We Own The Night promises to be a an action filled crime production, but fails to deliver. Its not that the movie was really bad, its just that it was really anti-climatic and unoriginal.
The Plot : Bobby Green {Joaquin Phoenix} comes from a family of cops and manages a popular nightclub run by the Russian Mafia. When the mafia tries to kill his brother {Mark Wahlberg}, as he heads up the new drug agency in NY, Bobby has to decide his future. Does he help the police get close to the mafia as an undercover informant, or continue his life of disappointment in his father’s eyes?
The Truth : We Own The Night bounces around from character to character trying to get the viewing audience attached to Bobby Green and his family. It doesn’t work. We’ve seen this plot a thousand times before, the one where the main character has to choose between family or the underworld. Guess what? It always turns out the same way.
Robert Duval plays the respectable police Deputy Chief who clearly prefers one son over the other. Eva Mendes plays the sexy girlfriend to Phoenix. In a nice turn of events we get to see Eva’s boobies for a bried moment.
The Action : Its hidden somewhere in a plot surrounded by bad dialogue and characters you just don’t become attached to. Put it this way, there really isn’t any action that you would expect out of a movie promoting itself as a Crime/Drama/Thriller.
Favorite Scenes : None really. I suppose the two toploess girls dancing on the bar was a nice moment, or when Eva Mendes breast is exposed while she plays with herself.
The Verdict : If there’s nothing else in, you could do worse than rent We Own The Night. You’ll find the characters uninteresting and … somewhat corny. Compared to Eastern Promises its a joke…. so if you want to watch a decent Crime/Drama/Thriller.. rent that instead.
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We own the night
Brothers on opposite sides
Starring: Joaquin Phoenix; Robert Duvall; Mark Wahlberg and Eva Mendez
Captain Grusinsky (Duvall) has a problem: one son is a decorated police officer (Wahlberg) while the other is a night-club owner Bobby Green (Phoenix).
Bobby Green flouts the law at every opportunity; drugs and unsavoury characters abound in his life. On the other hand Joseph Grusinsky (Wahlberg) spends his time pleasing his father and the force by upholding the law.
When a large drug syndicate is uncovered, the PD decides to shake down Green’s establishment. This pits brother against brother. A ruthless criminal decides to embark on a personal vendetta against the family, with tragic consequences.
The film has greater potential than it delivers. It is flawed by poor character development and predictable script. Overall it ranks a major box-office flop since not even the chemistry between Phoenix and Mendez can save this disaster.