We Own the Night presents the age-old story of the fight between police and gangsters. We have two brothers; one is a police officer in New York City Joseph (Mark Wahlberg) and another Bobby (Joaquin Phoenix) who runs a club where drug use is rampant and Russian mobsters bandy about. Bobby’s happy life faces a crisis when Joseph decides to bust the ill-famed club. Once the gang is given a chase, Joseph, Bobby and their father Burt Grusinsky (Robert Duvall) stand face to face to the ruthless mobsters who seek revenge. Among the three, Bobby must choose a course between fast moving club lives or help his family.
The movie is nothing unusual. It is a kind of movie, we have seen hundred times. It contains a recent trend of presenting Russian mob. Recently another movie, Eastern Promises, also focused heavily on the Russian mob. Is it a calculated move to denigrate the Russians since certainly the New York City has several underground gangs who are not Russians? The question arises whether the Russians are really that bad? In other way does the New York have so many Russians? The answer is certainly negative.
We Own the Night has some Oscar winning actors who played their part well, but their selection of the film would in no way give them any nomination to the Academy Awards. The screenplay is weak and the audience tends to reach boredom before the movie comes to its middle. Except a decent car chase and some exciting moments, the plot seems to plod along. The police work is also sloppy unlike the usual Hollywood movies. The blame sole lies with the director. The movie is a miserable failure considering the hype and hoopla created in the media before its release and also by some selected scenes used as its trailers. The film lacks memorable action and suspense as well. Viewers are not likely go for a second trip to theatre with this movie in mind.
