Dennis Lehane's screenwriting debut features adequate performances from Tom Hardy and Noomi Rapace, yet James Gandolfini's last role is disheartening.

“The Drop” (15)

Directed by: Michaël R. Roskam.

Starring: Tom Hardy, Noomi Rapace, Elizabeth Rodriguez and James Gandolfini.

Rated: ‘15’ for containing strong language and violence.

Running time: 106 minutes.

Released in UK cinemas from the 14th of November, 2014. 

Undoubtedly an outstanding novelist, Dennis Lehane has the ability to craft complex characters and even more elaborate plots within his stories, attracting the attention of many Hollywood greats, including Martin Scorsesse (he directed an adaptation of “Shutter Island”, starring Leonardo DiCaprio) and Ben Affleck (who directed an adaptation of “Gone, Baby Gone”). Based upon his very own 2009 short-story, "Animal Rescue", Lehane has attempted to construct a thriller which ultimately becomes a B-Movie with blockbuster performances. It’s a disappointing send off for Tony Soprano. 

Bob Saginowski (Hardy, with a poor American accent) is a hardworking bartender who works within his cousin Marv’s (Gandolfini) coveted establishment, which not only serves alcoholic beverages, but also acts as a bank for local gangsters who use the business as a “money drop”, for their illegal takings. It’s a difficult life for Bob, especially when he finds himself at the centre of a robbery, which places him and Marv under scrutiny from the mob, when they lose close to $5000 in the hold-up. The Chechen mafioso’s want their money back, and Bob is committed to retrieving it, but when he befriends Nadia (Rapace) and a pit-bull named Rocco, he is pursued by a mysterious and dangerous man named Eric Deeds, who threatens to turn his life, and the lives of those he loves, upside down. 

To arrive at the cinema expecting a taught and tense film like many of Lehane’s earlier adaptations, you may be thoroughly disappointed. Written by Lehane himself, “The Drop” doesn’t exactly pack the powerful punch which many of his other works achieved, and therefore descends into an often melodramatic piece, with an uninspiring plot, especially due to the amount of intriguing sub-plots which aren’t all tied up towards the end of its running time. Despite all the possible danger incurred by crossing paths with gangsters and convicted killers, the film remains bloodless (except for two short scenes) and fails to engage through it’s often slow sequences shared between Rapace and Hardy, in a will they/won’t they? relationship which ultimately boils down to prosaic drama. 

However, the film is well crafted in regards to its performances from two leads; Hardy (we’ll ignore the accent for a moment) and Rapace manage to create characters which may not always be engaged in the most intelligible of conversations, but their chemistry is what holds it all together. Although Gandolfini should feel right at home within the seedy world of crooks and murderers due to his experience from “The Sopranos”, his performance is ultimately hollow, and remains dreary throughout, proving to be a disappointing end to his extensive and award-nominated filmography.

Verdict

Apart from two adequate performances and some commendable camerawork from Roskam and his DOP Nicolas Karakatsanis, “The Drop” is an unconvincing drama which would work perfectly along with less characters and well developed plot strands, than it already contains. A missed opportunity. 

5 Stars out of 10

Written by Scott Gentry.

Film/TV Rating Key

1-2 stars out of ten = Awful.

3-4 stars out of ten = Average.

5-6 stars out of ten = Good.

7-8 stars out of ten = Excellent.

9-10 stars out of ten = Amazing.

Trailer

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