This little SOPRANO series like crime film is very agreeable. It was a really good try for this screen writer. I won't repeat what the other, but yes this is not a true comedy film but also a sort of mix up between Marty Scorcese and Quentin Tarantino style. A real delight. So shame that James De Monaco lost himself in the PURGE series crap; except maybe the first film of the franchise. So shame. But he is still young and we can guess he will do better in the future, when he will realize that making big money is not the only thing that counts, even in Hollywood. also shame that this little crime film was not received by a better audience over the world.

In Staten Island, New York, Parmie Tarzo (Vincent D'Onofrio) is a powerful mobster boss. The family man Sully Halverson (Ethan Hawke) is septic tank cleaner married with Mary Halverson (Julianne Nicholson) and they are trying to have a baby. The deaf and dumb Jasper "Jas" Sabiano (Seymour Cassel) is the slicer of deli meat in a market and also works for Parmie Tarzo slicing the bodies of his victims. Jas likes Sully and expects to win the horse races. One day, Sully that is not a bright man decides to heist the house of Parmie Tarzo, expecting to artificially inseminate Mary with a better sperm than his in an expensive clinic. Meanwhile Jas wins the horse race and there is an attempt on Tarzo's life and he finds that his gangsters have planned it. The lives of the three residents are entwined with tragic consequences."Staten Island" is a movie that blends different genres – comedy, crime and drama – in an uneven way. The screenplay is not linear and Parmie Tarzo on the top of the tree is boring and silly. The best segment is the drama of Sully, and the motives of Jas are not clear. "Staten Island" entertains but is not special. My vote is six.Title (Brazil): Not Available

For most of the citizens of the New York area, Staten Island will be that remote place where the ferry that runs from Manhattan ends. It is a shame, because the island offers other interesting aspects not found in the other four boroughs that comprise the metropolitan area of New York City. Staten Island is also a place where mafiosi men have gone to settle with their families because it offers them an incentive for being away from the obvious sites associated with organized crime.Three lives are examined as they touch each other in of all places, a small deli in Staten Island. There, as if by chance, we meet Parmy Tarzo a man that wants to become the head of the crime industry in Staten Island. We also meet Sully, a man working for a septic tank company with his own share of knowledge of dirty things. Finally, Jasper, a deaf-mute cold cuts employee with a knack for carving in that section of the old fashioned Italian deli.What Parmy does not know is that in planning to become the boss of bosses, he has stepped on his own crew members ambitions of working on their own. He has a surprise coming to him. One night, while driving, he is ambushed by a hired man. His car plunges into a river, but since he has been practicing to hold his breath under water, he survives the crash with only minor scratches. Little prepares him when he witnesses the man who tried killing him with his own trusted men. As a way to stay alive, Parmy decides to join the protesters trying to save a big tract of land that has been sold for commercial development.Sully is a young man happily married. Not having been able to get his wife Mary pregnant, he takes her to one of the best hospitals where he learns about an interesting way to create highly intelligent children with an unorthodox method for achieving it. Since the treatment is costly, Sully decides to steal money from none other than Parmy, whose home he has visited while servicing the septic tank. In the botched robbery, Parmy's mom gets injured, so her son wants revenge.Finally, Jasper, known as Jas, the deli worker, a man with a gambling habit, gets lucky in hitting a "trifecta" that rewards him with a lot of money. Since his needs are limited and realizing Sully is in a bit of a spot, he contributes toward Mary's treatment. Unknown to us, Jas has a secret no one has a clue of what it is. Parmy and his men come to him when they need a procedure that only Jas, who cannot talk about it, is able to perform for them.The film was an unexpected surprise that paid in many ways. Director James De Monaco, a Staten Island native, wrote a screenplay that works well in the film. The stories overlap one another without overwhelming the narrative. The three men, although knowing the others, have no direct connection in the way the action takes them to. The only reference as to how they are connected comes at the beginning of each story when Mr. De Monaco gives the viewer a hint of things to come.Vincent D'Onofrio is an actor that always surprises. His Parmy is an earthy man that enjoys his food, as well as ordering a killing. He is a welcome presence in any film where he is cast. Ethan Hawke plays young Sully, a man with an ambition for his yet to be born son. Seymour Cassel, a veteran actor that always delivers, is one of the best things in "Staten Island". We do not get to see much of Julianne Nicholson, who is also an asset in everything she does.With a cinematography by Chris Norr, and a musical score by Frederic Verneres, the film is enjoyable. Credit should go to Luc Besson, a director himself, who has been backing talent such as Mr. De Monaco and others that need to be seen by discerning audiences.

My wife picked out "Staten Island" (that was the movie's title and the title on the DVD. I'm not sure why IMDb has it listed as "Little New York") and we were both looking forward to it. Unfortunately, "Staten Island" was disappointing. Certainly there was a mix of humor, irony and some grim aspects. But after reading the description on the box, it failed to meet expectations.That said, Seymour Cassel was outstanding as a deaf, mute butcher who occasionally did work for the mob. You really felt for him throughout the movie. Ethan Hawke had a convincing time portraying a stereotyped "less than bright" septic tank worker. I'm not partial to Vincent D'Onofrio's limited acting abilities and he didn't fail to disappoint. I don't understand how he lands movie roles. He has enough trouble with his TV roles.If you're looking to rent a decent mob movie, I'd look elsewhere. While not horrible "Staten Island" left us wanting.