Movie Review- WE OWN THE NIGHT
HEADLINE: ** Police Angst Story **TITLE: WE OWN THE NIGHT
Quality: * * * Acceptability: -2
SUBTITLES: -- Some Russian dialogue with English subtitles --
WARNING CODES:
Language: LLL
Violence: VVV
Sex: SS
Nudity: NN
RATING: R
RELEASE: October 12, 2007
TIME: 117 minutes
STARRING: Joaquin Phoenix, Mark Wahlberg, Eva Mendes, Robert Duvall, Danny Hoch, Alex Veadov, Moni Moshonov, and Oleg Taktarov
DIRECTOR: James Gray
PRODUCERS: Mark Wahlberg, Joaquin Phoenix, Nick Wechsler, and Marc Butan
EXECUTIVE PRODUCERS: Anthony Katagas, Todd Wagner, and Mark Cuban
WRITER: James Gray
BASED ON THE NOVEL/PLAY BY: N/A
DISTRIBUTOR: Columbia Pictures/Sony Pictures Entertainment
CONTENT: (C, BB, P, LLL, VVV, SS, NN, AA, DD, M) Light Christian worldview with some strong moral elements that are pro-police and anti-criminal, but with some downbeat elements and much rough content deserving of an R rating; 92 mostly strong obscenities, two strong profanities, 11 light profanities, and an obscene gesture; some very strong violence with blood and some action violence includes man shot in face, shots of bleeding man on floor after he cuts his own throat, gunfights with people shot, man jumps out window during hail of gunfire and falls on metal fence, wound on cheek, car chase with crashes shot in the rain, and threats of violence; depicted sexual foreplay and implied fornication; shots of upper female nudity; alcohol use and drunkenness; smoking, marijuana use, cocaine use, and references to selling drugs, but movie ultimately seems to side with police and against drug dealers, though this element could have been stronger; and, deceit and adult son rebels.
GENRE: Police Thriller
INTENDED AUDIENCE: Older teenagers and adults
Please address your comments to:
Michael Lynton, Chairman/CEO
Amy Pascal, Chairman - Motion Picture Group
Sony Pictures Entertainment
(Columbia Pictures/MGM/TriStar/Screen Gems/Provident)
10202 West Washington Blvd.
Culver City, CA 90232-3195
Phone: (310) 244-4000
Fax: (310) 244-2626
Web Page: www.spe.sony.com/
SUMMARY: WE OWN THE NIGHT is a police thriller set in New York City about a partying nightclub owner who must choose sides when his father, a deputy chief, and his brother, a police detective, decide to take down one of his customers, a Russian drug dealer. WE OWN THE NIGHT is entertaining, intense, well acted, and pro-police, with some positive Christian content, but it is a little bit too downbeat and superficial and contains abundant foul language, very strong violence, a brief sex scene, and some explicit nudity.
IN BRIEF:
WE OWN THE NIGHT is a police thriller set in New York City about the emotional price NYPD officers can pay while fighting ruthless violent criminals. The movie opens in 1988, where Bobby Grusinsky has rejected the police traditions favored by his father, a deputy chief, and his brother, a police detective. Bobby manages a wild nightclub in Brooklyn. There are some unsavory characters coming to the nightclub, including a Russian drug dealer named Vadim who just happens to be the nightclub owner's nephew. Bobby's life changes when his father and brother decide to take down Vadim. Bobby finally has to choose sides.
WE OWN THE NIGHT is entertaining, intense and well acted, with a very nicely done car chase in the rain, but it is a little bit too downbeat with not enough depth to be a four-star movie. Also, it is pro-police and has some overt positive allusions to Christianity and faith, but there are plenty of good reasons why it is rated R. For example, the movie contains abundant foul language, very strong violence, a brief sex scene, and some explicit nudity. Thus, MOVIEGUIDEŽ advises extreme caution.
