The tale of two mob bosses; Frank Costello (Robert De Niro) and Vito Genovese (Robert De Niro). Childhood friends, they rose through the ranks of New York organised crime together. But their differing views led to an intense rivalry. One that exploded into violence in 1957, when Vito tried to have Frank killed.
Over 25 years ago, Robert De Niro starred in Analyze This, a gangster comedy that referenced the infamous 'Apalachin Meeting'. This was a gathering of mafia bosses from across the US and beyond, famously stumbled upon by New York State Troopers. Now he's back to tell the real story. For the most part it is a fairly standard gangster tale of friendships, rivalries, extreme violence, big cars, and whisperings between some rather animated men in clubs ranging from the somewhat dingy - the movie is named for one such club - to the incredibly fancy. Only this story is told in much the same way your grandfather reminisces about his life... that is, if your grandfather was a mafia boss. The aging mafioso providing the narration dances back and forth through time like your grandfather too, as he regales us with stories of his younger years.
And what a story he has to tell! The dance that we find Frank and Vito doing is both curious and surprising. Then, of course, there's the assassination attempt. When you're the head of a crime family, how do you respond to an attempt on your life? Well, Frank's approach isn't exactly what you'd expect. In fact, where Vito is your stereotypical gangster, Frank is anything but. Which is what makes this story so intriguing. There might even be a laugh here and there. Unfortunately, the grandfatherly way of telling it can make it seem a little dreary. We spend far too much time watching grandpa reminisce, rather than getting into the actual story. The fact that this approach almost has you feeling sorry for a career criminal can also be a little strange.
Oddly, what makes The Alto Knights unique, the thing that sets it apart from other gangster movies - most of them, anyway - is the decision to have De Niro play both lead roles. Just as Tom Hardy did in Legend. The trouble is, it's totally unnecessary. Sure, De Niro is good in both roles - all of the performances are good - and the attraction of such a challenge is certainly understandable. Frank and Vito couldn't be more different; one was cool, calm and calculating, whereas the other was hot-headed, impulsive and paranoid. But this gimmick offers nothing in terms of telling their story. It made sense with Legend, because Hardy was playing both Kray twins. That is not the case here, and we don't need to see De Niro play both roles to appreciate how different Frank and Vito were. If anything, it can be a little distracting.
An intriguing story of the mafia, friendship, and betrayal. Albeit told pretty much the same way as every other gangster movie. The performances are good - especially those of Debra Messing, Kathrine Narducci, Cosmo Jarvis, and Robert De Niro - but the movie's main hook proves both unnecessary and a little distracting.
6/10
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