Refreshing spin on same old story

By Gus Bode

“We Own The Night”

Rated: R

Starring: Mark Wahlberg, Joaquin Phoenix, Eva Mendes, Robert Duvall

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Directed by James Gray

Runtime: 118 min.

How many movies based on New York, the ’80s, drugs and nightlife do we have left to go?

“We Own The Night” was without a doubt entertaining but left more to be desired.

Let’s see, you have the well-known and respected family of the neighborhood with the one bad apple child. That child in a twist of events turns into a hero, which of course had he followed the family footsteps and become a cop in the first place, the entire movie could have been avoided.

Bobbie Green, played by Joaquin Phoenix, is the brother of recently promoted police officer Joseph Gruninsky (Mark Wahlberg) and son of chief of police Burt Gruninsky (Robert Duvall), who loves to party, especially at the club he’s managing for what appears to be a wealthy Russian fur coat retailer.

Bobbie, who is using his mother’s last name to distance himself not only from his family but to avoid being tied with the police, finds himself in a world of problems when the NYPD goes after his boss’ drug dealing nephew.

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The constantly choppy scene changes and predictability of the party-boy-gone-straight detract from the potential of this film.

As the end nears, the movie teeters on the edge and pushes on over into corny and unreal even for the movie’s ending.

While the concept of the film is not terribly original, some of the camera tricks and details, such as the breathtakingly beautiful Amada (Eva Mendes) and equally breathtaking car chase, are refreshing spins on an old classic.

Daily Egyptian reporter Jakina Hill can be reached at 536-3311 ext 275 or [email protected].

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