Grade: 92/100
The typical New York gangster flick usually features a few tough Italian men, a less than impressive script and a grand dramatic shootout where every beloved and hated character dies as a conclusion.
Director Michael Roskam did not take this typical approach when creating his new film, a sure to be classic, “The Drop.”
Instead, Roskam decided to look at the way the Brooklyn mafia operates in modern day and show his viewers what it’s like. The genuine technique executed in this film makes it all the more gripping and compelling.
In each scene “The Drop” has viewers anticipating a violent explosion, but it drags them in a slow, painful tease.
The film follows the character Bob Saginowski (Tom Hardy), a shy but stern bartender in the heart of Brooklyn. The bar he tends is called a “drop bar,” which means local gangsters discreetly deposit money at the bar for holding. Gangsters usually own these bars, and in this case, the bar is formerly owned by Bob’s cousin Marv (James Gandolfini).
When the bar is robbed late one night, Bob and Marv must pay back the money that was stolen to the mob to stay alive. Little does Bob know, it would only be the first time someone would attempt to hold up the establishment.
The intensity of each scene is rooted in the idea that the plot’s scenarios could happen, and the threats presented in the film are relatable to people who have ever been in a gang-like situation.
“The Drop” explores the core ideas of right and wrong and the doing whatever is necessary to survive. The film also questions whether or not a person who has done evil things is evil or maybe has just been backed into too many corners.
Tom Hardy’s chilling performance invents a character genre that is the quiet and tamed renegade, a ticking time bomb that goes off in short, controlled bursts.
Yet with the final scene, Hardy brings a violent tranquility to the plot he is so deeply delved into.
The movie is also the last of the late James Gandolfini. The actor’s depiction of a desperate man on a ledge brings a sense of understanding to the film. Though Marv turns out to be one of the plot’s antagonist, his character convinces the audience that his actions are merited and even normal.
The simplicity and elegance of “The Drop” leaves a memorable impression in viewers’ minds, and it gives a tasteful and refreshing alternative to the movie buff’s routine weekend at the box office.