The Many Saints of Newark (2021)

[Eric Prime]

Discuss

[filmlover]

As a major Sopranos fan I certainly enjoyed this prequel to it, but it sure feels like a limited series that was condensed down to a 2 hour movie given how rushed it comes across as. If nothing else, David Chase has at least definitely done a good job of maintaining the tone of the series even 14 years after it infamously ended. There's also strong performances from its ensemble, with Alessandro Nivola and Vera Farmiga (nailing a younger version of Nancy Marchand's Livia, the ultimate Mother From Hell) as the standouts. And taking on the iconic role of his late father, Michael Gandolfini does a solid job that would have made James proud as a young Tony Soprano. It's well-made overall and entertaining to see the younger versions of these characters, but it's hard to imagine this will ever be treated as anything more than a footnote to the show's enduring legacy. B-

[clockwork]

As someone who's never watched The Sopranos but was looking to watch a new movie I thought this was just alright. I've learned a bit about the show from browsing the internet and the trailers made it seem like the characters of Young Tony Sorprano and Dickie Moltisanti were gonna be the main characters in this but tbh thats not really the case. This movie felt rather unfocused to me, felt like it was just a bunch of stuff happening and that there wasn't a solid enough throughline/plot that tied everything together.

 

The performances from the cast are solid, especially Alessandro Nivola whom I found charming as a mobster uncle trying to set a good example for his nephew but isn't entirely good himself. I didn't like the way he got killed off at the end though, especially the petty reasoning behind it that made me go like "really?" I get wanting to subvert expectations and showcasing how ruthless and sometimes petty the mob world can be but come on. Regardless, I was entertained and I suppose if you're a sopranos fan you'll get more out if it than I did so I'll settle for giving this a C+. Considered giving it a slightly higher grade but just couldn't let those plot related issues slide.

Edited October 15, 2021 by clockwork