THE FOLLOWING REVIEW CONTAINS SPOILERS OF THE DISCUSSED FILM AND SERIES. READERS DISCRETION IS ADVISED.
From 1999 to 2007, David Chase’s The Sopranos was considered as the best television drama series to ever air on HBO (Home Box Office). When the series finale aired, there was understandable disappointment as it ended with an ambiguous blackout. Although we might not ever know what truly happened, Chase still decided to bring us back to this fascinating world in the style of a prequel film.
PLOT
The Many Saints of Newark is briefly narrated by the deceased Christopher Moltisanti (Michael Imperioli). He shares of the origin of his uncle Antonio ‘Tony’ Soprano. In 1967 Newark, New Jersey, he joined DiMeo crime family soldier Richard ‘Dickie’ Moltisanti (Christopher’s father) to welcome his father ‘Hollywood Dick’ home with his new wife Giuseppina (Michela De Rossi). The family included his father Giovanni ‘Johnny Boy’ and his uncle Corrado ‘Junior’ Soprano as soldiers. When an African taxi driver gets assaulted by police officers, it sparks a five day riot. Harold McBrayer, Dickie’s black associate, took part of it as well. During this time span, Johnny goes to prison for ‘assault with a deadly weapon’ for four years. Dickie would also kill his father assaulting Giuseppina, refusing to let her go through the same trauma as his mother, staging it as an accident. After the funeral, he would begin visiting Hollywood Dick’s twin brother Sally in prison, who’s serving time for murdering a made man in the family. When Harold moves to North Carolina after a warrant for murdering someone at a recruiting center, Dickie gives him $500 as a gift. He would also begin to have an affair with Giuseppina. When Tony gets suspended from school for gambling, he makes his nephew promise to stay out of trouble and he’ll give him $500 if he graduates high school. Four years later, Dickie has conceived his only child Christopher with his wife Joanne (Gabriella Piazza). Johnny Boy is out of prison and is welcomed by the family, but he is displeased with his neighborhood being mixed with African Americans. Tony is prepared to be a linebacker in high school, but Junior doesn’t think he has the potential to be a varsity athlete. Harold returns from North Carolina when the murder warrant on him drops, becoming inspired to start his crime operation in Newark. Frank Lucas (Oberon KA Adjepong) helps him out as his backer. When Giuseppina has an argument with Dickie, revolving around setting up a beauty parlor, she has an affair with his former associate to spite him. He would then start a war by stealing protection money. With aid from Silvio Dante, Peter ‘Paulie Walnuts’ Gualtieri (Billy Magnussen) and Salvatore 'Big Pussy' Bonpensiero (Samson Moeakiola), he tortures and kills Harold’s member, Cyril (Germar Terrell Gardner), learning that Harold plotted the robbery. When Harold himself finds out about Cyril’s death, he has a shootout with the DiMeo soldiers. While he loses multiple members, Dickie loses Big Pussy’s father, Buddha (Joey Diaz). Despite going to school, Tony still causes trouble by hijacking an ice cream truck and stealing answers from a geometry exam. His mother Livia learns from the school’s guidance counselor that despite learning that he has a high IQ, he has no interest in his education and prefers to act as a leader toward his friends. She would later antagonize him when he suggests her to take antidepressants. At Buddha’s wake, he asks Dickie to get Elavil for her, but he is hesitant to do it. Junior would become infuriated when Dickie laughs at him for falling on the steps (it was raining that day). When Harold converses with Frank of his conflict over Dickie, he plans to deal with it on his own despite his backer offering assistance. Dickie attempts to reconnect with Giuseppina by announcing to set up her beauty parlor. But when she confesses of her affair with Harold, he furiously reacts by drowning her near a beach. When he visits Sally for the last time during the holiday season, his uncle insists to stay out of Tony’s life. He does try to do so by avoiding him, which would only break his nephew’s heart. Aware of what’s happening, Silvio encourages him to reconcile because he knows how close they are. Dickie seems to agree with him by telling him to call Tony and tell him to meet at Holsten’s at 9am. By the time he gets home, he is killed by an unknown man, under the order of Junior. The film ends with Tony attending his wake and Harold moving into a new home with his family.
THOUGHTS
My parents loved watching The Sopranos when it first aired. And I was lucky enough to binge on the series before the release of this film. During the opening weekend of its release, my father and I made time to check it out on (HBO)Max (within the month span it was first streamed). And it goes without saying that we really enjoyed it. With the high expectations, I believe that they were lived up to. Chase, co writer Lawrence Konner and Director Alan Taylor (who directed 9 episodes of the series) were able to succeed in creating a love letter to fans, as the show was always portrayed as one to the genre of mob films. I won't try to overrate this film and call it a modern Goodfellas, but I strongly believe that it will gain a fair amount of respect like the films before it. This film finds a way to be entertaining to witness because because it maintains the show's spirit, being a unique exploration of the underside of the American dream. that is also a narrative scope and serial ambition. By the time it ends and you hear the theme song, 'Woke Up this Morning' by Alabama 3, you can't help but want more. When you create that kind of feeling for a story, you know how special of a world it is. I do not think a sequel would be necessary to make but at the same time, it would be interesting to explore more events that occurred beforehand. Like any franchise, we remain onboard throughout thanks to an incredible ensemble of colorful characters, a mix of recognizable faces to names we never thought we'd see. We all know that James Gandolfini embodied the adult Tony Soprano during the series, which made it a challenge for anyone else to take on the role. When it came to breakouts William Ludwig and James' son Michael Gandolfini, they live up to the expectations. Both embraced Tony as an enthusiastic and mischievous boy who wanted to fit in with the DiMeo family. Because he had no personal connection with his parents, his uncle and even his sisters, he desired it more than ever. When Dickie attempted to shut him out, he had every right to feel hurt because he didn't want to be alone. When he died and did a pinky swear, it symbolized how he promised to be good. But in his point of view, it meant to take his place in the family and carry it forward. When it came to Tony's elders, it felt like fan casting come true because they were exactly who I imagined to be part of this film. Jon Bernthal didn't change a thing when it came to Johnny Boy as he remained as self centered as the show remembered him for. Whenever you saw him, you also see where his son gets his temper from. Corey Stoll was honestly spot on when playing Uncle Junior. When he puts on the glasses, you would almost mistake to be a young Dominic Chianese. In his given time, we see him at his most stubbornness and insecure. He killed Dickie not just because of laughing at him, but because he knows he doesn't have what it takes to be a capo. Despite being the older brother, he rose through the ranks slower than Johnny Boy. And he always told Tony "He never had the makings of a varsity athlete" because it was his own harsh reality he couldn't accept. When he killed Dickie, it proved how far he'll go to get a better seat at the table, refusing to be put down any longer. I always hated Livia because of the decisions she made in the series. While Nancy Marchard played it to perfection on being despicable, Vera Farmiga showed me so much more about her in this film. Throughout, she comes off so pessimistic to the point where you mistake her as an annoying bitch. She was miserable and that was her way of bragging about it. Just when you think she loves her kids, it never really felt that way when it came to Tony. She berates on him so much that when Johnny shot at her hair, I wished it was her face because no parent should be so cruel to their children. She is far from defining 'tough love'. She even made me boil when refusing to take antidepressants and chose to not say anything when hearing Dickie had Elavil on him before he died, when he was getting them for her. We don't get a lot of Silvio Dante, but I think that John Magaro was another actor that owned up to a popular role. Despite being a loyal soldier, he was also someone willing to speak his mind. You appreciate him for telling Dickie to reconcile with Tony not just because he is aware how close they are, but also because he is aware of his potential. Looking out for family is part of this life and you gotta respect for him playing it to a tea at that moment. Going into new characters, it was long overdue to Uncle Dickie and it was worth the wait. Alessandro Nivola gives his best performance as the most conflicted character the franchise has ever seen. He is undeniably charismatic and loved by many, but he deeply feels like a bottomless pit searching for a fill. Everything he hopes to be saint, he easily becomes triggered to commit sin. This does resemble how Tony would be in the show, but the difference between the two is that he actually tried his best to be a better person. He chose to visit Uncle Sally because he regretted killing his father (despite having good reason). When he isolated himself from Tony, it hurt him too because he didn't want to lose the last person he loved, aside from his wife and son. Hence why he caved and planned to see him again. His death is tragic because Tony would lose the proper guidance he needed to be the better person his own mentor was trying to be. With that being said, I think he would be disappointed with the decisions he made during the show. Leslie Odom Jr. takes his range at a whole other level here. As Harold McBrayer, he is the most fearless because he refuses to be disrespected by anyone in his way. He is even bolder for choosing to start a war with a man that introduced him to this lifestyle. When I look at the ending, it is simple yet satisfying when you look at his perspective. He knows that it's completely over between him and Dickie, realizing that no one will be after him anymore. Last but not least, it felt like we sat on a goldmine for seeing Ray Liotta return to the mob genre. He plays both Moltisanti twins so well like they're different sides of a coin. He easily slips into the sliminess of Hollywood Dick, while also bringing unexpected wisdom out of Sally. It was a tough call for him to tell Dickie to stay out of Tony's life, but he knew it was for the best, which is the sole reason to respect him. While I think this film gets better within each viewing, I can admit that there were moments where I felt like they shouldn’t have happened. First off, why would Dickie discuss business in front of young Tony and his sisters? Sure kids can get distracted easily, but he should know Tony at this point. And why would the boy ever go out at night during a riot? I don’t care if his home is far from it, things like that can change overtime and he wouldn’t see it coming. The only thing I’d question of teenage self is why would he sell ice cream from the truck he hijacked? If he wants to make a name for himself, it would’ve been smarter if he charged the customers. I’m not trying to condone this, but he missed an opportunity is all that I’m saying. The biggest question revolving around Harold is this: why would he shoot someone at a recruitment center? He could’ve waited until Leon got away from the building and he would’ve not gotten a murder warrant. You want to talk about dumb moments? How about the fact that the soldiers were so dumb that allowed Dickie to pass through and didn’t question Hollywood Dick’s state. It wasn’t that dark to say they didn’t notice him. And lastly, why would Tony think Livia would listen to Dickie about taking Elavil? I know he wants to help her out, but he should know by now that he gets the stubbornness from her. Other than that, I still enjoy the rest of the story. In conclusion, The Many Saints of Newark stands out from its genre for being an entertaining trip down memory lane. If you love The Sopranos, see this movie now.
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