation and protect the police in any way they possibly can.

I will move on from the plot, as I might have shared a tad to much, but there is plenty to still be discovered in this film.   The film itself though is a bit of a mess at times.   The pacing is a bit off in the early goings, and then hits a great stride, the falters and waivers for the last 45 minutes or so.   The 2nd act of this film though is fantastic, with one of the most intense scenes in a film I have seen in a while, it had the whole theater on edge and in shock; great filmmaking.   Which is why this film can be a bit frustrating, because Gavin O’Connor clearly shows that he is more than capable of making some quality cop drama, but the film teeters a bit and goes down unnecessary avenues from time to time.   But to contradict myself a bit, it doesn’t go into the side stories we want to see, specifically the falling out between Ray and his wife that is scarcely touched on and only eluded too.   I want to see what happens with them, much more than the silly and pointless plot device story of a news reporter that pops up in the later part of the film.   And while on the latter half, the ending to the film is just way too contrived and a bit absurd.   A lot happens by sheer coincidence just to condemn the wicked and vilify the good and it just seems all way to implausible and forced; especially after the film dragged its feet a bit to get there.   The film should have focused on the main three “brothers” Ray, Jimmy, and Francis Jr., instead of wavering off into the plot lines of the secondary cops and reporters.   The film has a hard time deciding if it wants to be a focused character cop drama, or a big cop epic that encompasses everyone involved lives.   In fact the film feels like it went for that and was cut down to what it is.

Now, I have been complaining a bit, but the film is still worth checking out; maybe wait till rental.   And there is plenty of good stuff to be found as well, especially in the work by Ed Norton and Colin Farrell.   They both do great work as usual, with Farrell really standing out in the scenes that he needs to.   Norton carries the film’s plot forward and plays the good cop with an edge very well here, though we shouldn’t expect him not to excel.   Jon Voight plays drunk well, but does little else to blow us away.   Emmerich can be a bit off at times, especially in the later half of the films, but he plays the helpless mess in the middle of a shitstorm effectively enough.

Also, Gavin O’ Connor’s decision to shoot the majority of the film handheld was a bit jarring as well, and not a good choice in my opinion; and I never complain about the camera.   O’Connor does a nice job with the action and brutality of the film as it is very gritty and cringing at times.   His biggest fault is setting the bar so high in the fore mentioned intense seen that he leaves us wanting more like that from there on out.

In the end, Pride and Glory is a decent cop drama that brings nothing incredibly new to the genre, but doesn’t really screw it up either.   Pacing issues aside, the film is compelling and interesting and you will not forget the now infamous scene I have rambled on about.   The two male leads do fine jobs on caliber with all of their other great work and impress as they almost always do.   Now, if O’Connor could have found just a bit more direction in his script, pacing and ending, he might have a very solid entry into the cop drama genre.

[rating: 3.25/5]