Once Upon a Time in Brooklyn (2013)

Bobby (William DeMeo) gets out of prison after five years for armed robbery. He opts to go after the rats that put him in there. He works for a crime family. He is the son of a well off somewhat honest construction company owner who does not like the mob, but must deal with them. The story is told with flashbacks and flashbacks during flashbacks. It has some first person narration by Bobby, but changes up at will to have some policeman narration.The film is a gritty look at the crime world filled with connections and favors. Bobby loathes the flamboyant lifestyle of those criminals who flaunt their wealth, but is forced to work with them. Bobby is by no means an honorable person himself, screwing up relationships, sometimes being his worse enemy.The acting was wonderful, but the plot wasn't solid as if the editor had hiccups. Worth a rental for those for enjoy mafia style crime movies.Parental Guide: F-bomb, sex, stripper nudity.

The film is an interesting mix of family drama and mafia movie. It balances the two quite well and plays an entertaining part in the conflict. The relationship especially between the father and son juxtaposed with the relationship of the small gang is done nicely. And the ending is especially my favorite part. Overall, I think it is a decent film and is well worth the watch. Yes, there were some things I wasn't particularly fond of such as the lack of violence I was expecting but it was still a decent film. If you don't like mafia movies then obviously this isn't the movie for you. But if you are partial to them, I would say to give this one a shot.

Whilst the lead guy does have solid presence it wasn't until half way though that I realised this was some cheap b grade rubbish. All the mafiosi tropes are here from makin da bolognese sauce to getting gunned down at a restaurant to the rat to revenge to you get the idea. The soundtrack shifted the tone so wildly that it gives you the feeling of different editors. They should have stuck to the gritty rock stuff instead of Italian arias at the hit whilst everyone does in slow mo...I kid you not. All of it reeks of some student effort: Constant time shifts...excessive narration...useless scenes. The lead tough guy guy crying while he jerks off?! lol Looks like a tax loss production to me

A friend of mine suggested I see this movie. I understood why she did after seeing it. The lead actor blew me away. He had incredible presence. I love the bad boys. Especially ones that can make you root for them. I thought the movie sent a very nice message of what is really important. I will be watching out for William DeMeo. I really enjoyed watching him from the opening scene. The scenes with his father Armand Assante were very good. I felt the compassion they felt for each other. Assante still has what it takes. The scene where he rips into his son towards the end of the movie is breath taking. I thought the movie had enough action for the story told and I felt all the supporting characters were very believable. If you are a fan of this genre. You won't be disappointed. I will be looking out for the future films of this director Paul Borghese.