This first appeared on www.realmoviereview.com
Robert De Niro debuts as director in this feature and he does a fine job with obvious Scorsese influence. This is an excellent small-scale movie with a good story and well-developed characters, some excellent performances, along with subtle directorial flair.
In a lot of ways, this resembles a softer, gentler Goodfellas. The story revolves around Calogero Anello, (Lillo Brancato), a seventeen year old Italian growing up in a 1960s Bronx neighborhood. Calogero is befriended by the local mob boss (Palminteri) over the objections of his father (De Niro). And this movie tells the story of his coming of age in this environment. Francis Capra does a fine job as the nine year-old Calogero, and Palminteri and De Niro show excellence at their craft. Brancato does a respectable job, but suffers from comparison.
This is a personal favorite of mine and I recommend it whole-heartedly. There are some wonderful scenes, strong dialogue and enough action to balance out the story and make this enjoyable by all kinds of viewers.
In a lot of ways, what does the movie resemble?
softer, gentler Goodfellas