Brooklyn, 1985. With the mob world as a backdrop, three life-long friends struggle with questions of love, loss and loyalty.
Although the initial feel of 'Brooklyn Rules' is a seemingly derivative teenager-caught-up-in-the-mob tale, the intended message is a much more wholesome one (without being too "rom-com" about it) with very little emphasis on graphic violence (only one truly violent scene, and nothing much is shown) and greater weight put on character definition and the bond of friendship.
Indeed 'Brooklyn Rules' is a story of childhood friends much more than it is a gangster movie, but with enough grit that it's not going to end up being Sunday afternoon TV fodder. What makes the movie so enjoyable is the flawless and often very funny constant banter between the trio of fast-talking friends at the heart of the story played by Freddie Prinze Jr. (who needn't have gone so heavy on the cliché Brooklyn accent), Scott Caan and the ever-so-Sean-Astin Jerry Ferrara. Mena Suvari doesn't have much to do but Alec Baldwin is near-perfect in his role as wise guy Caesar, doing an excellent job of making the viewer see the good side of his character.
The movie received some heavy criticism upon its cinematic release in the US for trying too hard to be like other famous mob movies. To be honest, a point was missed here. This movie isn't trying to be a mob movie. It's set in the classic New York mob era, and certainly the story has a lot of mob elements which drive it on, but these are just the background to the main story about the three friends. The causes of most of their problems, and the events in the film, could have been set against any backdrop where one of the trio starts to get involved in crime. This could have been set around a modern-day criminal gang in any major US city and it wouldn't have altered the movie in the slightest, aside from some of the period-specific dialogue and clothing etc.
'Brooklyn Rules' doesn't revolutionise anything. Very little about the movie is markedly different to what already exists, but the story is good, the acting is strong and the motif clear. If approached with an open mind viewers should find themselves caring enough about the characters to be suitably affected by some of the key events while watching, and although the ending feels ever-so-slightly rushed, it's a satisfying if untaxing viewing experience.
An interesting series - not without its problems - but worth dipping in to if you are curious about what it has to offer.
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Coming-of-age drama from 'Sopranos' writer Terence Winter that follows the lives of three young Brooklyn men of Italian-American heritage. The year is 1985 and Michael (Freddie Prinze Jr.), Carmine (Scott Caan) and Bobby (Jerry Ferrara) are at that stage in life where the choices they make will determine their future. Michael scams his way into the pre-law course at Columbia whilst dating the beautiful, blue-eyed Ellen (Mena Suvari). Bobby takes a job at the post office and settles down to marry his childhood sweetheart. Carmine, meanwhile, has fallen under the spell of local mafioso Caesar Manganaro (Alec Baldwin), and his involvement with this psychopathic mobster not only compromises his own integrity, but threatens to forever break the bonds of friendship he shares with Michael and Bobby.
Please note this is a region 2 DVD and will require a region 2 or region free DVD player in order to play In 1974 Michael Turner Bobby Canzoneri and Carmine Mancuso are three young friends who like to think of themselves as tough guys After they find a dead body--and a gun--their lives are in for a change Eleven years later Michael is working at a deli and studying at Columbia; Bobby is a ne&39;er-do-well who&39;s nervous about proposing to his girlfriend Amy; and Carmine is starting to do small jobs for the local mob run by Caesar Manganaro At school Michael falls for one of his classmates Ellen a society girl who sees through his preppie persona and is attracted to his tougher side Michael wants nothing to do with the mob but Carmine mistakenly gets him involved with Caesar jeopardizing his career--and his life Actors Freddie Prinze Jr Scott Caan Mina Suvare Ferry Ferrara Alec Baldwin Monica Keena Robert Turano Phyllis Kay Ursula Abbott Paulo Araujo & Rome Kanda Director Michael Corrente Certificate 15 years and over Year 2007 Screen Widescreen 169 Languages English - Dolby Digital (51) Subtitles English For The Hearing Impaired Duration 1 hour 39 minutes (approx)
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