We Own the Night

Ratings & Reviews

Zanna Walsh

I am disappointed. It started so well, a really horny scene, fabulous music, great nightclub. Then, it just became dull. Mr Phoenix mumbles his way through, black sheep, becomes unlikely, unwanted police helper. Such a good cast, but, i thought the writing weak. Nope.

I.Camera

A middle of the road, thoroughly cliched film, with some decent action sequences but little originality. Phoenix and Eva Mendes in particular are utterly wasted on bland characters facing off against Russian mobster stereotypes in heavy coats. Very predictable and constantly explaining its plot to the audience, this is a weak film that would likely be forgotten were it not made by the director of 'The Immigrant'.

raggiodisole

In a sub-genre such as the one where this film belongs, it is hard to stand out. Certain scenes are zippy and ace, other scenes flat and generic. Wholly uneven, the finale is a dud, but overall watchable.

Shane Ewen

Solid, workmanlike film elevated by Phoenix's performance

Olga Koroleva

The plot is a little predictable but this is not to say that everyone involved didn't do a brilliant job. A very good genre film.

JJ Viau

Good action + Eva Mendes. Too many clichés in my eyes though.

raffael

Also für Mubi-Verhältnisse ist das wirklich leichte Kost gewesen. Aber das muss nicht schlecht sein. Unterm Strich war die erste Hälfte wirklich spannend (4.5/5), das dritte Viertel ganz okay (3/5) und das letzte Viertel - bzw. das Ende - ziemlich lächerlich (2/5). Ergibt schlussendlich - Pi mal Daumen - 3/5.

Christofi Cotonou

A good way to spend the evening.

Maria Luisa

The film starts off pretty intense and well made, but ends in the normal us-american law and order narrative which is pretty lame. From the middle onwards everything is laid out clearly and serves all the stereotypes Hollywood has to offer in a black and white good/evil, police, family drama. Not worth watching.

Chihao Tsang

Starts out pretty generic but seocnd half gets better

Mike Jempson

Much better than I had anticipated - but then Robert Duvall never disappoints. There have been better movies of a similar ilk - The Departed, Donnie Brasco, Black Mass, Goodfellas - but why is it that in so many American films the concept of tragedy loses out to that Hollywood staple - melodrama? Someone explain to American directors - they are (very) different things.

John

Has a fine cast, and some wonderful set pieces (the best car chase I can remember) but what could have been a great film is continually let down by clunky and dialogue. I would normally post zero stars for any film which ends with the lines (spoiler alert) I love you Bobby, I love you too Cletus. WTF? Was that the price James Gray had to pay for getting his film released? If so I would argue it wasn't worth it.

Sin título.

(20180926)

Carlo Capalbo

3.5/5

Sage

Underrated

paul_quixote

Meh idea, great execution. I like when Harmony K said, "Why would I make a movie about someone trapped in a fuckn prison?" and this is like, "Why should I care about some guy becoming a cop?" Love Mendes but the way she's photographed is The Absolute (Self-Aware??) Male Gaze. The Issue is Phoenix kicks into wizened mode like Act 1 Scene 4, so his transformation lacks juice. Lots to love but parts > sum for sure.

Peter Walsh

Starts out strong and then gets stuck in the quagmire of cop-cliches... On some level it achingly wishes it was Infernal Affairs.

Quattro

Another great piece by Gray. Like The immigrant, this one too has nothing new to say; but the elegance of the mise-en-scène, the precision of framing and rythm, the gravitas of characters and dialogue–his direction is so solid, so charming, that he could sell the same old story over and over and get away with it. Wonder what he could do with a less predictable screenplay–but maybe that's not what he's interested in.

Morenai

2.5

NCMBianchi

[More like 3.5]

dancingskylark

A good, old style cops-and-dealers movie. A well balanced mixture of suspance, action, ideals and brotherhood feelings. Worth a couple of hours of a rainy, idle evening.

aureliome

Thiller interessante, ritmo buono e buona recitazione con grandi attori (Phoenix, Duvall e Wahlberg)

Christopher McQuain

This one is seductive; it's very tempting to overlook its recurrent defaulting to rote convention. The aim is so clearly to forge the archetypal, mythological, and lyrical from the familiar, and some set-piece sequences do attain that; then, well-textured atmosphere, mood, and tone achieve gravitas. But elsewhere, the bedeviling details persist; the narrative movement is often pointlessly busy and cop-show stale.

Nicholas Gregory

Gray's screenplay beautifully handles its dramatic turning points, adding more conflict to the emotional fray. It's also tense occasionally, with some great action scenes, and one of the best car chases in years held in his gritty and raw style that echoes 70s crime-thriller master filmmakers, despite its underwhelming and rushed falling action. Great final shot, as always with Gray, echoing his themes of obligation.