Being related to a great Hollywood film-maker can be a double-edged sword. Ted Demme was one of the people to experience that. On one hand, his own directorial career was boosted by the reputation of his uncle Jonathan. On the other hand, inevitable comparisons between two filmographies were usually at the younger Demme's expense. Ted Demme never got the opportunity to really establish his career and develop his own style. Some of his films were better than others, though. Among the better ones is 1998 thriller Monument Ave., also known as Snitch.
The plot is set in Charlestwon, a section of Boston populated almost exclusively by Irish Americans. One of them is Bobby O'Grady (played by Denis Leary), 30-year old man whose lifestyle hasn't changed since high school. Today, just like before, it revolves around boozing, taking drugs and gambling. Bobby is always short of money so he and his old friends don't have any other option than to commit burglaries and car thefts. Their gang is ultimately controlled by Jackie O'Hara (played by Colm Meaney), a local crime boss whose tight grip of neighbourhood is maintained through combination of public charity, loan-sharking and brutally enforced code of silence. Bobby hates Jackie because he had his best friend Teddy (played by Billy Crudup) killed, but he hasn't got any alternative to working for him, just like anyone else in the neighbourhood, including Bobby's cousin Seamus (played by Jason Barry) who had just immigrated from Ireland. The only way in which Bobby can avenge his humiliation is a clandestine affair with Jackie's girlfriend Katy (played by Famke Janssen).
At first glance, Monument Ave. isn't that different from many independent films dealing with young men from American blue collar neighbourhoods who are trapped within the vicious cycle of poverty, drugs, violence and petty crime. And just like many such films, Monument Ave. is inspired by the events from authors' past. But this film is slightly different because Ted Demme here shows an ability to make the most prosaic and most cliched scenes look attractive with the clever use of various filmmaking techniques. Mark Armstrong's script (co-written with Denis Leary) adds to it by defining characters with small, but revealing gestures or pieces of dialogue. The script also doesn't shy away from controversy. A good example is a taxi ride scene that in a couple of minutes tells more unpleasant truths about the state of interracial relations in modern America than could be found in many films by Spike Lee.
The acting in the film is great. Denis Leary, who made a reputation as angry young man, is surprisingly good in the role of a very rational and quiet character. He convincingly portrays Bobby as a generally decent young man who just had the misfortune to succumb to the bad influences of his neighbourhood. John Diehl is also very fine in the role of semi-retarded taxi driver, while former model Famke Janssen very convincingly portrays a young woman who grew up in an American blue collar neighbourhood.
Despite the predictable ending, Monument Ave. is a very good film that shows the director is able to deliver insightful social commentary, good acting and solid entertainment to the audience.
RATING: 7/10 (+++)
(Note: The text in its original form was posted in Usenet newsgroup rec.arts.films.reviews on June 8th 2004)
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