Grade: 92/100
“The Drop” has firmly staked its claim as one of the best films of 2014. Featuring an obvious hook — a remarkable curtain call by James Gandolfini in his final film performance — “The Drop” nevertheless has so much more to offer.
Despite what the trailers may suggest, Gandolfini isn’t even the main character. That honor actually goes to Tom Hardy, who’s quickly becoming one of Hollywood’s most versatile leading men.
Think back — Hardy has now played a blue-collar bartender from Brooklyn, a notoriously violent English criminal, a supervillainous terrorist mastermind, and a silky smooth mind explorer, and will appear in theaters soon as the reincarnation of Mel Gibson’s Max Rockatansky from the “Mad Max” trilogy.
In “The Drop,” Hardy is simply masterful. The pleasure in watching his performance lies in the subtlety of the act; at any given time, his character’s thoughts, our thoughts, and the thoughts of the other characters about him are all different.
Along with Hardy, Gandolfini’s performance should be making waves come awards season. I won’t lie. As Cousin Marv, he essentially played Tony Soprano. But that’s not a bad thing. Soprano is one of the single greatest television characters to ever grace the screen, and despite the magnificent writing for the show, Gandolfini is very much responsible for it.
Noomi Rapace, who garnered critical acclaim for her performance in the “Millennium” series (“The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo” and company), develops a remarkably empathetic imperfect character. Alongside her more formidable companions, she plays her role to a tee and manages to not be overshadowed.
As for the story itself, I can safely say that, for the entirety of the film, I was in absolute awe of the pace. There were very few slow scenes, and when there were, it was easy to tell they had been placed there deliberately in order to prevent the movie from careening off the tracks. Not for a moment was I in complete control of the viewing experience.
It was as if the film was simply daring me to watch more and more closely, each character vying for your attention and for your suspicions.
It’s impossible to know exactly where the film was headed. Admittedly, I was lost halfway through. While I can usually make an educated guess as to the twist in a film based on the trailer, there was no way for me to see this one coming.
What makes the twist so beautiful is that it isn’t overemphasized; the film could work with or without it, but the fact that it does is another element of unexpectedness.
Unlike films like “Fight Club” and “The Sixth Sense,” which rely on their plot twists to do the heavy lifting, “The Drop” relies on its characters, masterful writing, and incredibly deliberate pace to propel itself forward.
Remember one thing: “The Drop” is can’t-miss cinema. Excellent directing, writing, and a tour de force performance by everyone’s second-place Batman villain make for compelling stuff. Don’t expect to leave the theater feeling comfortable, however; like all great crime thrillers, this one gives you an uneasy feeling in your stomach that won’t just be quelled when pull up the covers and close your eyes.