Film
What's on at the cinema plus reviews of the latest movie and DVD releases
Bookmark this pageWe Own the Night (2007)
Director: James Gray
Movie review
From Time Out London
Smuggling in a fraught, mythic tale of destiny and blood ties under the old-fashioned clothing of a ’70s-style crime drama, James Gray’s first film since ‘The Yards’ (2000) broods with dark, tantalising subtleties. Trapped again and again in God’s-eye cut-backs, long shots and stretched takes, coked-up nightclub manager Joaquin Phoenix finds himself forced to reunite with his cop family (Mark Wahlberg as his brother, Robert Duvall as his deputy-chief dad) in the late-’80s NYC drugs war. But Gray shapes his classical framework too close to both contrivance and convention too often, leaving his intriguing thematic payload lost in murky, indistinct drama. Eva Mendes completes a volley of evolving, insular performances that mesh perfectly with the fading shadows and ambient noise of Gray’s sombre neo-noir stylings. Yet still, for all the heat, the slow-burn simply never ignites. Shame, because Gray was achingly close to something here. A desperate violence and urgency spills out in the film’s flash-point set-pieces – not least a sensational car chase, shot through a windscreen, hammering rain and a blur of fear.Author: Jonathan Crocker
Time Out London Issue 1947: December 12-18 2007
User reviews of this film
-
- Warm Norman said...
- Posted on Jan 12 2008 20:17 i thought the film was very good and the toilet scenes were strange but exciting. i especially enjoyed the cameo role of ben stiller as a hairy waitress
- Report as inappropriate
-
- kat said...
- Posted on Jan 06 2008 12:45 it had jacquin in it...mate what more do you want :D
- Report as inappropriate
-
- top london film critic said...
- Posted on Jan 05 2008 19:38 This film was that exciting I had an accident in my briefs!!!!!
- Report as inappropriate
-
- Sutton said...
- Posted on Dec 25 2007 21:07 Given the stars on show this was a disappointing movie. Too many cliches you will have seen elsewhere. The film never really ignites.
- Report as inappropriate
-
- critique said...
- Posted on Dec 23 2007 12:57 Watchable but unoriginal, by-the-numbers crime thriller. Phoenix is unconvincing and somewhat annoying, Wahlberg and the great Duvall just go through the motions. All been done many times before and often a lot better.
- Report as inappropriate
-
- timi said...
- Posted on Dec 18 2007 14:10 I thought Joaquim & Mark were fantastic in their roles in the Gladiator & Italian job respectively & subsequent films. So I went to see what they had to offer jointly....I was not dissapointed but the film was more of a family drama than a thriller, not in the league of The Departed 'am afraid!
- Report as inappropriate
-
- Tara said...
- Posted on Dec 17 2007 14:12 Its a good film, was worth the watch, i thought that Mark Wahlberg was more of a main part in it. Its one of those fils that is good but definatley nothing to special.
- Report as inappropriate
Cast & crew
Director: James Gray
Producer: Mark Wahlberg, Joaquin Phoenix, Nick Wechsler, Marc Butan
Cast: Joaquin Phoenix, Mark Wahlberg, Eva Mendes, Robert Duvall full cast
Rated: 15
Duration: 117 mins
UK Release: Dec 14 2007
Most popular on this site
Top Stories
Time Out's 101 Films of the Decade
Ten years, thousands of movies and millions of dollars in international box office, and it all boils down to this
Martin Provost discusses 'Séraphine'
Trevor Johnston talks to the director of 'Séraphine' about bringing a little known French painter back to life
Our verdict on Peter Jackson's The Lovely Bones
Peter Jackson ends a triumphant decade with a sentimental misfire with this lush Alice Sebold adaptation
On the set of Ken Loach's 'Route Irish'
Dave Calhoun meets Ken Loach on the set of his forthcoming Iraq war movie
Stephen Poliakoff discusses 'Glorious 39'
Stephen Poliakoff’s ‘Glorious 39’ is his first film for cinema since ‘Food of Love’ in 1997. Dave Calhoun met him
Is 'Paranormal Activity' the new 'Blair Witch'?
How does a film go from DIY experiment to box-office smash? 'Paranormal Activity' director Oren Peli explains
Steven Soderbergh on 'The Informant!' and 'The Girlfriend Experience'
We talk to Steven Soderbergh about his two forthcoming films: one featuring a porn star, the other a chubby Matt Damon
A gateway to all things 'New Moon'
In anticipation of 'The Twilight Saga: New Moon', Time Out is offering the chance to pick up a limited edition pack with three exclusive magazines and a free poster.
The films that deserve a TV spin-off
With Roland Emmerich suggesting he'd like to make a '2012' TV spin-off, we propose some more movie-to-TV serialisations
Time Out's 50 greatest animated films with commentary by Terry Gilliam
In celebration of the release of Pixar's 'Up' and Wes Anderson's 'Fantastic Mr Fox', read our rundown of fifty classic feature length animations
What do you think?
Post your review now