Little New York

My wife picked out "Staten Island" (that was the movie's title and the title on the DVD. I'm not sure why IMDb has it listed as "Little New York") and we were both looking forward to it. Unfortunately, "Staten Island" was disappointing. Certainly there was a mix of humor, irony and some grim aspects. But after reading the description on the box, it failed to meet expectations.

That said, Seymour Cassel was outstanding as a deaf, mute butcher who occasionally did work for the mob. You really felt for him throughout the movie. Ethan Hawke had a convincing time portraying a stereotyped "less than bright" septic tank worker. I'm not partial to Vincent D'Onofrio's limited acting abilities and he didn't fail to disappoint. I don't understand how he lands movie roles. He has enough trouble with his TV roles.

If you're looking to rent a decent mob movie, I'd look elsewhere. While not horrible "Staten Island" left us wanting.

I hadn't heard much about this film before viewing it, but I do remember seeing a clip somewhere or other. It follows the lives of three people living on the island and shows what happens when their lives intersect. It is made in a very interesting style, almost what I would expect to see from a French studio, but when I saw that one of the producers was none other than Luc Besson, I was less than surprised. But more of my thoughts later, here's a brief summary first (summary haters please protect this small forest while I write the next paragraph).

Sully Halverson cleans septic tanks for a living. He's not the sharpest blade in the box, but when he and his wife, Mary, decide to have a baby, he begins to get ideas. He sees a treatment program they are running at the hospital that genetically changes an embryo so the resultant child will be smarter. Now, if only he could get some money to pay for it… Parmie Tarzo is an ambitious mob boss. He lives alone with his mother and wants, more than anything, to be famous. His mother was recently shot during a robbery at his house and Tarzo and his gang are after the perpetrators. After he decides to take over the entire Staten Island operation and an attempted hit by a rival gang fails, he kind of loses the plot a little. He is found on a platform up a tree, trying to protect an area of forest due for demolition… Jasper Sabiano is a deaf mute who works in a deli and does 'disposal' jobs on the side for Tarzo. He has a liking for gambling on the horses and when he wins big he feels he might be able to help his friend Sully… These three characters are about to collide and things will never be that same for any of them.

As I said at the beginning, this film has very much the feel of a French art house film, but its set in New York. It's kind of strange to watch if you're not used to that sort of thing, but if you stick with it, it will pay off in the end. Great performances from all of the main cast; Ethan Hawke plays the dumb Sully Halverson with great aplomb, Vincent D'Onofrio is perfect as Parmie Tarzo and Seymour Cassel is superb as Jasper Sabiano. Oh, and an honourable mention must go to Julianne Nicholson as Mary Halverson.

Over all, I really enjoyed this film. It has quite a gentle pace that I found quite fitted the style adopted by the director. I loved the way the characters at some point all look wistfully across towards Manhattan, as if wishing they could be over there. It's not perfect by any means, but enjoyable none the less… Recommended.

My score: 6.9/10

I attended the screening in NJ a couple of weeks ago and absolutely loved the film. It was three vignettes about different characters who are all tied together on Staten island. At times the film was funny and others grim but the overall effect was extremely enjoyable. Vincent D'Onofrio and Seymour Cassel were outstanding in their roles as gangster and cohort/victim. Ethan Hawke was also incredible. I was anxious to see the film because my 12 year old son and I watched a scene being filmed in our town last summer and was thoroughly surprised. I would recommend this for anyone who enjoys quirky comedy with a healthy dose of irony and drama.

A septic tank cleaner Sully (Hawke) wants his unborn child to have a genius IQ; a mobster boss Tarzo (D Onofrio) wants to become truly famous; and Jasper (Cassel), a deaf mute butcher, plays the horses and does dirty work for Tarzo. When their paths collide, nothing will ever be the same.

This starts out like it's going to be a comedy of sorts telling all about the forgotten New York Borough, Staten Island, and that the mob lives there and they also bury their victims there and you chuckle a little. Then the real movie starts and be prepared for a little gore. It is not a comedy. However, near the end, it does become somewhat comedic and you will chuckle again.

There is some gore in here and although you may not see all of it, your mind's eye will and you will squirm a lot. Of course, I chose to look away anyway. Hey, I have to sleep at night.

The acting performances are all good and the pace keeps you tuned in because you are not sure how things will play out. I must say that I become more impressed with Ethan Hawke with each movie. He is more than good. He delivers. When he gets scared, I get scared too. See?

Pretty good for a small budget movie.

Violence: Yes. Sex: No. Nudity: No. Language: Yes.

In my opinion the characters were well developed and well played out for their parts. The story kept me intrigued. Honestly I can think of a whole slew of movies that this one would go good next to; Burn After Reading for example. And I just loved the music that was playing during the credits.

The problem for me was that all in all, by the end of it, I honestly could not fathom the reason for any of what had happened. After the movie ended I was left with a resounding unanswerable "WHY?". "What was accomplished?" "What was the use?" I was entertained by the characters and the story for an hour and a half, but the movie did not go anywhere. I honestly believe that the script was given a green light for the simple reason that everyone involved saw an opportunity to exercise their chops and do what it is that they're good at. The purpose here was not to entertain the audience or make some money. It was just a vehicle for those involved to feed their brain's craving to engage in a familiar and fun activity. Like doing a jigsaw puzzle, or a sudoku. Fun and engaging for the moment, but when you're done, what was it worth?