Displaying items by tag: Cosmo Jarvis

THE ALTO KNIGHTS

US, 2025, 125 minutes, Colour.

Robert De Niro, Debra Messing, Kathrine Narducci, Cosmo Jarvis, Michael Rispoli.

Directed by Barry Levinson.

Revisited. The Mafia revisited.

Over 50 years ago, worldwide audiences became powerfully aware of the Mafia and its activities in the United States with the release of Francis Ford Coppola’s The Godfather. For the next half century and more, there have been many, many Mafia films, organised crime dramas, especially with the intensity from Martin Scorsese, the 30 years from Goodfellas to The Irishman. Cinema audiences have been fine-tuned to responding to these films for a long time.

Which puts The Alto Knights to some disadvantage, high expectations from audiences. And, there is the Robert De Niro connection, his first Oscar for portraying the young Vito Corleone in The Godfather 2, then with Scorsese, Goodfellas, Casino, The Irishman. More expectations.

Another factor is that this film has been made by Hollywood veterans, Robert De Niro, and director, Barry Levinson, in their 80s. Writer, Nicholas Pileggi (famous journalist investigating crime in the 1950s, writer of Goodfellas and Casino) and longtime prolific producer,  Irwin Winkler, both in their 90s. This is very much a film in retrospect, of interest to audiences who have focused on Mafia films, perhaps not striking enough for audiences who have seen most of it before.

The casting director has obviously made great attempts to give the look of authenticity with so many of the supporting cast playing gangsters having strong Italian names.

One of the great attractions for this film is that Robert De Niro plays the two Mafia chiefs of the 1940s and 1950s, Frank Costello and Vito Genovese. And, while he shows that they have a great deal in common, their childhood friendship in the club The Alto Knights, they also fell out and there are considerable differences, Frank Costello, generally calm and calculating, Vito Genovese more of a psychopath. (And, as we watch De Niro as Genovese, he often looks as if he is channelling performances by Joe Pesci in such films as Goodfellas).

In some ways, this film is a vindication of Frank Costello and the condemnation of Genovese. It is narrated by Costello, a quiet mastermind in organising rackets, starting with bootlegging during Prohibition, building up a network, and establishing a facade of respectability, aided by his devoted wife of almost 40 years, played strikingly and unexpectedly by Debra Messing.

The main action of the film takes place in the immediate aftermath of World War II, Genovese returning from years in Sicily after fleeing murder charges in the US, determined to be the boss, eventually putting a contract on Costello which fails, and a climax with the drama of the meeting of all the Mafia chiefs at the Appalachian rendezvous, Costello masterminding again, the police swooping, Mafia chiefs to jail, including  Genovese who died there.

A subdued postscript as Costello retires with his wife, cultivating roses, winning a competition, quietly complacent as he dies with his criminal life achievement.

1. The title and tone? The old club for young Italians in New York City?
2. The place of gangster films about the Mafia in American cinema, from the 1970s with The Godfather, so many films through the decades, the influence of Martin Scorsese? The presence of Robert De Niro?
3. Writer, director producer, star, their careers over the decades, now in their 80s and 90s, the perspective? Gauging the potential audience, older audiences, younger?
4. The device of having Robert De Niro play the two central characters? His skills, differentiating the personalities, some confusion for audiences?
5. The focus on Frank Costello, how well-known from of the gangster films, his narrating the story, audience sympathy for him, his explanation of himself, the flashbacks and photos, the footage from the period, Prohibition, bootlegging, his establishing himself, the rackets, continuing into the 1940s, the friendship with Vito Genovese, the break, Vito Genovese and the murder charges, to Italy, absent during World War II, his return? Friendship, rivalries, competition? The attempt on Frank Costello’s life, the wound, his surviving, in hospital, released, the police questioning, his saying he did not see the shooter? 38 years of marriage, his devotion to his wife, her support?
6. Frank Costello, criminal, respectability, works of charity? His wife? Her charm and personality, Jewish background, flashbacks to their meeting, dancing, wedding? The effect of the attempt on Costello?
7. De Niro as Vito Genovese, in the Joe Pesci style of performance, intense, psychopath? His past, the murders, exile, return, his close friends and their continued support, advice? Rivalry with Frank Costello, giving the order, Vincent, the shooting, his failure, the return, the rebukes, hs continuing to work for Vito Genovese the? Chauffeur?
8. The flashbacks about Vito Genovese? Anna, the club, her personality, Vito and his intervention, marriage, the romance, falling out, his intervention to get the money, the confrontation, her boyfriend? His later being shot? The importance of the divorce court proceedings, her incessant talking, his nonchalant attitude, denials, alleging respectability? The granting of the divorce? The consequences? Anna and her continued phone calls to Bobby Costello?
9. Kefauver and the politicians, the atmosphere of the 50s, against crime and communists? Performer on the television show? Publicity, for those combating organised crime? The hearings, Vito Genovese and the others all taking the fifth, No Comment. Mentioning Costello, his tactic of Costello offering to come, and some questions, the challenge, his declaring he was an ordinary citizen and walking out?
10. Costello’s plan to defeat Vito Genovese? The promise to hand over the leadership of the Mafia families, the arrangement of the meeting, the location in the appellations, the farm setting, the invitation going out, everybody turning up, the cars, the farm, the welcome by the locals, meal and the celebration?
11. The background of Costello and Albert Anastasio, bodyguard and support, the plan for him to go to Cuba, Vito Genovese puzzling, the hit, the death in the arber’s salon? Costello’s reaction, Albert’s wife and family Bobby Costello’s support?
12. Costello and his driver, delaying going to the meeting, stopping for coffee, buying apples, supplying the information?
13. The police patrols, more police binoculars, calling in, the number plates, young man checking cars in the mud, his informing the group, the panic, everybody running everywhere, , rounding them up, the arrests? The consequent prison sentences, and Vito Genovese in dying in jail?
14. The aftermath, Costello talking about respectability, growing flowers, his wife’s support, winning the competition, and finally dying quietly?
15. Another chapter in American Mafia history?

INSIDE

Australia, 2024, 102 minutes, Colour.

Guy Pearce, Cosmo Jarvis, Vincent Miller, Toby Wallace.

Directed by Chris Wallace.

On the one hand, the title, Inside, suggests prison. On the other hand, it could also suggest going into the interior of a person, their personality, motivations and behaviour. Both are relevant here.

There is an arresting prologue to the film, a wedding ceremony which we see taking place in the prison, a pregnant mother, a criminal father – and the focus then on the child, now a late teenager, and his being condemned by his criminal father and inheriting his guilt.

The young man is Mel (Vincent Miller convincing in his first film role), transferred to a prison, assigned to share a cell with a lifer, sentenced for vicious crimes of rape and child murder. He is Mark Shepard, a powerful performance by British actor, Cosmo Jarvis. But we soon learn that there is a reason for this sharing. Mark has got religion, holding his own services in the prison chapel, more than a touch of charismatic faith, testimony are to the fellow prisoners, speaking in tongues, finding that Mel has his own keyboard, enjoys playing it and so invited to play during the happenings in the Chapel.

So, already a different kind of prison film. There are guards, there are glimpses of the criminals but not in the traditional way of prison films. There is a greater freedom of movement, many sessions to prepare those for whom parole is coming up, getting them to write a letter of apology to their victims as a justice healing exercise, a different atmosphere.

And, yet, not entirely, a new character, Warren, played by Guy Pearce a veteran facing parole but seemingly unwilling to face it, granted a day’s leave to visit his son, played by Toby Wallace, not going well, Warren an enigma. But, he is a gambler, and, to pay his debt there is a bounty on Mark Shepard, and Warren choosing and grooming Mel to be the killer, and so find his place in the prison.

Which means then that the film operates as a psychological thriller, the interactions between the three men, the religious mania of Mark, the manipulation by Warren, Mel and memories of his killing a student in the past, the pressures on him – a dramatic resolution of Mark’s fate.

An interestingly different Australian prison film.

1. The title, the prison meaning, the inner psychological meaning?
2. The action in the prison, find entry, allotment of cells, the cells, the meeting rooms, offices, workplaces, the Chapel? Resemblances to prison films? Differences in terms of guards, cells, supervision? The musical score?
3. The story of Mel, the prologue with the wedding in prison, the pregnant mother, the prisoner father, his legacy to his son, the passing on of the criminal mentality? The flashbacks to Mel, as a boy, the clashes, his killing his opponent? Sentenced to prison?
4. Mel, as a character, his past behaviour, family heritage, age and immaturity, susceptibilities? Discussions with the authorities? His being sent to share with Mark? His keyboard? This leading to his presence in Mark’s evangelical gatherings? Mel and his learning through sharing with Mark? The encounter with Warren, Warren as a father-figure, genial, the touch of the sinister, the issue of the bounty on Mark, the imposition on Mel, to prove himself, his acceptance, in the challenge, unwell, the pressure on him?
5. The focus on the authorities, sympathetic, relationship with the prisoners, especially the discussions and meetings concerning parole readiness, the issue of writing letters to the victims? Mark in for life? Warren and the possibility of parole
6. Mark, his background, rapist, killing the children, life? His personality, his cell, possessions, the religious experience, explanations, gatherings, Pentecostal-like, his utterances, exhortations, talking in tongues, the men coming, scepticism, critical, yet larger numbers coming to the meetings? His use of Mel, the music?
7. Warren, his age, crime, possibility for parole? Father figure, yet sinister, the gambling, his debt, his connection with the controlling prisoner, looks and glances, bounty, Warren and his decision to groom Mel, their interactions? The sinister grooming? Warren the issue of the bounty, going out for the day to see his son, the character of his son, relationship with his father, the emotional impact of the visit? Warren, the return, going to the Chapel, urging Mel?
8. The background of the routines of life in prison, seeming ordinariness?
9. Mark, the final gathering, Warren and his preparing the shiv, Mel hiding it under the bed and not using it?
10. In the meeting, the dowsing of Mark, setting him alight, the conflagration and his death? The impact on Mel?
11. Mark, the discovery of the shiv, Mark and its use?
12. Warren, the consequences? And his future?