Little Odessa

The thing I remember that most impressed me about Little Odessa was how director James Gray actually made me feel cold. There are a lot of exteriors that show a frozen, snow covered New York, but the whole thing is so wonderfully photographed that it actually made me feel chilled. The story is above average and Tim Roth is starting to run the risk of stereotyping himself into these kinds of violent characters...but this film will always remain one of my favorites because the simple look of the film affected me.

This is without a doubt the best debut by a filmmaker in the last decade. James Gray has directed with a sure hand, exerting amazing control over a wide variety of performers and flawlessly maintaining a haunting and menacing mood in his tale of crime and punishment among Russian immigrants in Brooklyn. Vanessa Redgrave is superb, as usual, and Maxmillian Schell has been kept from the unrestrained emotionalism to which he is prone (see JUDGMENT AT NUREMBERG), so that he gives one of his very best performances in years. As for Edward Furlong and Tim Roth, both of whom can be very good or very bad, lets just say they haven't been this good before or since. Gray's command over such aspects of the film as pacing and visual style is impressive. The whole thing builds to a stunning climax.

Joshua Shapira, a hitman for the Russo-Jewish mob (Tim Roth), ordered to kill an Iranian jeweler, unwilling returns to his childhood home in Brighton Beach and to his estranged family. The first feature by director James Gray is not lacking for intenseness. Roth is excellent as the vicious hood who rediscovers his relationship with his younger brother (Edward Furlong) and the story (much of which is about 'black-sheep' Joshua's relationship with his family) and script are quite good, as is the rest of the ensemble cast. There were some odd, inconsistent scenes (for someone who wants to remains unnoticed, Joshua frequently waves his pistol in people's faces, and his 'crew' at a shooting just drop the guns on the ground (a plot-driving event) despite not wearing gloves) and the ending, though unexpected, seemed a bit abrupt. I didn't really like the neo-gothic soundtrack, which struck me as pretentious (but other people though the score was excellent). Generally, a good, gritty if slightly fanciful mob-meller.

A stunning debut by this young writer-director -- Dostoyevskian themes, an exact sense of place, and a lyricism touched by few of his peers. And now six years' wait!

While most U.S. indie filmmakers spent the 1990s studiously copying Tarantino, Gray in this overlooked gem created something entirely different: a character study of tragedy among the unhip and uncool. Torn by illness and the return of a prodigal son, a Russian immigrant family in New York tries to outlast the omens promising its destruction. The film owes something to Coppola, but you might feel the presence of Bergman, too. Unsentimental, unsparing, with brilliant performances by the principal cast. A must see.

Little Odessa, also release under the title "Contract killer" is a very effectively and realistically told mobster movie, from the Russian community. It's a take on the prodigal son, here as a cold contract killer. A great watch for connoisseurs of films, and mobster film in particular.

The movie stands out for great acting, directing and photography, being James Gray directorial debut. Music is excellent as well. The actors are making this a great watch. The whole film is stuffed with fabulous acting. Tim Roth and Edward Furlong is both fabulous as the brothers, as Vanessa Redgrave and Maximillian Schell is as the mother and the abusive father. I think this is some of the best I've seen from them all.

The film starts up with the contract killer, being the older brother Joshua Shapira coming back to his hometown of Brooklyn after being away for years, to do a contract job. He fled town after committing a killing, which obviously is not forgotten. He meets his younger brother, Reuben, which tells him that their mother is terminally ill with brain tumor. Joshua wants to see the mother, but are not welcomed by the father, being a danger to the whole family since wanted by the mobsters.

It's bleak, cold, gritty, effective and what I believe very realistic told. I was immediately sucked into the story, which is following the younger brother more than the older hit-man. it's no action movie, but a mobster movie told in the way we've seen many times. This does not stand back from these. The film builds slowly up to great scenes.

It's powerful on emotions, far more than on the action. However the persons are quite cold, and so is the violence. And there isn't much hope to see in the dreary days of this family.

The quote "We'll wait 10 seconds and see if God saves you" is said by Tim Roth's character before he does a killing. I would regard this is a must-see for mob film lovers, and a classic in the genre. I would likewise recommend the brilliant and effective "Eastern promises" by David Cronenberg, telling a story from the Russian mafia in Great Britain.