Everyone who is a fan of Robert De Niro knows he has participated in a lot of movies about mafias, crime, and that sort of thing. However, I wasn't aware of this film from the 90s where he plays the dad of a guy who finds himself tempted to participate in this type of life.
He plays the dad of an Italian family from the working class. He works as a bus driver and is very content with what he accomplished in his life, being able to provide a home and a proper family life to his son. Since they don't have much money, they live near a bar that is frequently visited by men of dubious character.
One of these men is Sonny, he appears to be the most charismatic one and De Niro's character son has a kind of fixation on him. they never spoke with each other because they don't have anything in common. That is, until the day the kid sees Sonny murdering a man in front of his house. He is questioned by the police and when he refuses to acknowledge Sonny as the man responsible for the murder, a friendship begins to develop between these 2 individuals.
There will be some tensions because the kid's parents and this gangster are very different types of people. But that won't stop him from hanging out in the bar with Sonny and his friends, and even getting a job there to start earning some good money. This is not a dark story about corrupting an innocent person, there is no corruption involved and Sonny really becomes something like a second father to this kid.
As expected Sonny's good intentions were never enough to convince the kid's dad and this will be a problem throughout the story. We will see some scenes with crime typical of the mafia, we will also see how young people can easily get involved in violent troubles if they aren't guided correctly, the movie also shows us how difficult it can be for 2 different communities with different values and culture to coexist peacefully, and ultimately, it also provides an example that not all bad men are heartless. It humanizes the gangster figure.
The movie even has some life lessons for young people but I don't think they are adapted to the current times, which is understandable given the fact this film is from 1993. If you like this type of gangster films you should definitely check this one. Have in mind the main character is the kid, not the guys involved in the mafia so even though there are crimes, the main focus on the story is on the kid's issues.
The best
- Excellent mafia/crime movie, mostly focused on the good heart of a ruthless man.
- Good coming of age story involving gangster and an Italian family.
The worst
- There is a little romance mini-story involved but it felt like a stretch.
- The film doesn't come close to the classic ones of the same genre.
More information: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0106489/ Review: AAA In numbers: 7.5/10