The Alto Knights

If I ever wondered why "The Alto Knights", a return to the Gangster genre for both Robert De Niro and Nicholas Pileggi, was so under advertised prior to its release, having seen it I don't wonder anymore. It's because it's not very good.

In his retirement, Frank Costello (Robert De Niro) recounts the story of his life, intertwined as it was with that of Vito Genovese (Robert De Niro). Having grown up together and risen the ranks of the mafia - Frank makes a play for some legitimacy having become "the boss of bosses" whilst Vito was trapped overseas by World War 2 and other legal issues. On his return to America, Vito wants to resume his role at the top and introduce a burgeoning narcotics business to the group. Frank is resistant but learns that Vito will take back what he lost by force, if he needs too.

Impressively, I think that De Niro is miscast twice in this film. It would be fine if he just played reflective, end of the road Costello, bookending the film and providing voice over. But he also plays both middle aged Costello and middle-aged Genovese in enough prosthetics that you can tell them apart, but not enough so you can't tell it's him. Why? Don't know. The characters aren't twins, or even related, they don't feel like two sides of the same coin, or even similar men ripped apart by circumstances. He felt - to me - too old to be playing either of them and Vito in particularly doesn't feel like he has the sort of crazy, unhinged energy that other characters suggest he has.

It's not the only problem with the film though, perhaps not even the biggest one. For me, it felt like a TV movie. For all the experience, including Barry Levinson behind the camera, it's a low-key affair. With the dialogue often delivered with what I imagine was supposed to be 'naturalistic' but feels more like characters couldn't hear each other. The mix of flashback and documentary style viewing is confused and there's not really anything in the story that hasn't been taken and used in another, better, mob film, or series.

Never so bad that I thought about leaving, but definitely a slog to get through.

After seeing over the years Robert De Niro star in gangster films such as Mean Streets, Goodfellas, Casino, and The Irishman, it's astonishing to see him play gangster fresh in The Alto Knights. Sure, we've seen most of his facial and vocal turns before, but never in two different mobsters in the same film with two distinct personalities.

Narrator Frank Costello (De Nir0) is an analytical businessman not wholly invested in being a mid-twentieth century icon; his former best friend from youth, Vito Genovese (De Niro), is a hot head bound to lead the mob in the US, regardless of his friendship with current mob head, Frank. To see De Niro play both nose to nose in negotiations is to see one of the great film actors of all time.

When you look into Frank's eyes, you see latent menace that has caused countless deaths. Looking at Vito's glasses, you don't have the depth but rather a surface violence, hardly hidden. A great actor brings both distinct personalities alive.

Director Barry Levinson also brings his memorable work with Bugsy and Wag the Dog while writer Nicholas Pileggi brings traces of success from Goodfellas and Casino. With the three pedigrees converging in The Alto Knights, you must expect greatness, and you get it, maybe not throughout but enough to say that if Coppola and Brando had also been involved, this film would have been incomparable.

Most scenes are intimate as Frank's wife Bobbie (Debra Messing), and he quietly map out their fate. More flamboyant is Vito's wife, Anna (Katherine Narducci), whose courtroom histrionics as she testifies against him is the stuff of in your face while it contrasts with De Niro's subtler approach (not his usual path). The variety of acting and its excellence makes this a gangster film you should not refuse.

Overall, a well-done film from Barry Levinson with a fantastic performance from Debra Messing, who I feel should be considered for an Academy Award nomination. Debra was very convincing portraying Frank Costello's wife and the make-up used to age her identity was on point.

Moreover, I was first introduced about Frank Costello through cinema with the films, "Mobsters" , and "Bugsy." And, he was always came off as a background character or, a gangster with not much significant affiliation with the crime syndicates and Luciano crime family.

However, I am glad Costello's life during his later years was finally brought to the silver screen.

For being 82-years-old, I thought Bobby de Niro did one helluva job portraying both Costello and Vito Genovese.

The film does justice illustrating the historical events leading up to Frank's conflict with Vito Genovese, the background details of how Frank and Vito met in their younger ages and, Frank's eventual retirement from his life of crime.

The cast members each knew their assignment, respectively.

In particular, both Katherine Narducci and Michael Rispoli.

If the casting directors had hired other actors not too familiar with audiences, this film may have not been entertaining.

The film does move by a comfortable pace, yet with a running time of two hours, I left the theatre thinking that an extra 30 -45 minutes minutes would have created time to add more details about both Vito and Frank in their earlier days as young adults.

I really do not have any gripes or grudges about the film since I am enamored with crime dramas films involving gangsters from the Irish, Jewish, Italian, Black, English, Hispanic, heritages. To me, I find the history fascinating.

In my opinion, the film does give shades and similarities of The Irishman, Goodfellas, and also felt like Levinson's follow-up to "Bugsy." Lastly, I would say that this film is worth a viewing for all the fanatics of the crime-drama genre.

I watched this thinking it will be rubbish because of the low ratings. It's nowhere near as bad as the reviews say. It was more entertaining than the Irishman, which was really boring. The acting was good and some scenes were very entertaining with the sharp dialogue. You kind of feel bad for Deniro getting these negative reactions when he did a really good job playing two characters convincingly. Yeah it won't be the best mob movie you will watch but definitely doesn't deserve the negative ratings here. If you like mob history of this era you would be mad to miss this and stupid to be easily influenced by Deniro haters.

The Alto Knights- In Cinemas now My Rating - 6/10

I wondered why and how a Robert Di Niro movie based on a true story about two rival New York organised Crime bosses directed by Barry Levinson could possibly flop at the box office?

Is it because there's been so many movies along similar lines starring Robert Di Niro like The Irishman 2019, Goodfellas 1990, The Godfather 11 1974, A Bronx Tail 1993, The Untouchables 1987, and Once Upon a Time in America 1984 etc?

Perhaps audiences are a bit tired of mafioso and gangsters however for me the reason The Alto Knights is inferior to the above listed movies is misplaced ego .

By that I mean as fine an actor as DeNiro is playing two roles in one movie especially when the only difference basically is a different nose and chin only confuses the characters for the audience and is a stretch to far.

I found myself trying to differentiate between the two main characters Frank Costello and Vito Genovese both played well by Robert DeNiro however it would have been better separate actors played each role .

After all they're not even related but look like twins , it's just a silly casting choice.

The story meanders also back and forth and doesn't have much impact at all.

It's basically the story of 2 gangland bosses on a collision course as told by Frank Costello married to Bobbie played very well by Debra Messing ,nice to see her in a dramatic role.

The usual scenario of gangland violence as the 2 men who were friends as teenagers vie for control of the drug trafficking and alcohol supply on New Yorks city's streets.

Once best friends, petty jealousies and a series of betrayals set them on a deadly collision course.

For me this is a straight to streaming movie.