The Many Saints of Newark: Movie Review (No Spoilers)

 

By Michael Momper

"Let me tell you something Tony... or you can watch the f**king news.... everything comes to an end." -Carmela Soprano

    Carmela may have uttered these words only about halfway through the American television masterpiece The Sopranos but they are just as applicable to the mythos of the show itself as they are to the characters within and our own lives in general. All things good and bad come to an end eventually. Sometimes, life is radiant and full of crescendos. Sometimes life is anticlimactic and bleak. Sometimes it just ain't cinematic.

    You can imagine my surprise when I found out that my favorite show, which had its final episode in June of 2007, planned to deliver a prequel movie in 2021. Written by David Chase, the creator and showrunner, and also co-written by Lawrence Konner (who wrote numerous episodes of the show), I knew it literally couldn't be in better hands. Additionally, it stars familiar incredible actors like Ray Liotta, Jon Bernthal and Vera Farmiga, as well as Michael Gandolfini, son of Jim Gandolfini. Jim played Tony Soprano in the original series in what would be one of the most lauded performances of all time. He was intense, tender, heartbreaking, complex, and television's original anti-hero. The announcement of this movie and its pivotal players was a positive in every single way except one: expectations for Sopranos super-fans like myself legitimately couldn't possibly be higher. It would take a colossal effort to reach my almost unattainable benchmark for it and I know many super-fans would say the same. So on a rainy Sunday afternoon I dressed in a brashly patterned button-down, ate pizza with gabagool, drank red wine and bourbon, smoked a cigar and made my way to the theater with a couple stereotypical "OHHH!"'s along the way. Yes, I am here to say the movie delivered and then some.

    Director Alan Taylor, who directed many episodes of the show, was at the helm for The Many Saints of Newark and brought his own unique style and intimacy to the direction. A bleak blue color palette and steely cold sheen is seen throughout, which stands out in its own way as a stylistic choice to capture the turbulent time in Newark's history. This movie covers the late 1960s and early 1970s, so its visual style is different from that of the show, complete with note-perfect period detail and impressive set pieces.

    For fans and newcomers to the Sopranos world, a basic understanding of what the movie is about is pretty essential as many people's expectations have been entirely wrong. David Chase has pointed out emphatically: this is NOT a Tony Soprano "origin" story. Many fans have gone in expecting that and have been let down, so it is important to know that beforehand. You will see plenty of young Tony, and the movie gives incredible insight into how Tony became the man we know in the show, especially through all of his flaws. But this movie instead focuses on Chris Moltisanti's father, Dickie. He is played by Alessandro Nivola in what will likely be an Oscar-nominated performance. Dickie is a tortured soul who has some good intentions but also lots of pent-up rage, and struggles with alcoholism. He yearns to be a good influence on young Tony, and to leave a positive impact on those around him, but he mightily wrestles with his own demons and often gives in to jealousy and pleasures of the flesh.

    The movie focuses on Dickie's backstory as well as the way his family played a part in the Newark riots. Through this lens we see David Chase's trademark cynicism in his social commentary, as well as his insistence in pointing out people's propensity for hypocrisy, namely in selling out their own ideals when it benefits them in a Capitalistic society run rampant with greed and corruption. Family is the mafia's highest point of emphasis... and yet even family will be thrown by the wayside when convenient. David Chase's writing never shies away from tragedy and heartbreak, and there are certainly some immensely tragic moments in the Shakespearean vein in Newark. If you are familiar with these characters from the show, some of these tragic moments will rock you to your core. The movie largely tackles the theme of destiny as we explore how sociopaths who weren't born that way develop as such. Can one break free from the chains of, as Tony puts it in the show, his "putrid, rotten genes"? Can one escape the tragedies and trauma that has befallen him at a young age? When, if ever, is loyalty taken too far?

    As always with The Sopranos, the acting in this movie is superb. Vera Farmiga is pitch-perfect and hilarious as Livia Soprano and Corey Stoll provides my favorite performance as Don Squirrel-leon himself, Junior Soprano. The writing is darkly funny and full of fun callbacks to the show, but plenty of biting humor and no pulled punches. If you couldn't tell already, I would actually not advise seeing this movie before seeing the show. It may be a prequel, and some may enjoy it as a stand alone film with all it has to offer, but so much of the character building and dialogue packs such a thunderous punch when seen after the events of the show. There are plenty of fun inside jokes for fans of the show, and a large part of the importance of this movie is derived from the fact that we know what these characters become throughout 6 seasons of The Sopranos.

    If you are a fan though, watch this movie as soon as you can. Any complaints I have about it are very minor and are more within the context of pacing. For viewers of the show, especially those that know not to expect a strictly Tony Soprano story, this movie will provide plenty of intense action, wonderful acting and directing, humor and snappy dialogue. Most importantly, David Chase still forces us to embrace thorny existential questions about the nature of family, sin, penance and dealing with grief. Watch it on the big screen, kapeesh? Don't feel like spending the money? Well pooooooor you! You can watch it this month for free on HBO Max.

Rating: 93/100