Facebook Twitter Instagram
    Latest
    • 3627. I Believe In Miracles (2015)
    • 3626. The Man With One Red Shoe (1985)
    • 3625. Ode To Joy (2019)
    • 3624. One Chance (2013)
    • 3623. Falling For Figaro (2020)
    • 3622. The Polka King (2017)
    • 3621. Spies In Disguise (2019)
    • 3620. Friendzone (2021)
    The Mad Movie Man
    • Home
    • Blog
      • All Posts
      • Best Of The Year
        • Best Of 2015
        • Best Of 2016
        • Best Of 2017
        • Best Of 2018
        • Best Of 2019
        • Best Of 2020
        • Best Of 2021
        • Best Of 2022
      • The Decade In Review
      • Box Office Analysis
      • James Bond
      • Oscars
      • RANKED
      • Star Wars
      • The Big Questions
      • Top 10
      • World Cinema
    • Ratings
      • Top 250
      • Top 100 Foreign Films
      • Bottom 50
      • 0 – 1.9
      • 2 – 3.9
      • 4 – 5.9
      • 6 – 7.9
      • 8 – 10
    • Genres
      • Action
      • Anthology
      • Animation
      • Christmas
      • Comedy
      • Crime
      • Documentary
      • Drama
      • Fantasy
      • Film-Noir
      • History
      • Horror
      • Kids’
      • Musical
      • Psychological
      • Romance
      • Sci-Fi
      • Short
      • Silent
      • Sport
      • Superhero
      • Survival
      • Thriller
      • Western
    • Release Year
      • 2020s
      • 2010s
      • 2000s
      • 1990s
      • 1980s
      • 1970s
      • 1960s
      • 1950s
      • 1940s
      • 1930s
      • 1920s
    • Country
      • Afghanistan
      • Argentina
      • Australia
      • Austria
      • Belgium
      • Brazil
      • Cambodia
      • Canada
      • Chile
      • China
      • Colombia
      • Costa Rica
      • Czechoslovakia
      • Czech Republic
      • Denmark
      • East Timor
      • Faroe Islands
      • Finland
      • France
      • Germany
      • Georgia
      • Greece
      • Hong Kong
      • Hungary
      • Iceland
      • India
      • Indonesia
      • Iran
      • Iraq
      • Ireland
      • Israel
      • Italy
      • Japan
      • Latvia
      • Lebanon
      • Laos
      • Malaysia
      • Mexico
      • New Zealand
      • Nigeria
      • North Korea
      • Norway
      • Paraguay
      • Peru
      • Philippines
      • Poland
      • Romania
      • Russia
      • Saudi Arabia
      • Singapore
      • South Korea
      • South Africa
      • Soviet Union
      • Spain
      • Sweden
      • Switzerland
      • Syria
      • Taiwan
      • Thailand
      • Turkey
      • Uganda
      • United Kingdom
      • United States
      • Uruguay
      • Vietnam
      • Zambia
    • About
    The Mad Movie Man
    You are at:Home»Review»3493. The Many Saints Of Newark (2021)

    3493. The Many Saints Of Newark (2021)

    0
    By The Mad Movie Man on September 28, 2021 120-129 mins, 2021, 6 - 7.9, Crime, Drama, Movies Of 2021, Review, Sep 21, United States
    6.8 An underwhelming standalone film
    • Acting 6.9
    • Directing 6.9
    • Story 6.5
    • User Ratings (0 Votes) 0

    Starring: Michael Gandolfini, Alessandro Nivola, Leslie Odom Jr.

    Director: Alan Taylor

    Running Time: 120 mins


    The Many Saints Of Newark is an American film about the teenage years of Tony Soprano, the atmosphere of tension after the race riots of 1967, and the mafia career of Tony’s uncle, who inspired his own rise.

    Despite its links with a celebrated TV series, there’s not all that much to write home about with The Many Saints Of Newark. While its nods to The Sopranos may spark a few smiles from long-term fans, as a standalone gangster film, this is a rather forgettable affair.

    I’ll preface all this with saying that I’ve never seen The Sopranos. I’m pretty sure I understand the basic outline of the show, but I can’t say that I will have been able to pick up the more poignant references throughout this film.

    So, I’ll reserve judgment on The Many Saints Of Newark for how it pays tribute to The Sopranos, but even if you haven’t seen the TV show before, then this film is still watchable, with only a few details out of reach.

    However, in contrast with the legendary calibre of The Sopranos, The Many Saints Of Newark is an extremely ordinary film. There are few standout moments, little emotionally gripping drama, and the screenplay feels largely aimless for the first two acts.

    While we see a young Tony Soprano on the sidelines of the Newark mob, this film is much more about his uncle, played by Alessandro Nivola, who ultimately inspired Tony to become a mobster and follow in his family’s footsteps.

    For the most part, however, Tony’s uncle isn’t the most interesting character. Apart from a couple of shocking moments which use violence to good effect, this film’s main personality is fairly underwhelming, with Nivola giving a fairly uncharismatic performance that does little to enamour you any more.

    That doesn’t mean there isn’t character depth here, but it’s spread out quite thinly over the course of a two hour story, with few moments that really dive deep and offer an emotionally resonant account of the world that Tony grew up in, with equally half-hearted links to the atmosphere of racial tension in Newark in the 1960s and ’70s.

    As a result, The Many Saints Of Newark comes off as a fairly underwhelming standalone mob movie. I can’t say how well it plays into the events of The Sopranos, or how it adds to the series’ lore, but I can say that on its own, it’s a rather unspectacular watch. So, that’s why I’m giving it a 6.8 overall.

    Share. Facebook Twitter Pinterest LinkedIn Tumblr Email
    The Mad Movie Man
    • Website
    • Facebook
    • Twitter

    The Mad Movie Man, AKA Anthony Cullen, writes articles and reviews about movies and the world of cinema. Since January 1st, 2013, he has watched and reviewed a movie every day. This is the blog dedicated to the project: www.madmovieman.com

    Related Posts

    7.1

    3627. I Believe In Miracles (2015)

    5.8

    3626. The Man With One Red Shoe (1985)

    7.9

    3625. Ode To Joy (2019)

    Follow Me Online!
    • Facebook
    • Twitter
    • YouTube
    • Tumblr
    New Releases
    5.3
    January 17, 2022

    3620. Friendzone (2021)

    7.1
    January 10, 2022

    3612. The Lost Daughter (2021)

    8.0
    January 7, 2022

    3609. Licorice Pizza (2021)

    7.2
    January 7, 2022

    3608. Lamb (2021)

    7.4
    December 30, 2021

    3599. The King’s Man (2021)

    6.3
    December 29, 2021

    3598. The Matrix Resurrections (2021)

    8.4
    December 28, 2021

    3597. West Side Story (2021)

    6.3
    December 27, 2021

    3596. Gunpowder Milkshake (2021)

    Recommended Movies
    8.0
    Review
    January 12, 20140

    416. 12 Years A Slave (2013)

    8.3
    Review
    January 31, 20210

    3239. A Face In The Crowd (1957)

    8.0
    Review
    January 20, 20190

    2427. Fyre: The Greatest Party That Never Happened (2019)

    8.0
    Review
    November 14, 20200

    3152. Dick Johnson Is Dead (2020)

    8.5
    Review
    January 5, 20150

    807. The Theory Of Everything (2014)

    Popular Posts
    7.1
    January 24, 2022

    3627. I Believe In Miracles (2015)

    5.8
    January 23, 2022

    3626. The Man With One Red Shoe (1985)

    7.9
    January 22, 2022

    3625. Ode To Joy (2019)

    7.4
    January 21, 2022

    3624. One Chance (2013)

    6.3
    January 20, 2022

    3623. Falling For Figaro (2020)

    7.5
    January 19, 2022

    3622. The Polka King (2017)

    6.0
    January 18, 2022

    3621. Spies In Disguise (2019)

    © 2022 ThemeSphere. Designed by ThemeSphere.

    Type above and press Enter to search. Press Esc to cancel.