Thursday 17 October 2013

Gangster Squad - Phil's Five Words for Films

Gangster Squad  With a whole host of big names directed by Ruben Fleischer ( Zombieland ) I was expecting a lot more from Gangster Squad than I got. Set in 1949 Los Angeles and loosely based on some real events,  Sean Penn plays Mickey Cohen, a gang leader intent on controlling every aspect of the criminal underworld in LA. Josh Brolin plays a police sergeant given the job of forming an elite squad and running him in to the ground.  Ryan Gosling and Emma Stone are supposed to add a bit of romantic intrigue but the whole thing is just lacking any real zing. There is an overall shine to the look of the film and it doesn't quite fit with the script or storyline, making it feel more like 'Dick Tracy' than 'Goodfellas'. Add in the fact that Sean Penn's make-up and second rate DeNero impression is nothing more than distracting and you have a film that falls a little flat. The tag line reads "No names. No badges. No mercy" but for me, they could also add  'No edge'. Not much to it.

4.5 out of 10
Cert 15 ( UK ).
2013.

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