We Own the Night

Ratings & Reviews

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.

rllr

The Russians did it.

FISCHER

Malgré une filmographie des plus modestes (3 films en 13 ans) James Gray reste un réalisateur incontournable, de par la solidité scénaristique de ses productions, ses passionnelles récurrences cinématographiques (les Queens, la mafia russe, la famille) et sa constante maîtrise et fermeté dans son exceptionnelle direction d'acteurs... www.cinefiches.com

Ark V

A truly miserable representation of humanity.

Absentia

3.5

DarleenisHOME!

Joaquim + Eva = <3

el.

3,5/5. unexpectedly pretty good, filled with chemistry, intimacy and an interesting storyline which makes it memorable among all the other crime/gangster flicks. and there's just something about that j.phoenix ...

emlomm

Las historias de James Gray no son las más originales. Sus temas y el tratamiento de éstos son los que las hacen tan buenas. Las diferencias entre la percepción de lo que está bien y lo que está mal, y lo que lleva a una persona de un lado al otro es una constante para él. La persistencia de Phoenix enriquece estas películas. Los 'settings' en los que ancla sus películas son emocionantes/Brooklynescos/clase obrera.

EyesRus

Très bon thriller! D'habitude je rechigne à finir les films policiers, ce ne fut pas le cas aujourd'hui... La performance de Joaquin Phoenix est à saluer

Inhum4n

Excellent film.

Olivier Mouchel

Un bijou. Une réalisation superbe pour un casting parfait (Jaoquin Phoenix !). Comme d'habitude, au-delà de l'intrigue policière, l'histoire a pour fond les relations familiales, thème cher à James Gray. Il s'essaie même ici à une scène d'action avec une course poursuite "passive" du plus bel effet.

Ludovic72

Une intense tragédie familiale à la Shakespeare, dans le New York de la fin des années 80. Superbe mise en scène et grands acteurs, dont un Joachin Pheonix déjà tout en nuances.