There aren't many laughs in this dramatic pastiche of corrupt industries and the not-quite-innocent who is swept up in them before finally blowing the whistle.It's not ethnic, but it seems like it. There's a bit of "The Godfather," a dash of "Prince of the City", a soupçon of "On The Waterfront." There are all sorts of conflicts between men and women, family members united against the law -- or that part of it that isn't in bed with the gangsters.Interesting milieu. Mark Wahlberg as the ex con who's trying to obey the rules of his parole finds a job working for his uncle, James Caan, in the subway marshaling yard in Queens. Caan's company does repairs on broken subway cars. In order to make sure they have enough business, Caan has hired Joaquin Phoenix and a couple of bad goons to sneak into the yards at night and damage the cars. Caan's character is not unidimensional. When Wahlberg asks him for a job, he tells Caan that he'd like to work with Phoenix, a childhood friend. Caan gently tries to steer him into a more honorable, if less lucrative, path to success but Wahlberg is insistent. It's a big mistake on Wahlberg's part. There follow intrigue, brutally staged fist fights, and a couple of death, all leading to betrayal.Wahlberg doesn't have that many lines but he handles them well enough. Like the other men, he has a working-class New York accent. Lots of double negatives: "I don't know nothing." Charlize Theron, as Phoenix's doubtful girl friend, doesn't sound much like New York but she doesn't sound much like Johannesberg either. With her big eyes, upturned nose, and plump lips, she's never looked better.In many ways it's a depressing movie because although many characters commit immoral acts, all of them are given human qualities, including some that are generally considered virtues.

Gloomy, soft spoken, and bare this story about corruption and its effect on Family and Friend relationships maybe too low key and laid back for mass appeal. It does offer a Name Cast and a slightly inaccurate Mob Boss attraction but this one is quite different than most.The Film is about character and stylish confrontations and wise(guy) cracking Characters are nowhere around this slow of pace, but tense, Noirish Melodrama. The best parts here are interpersonal relationships and responsibility put to the test in some gripping set pieces.The Movie does fail to completely render its Political uncovering and City Hall money grubbing. Those scenes feel less recovered and tend to stultify the pace. It is this weak exposition that keeps the better parts from becoming fully engaging and some of its themes a bit unclear.

It is a tale that has been told before. Nothing really new here. The cast was very good. The production design was OK. Lighting and sound should have been better. I wonder about the choices the director made.It is one thing to try to make a Noir film, but I was totally turned off by the hushed tones, and whispers. Conversations seemed to take place in echo chamber. As it continued to be unhearable, it became unwatchable.If you have a quiet media room, then you might get more out of this than I did.There are plenty of other crime dramas out there.

Recap: Leo has just been released from prison after doing 18 months time. He gets a job at his aunt's husband's yard. But being on parole, his job suddenly involves bribery and sabotage. One evening everything goes wrong, and Leo get wrongfully accused of murder. He goes on the run, sought after both by the police and his former friends that now regard him as a threat.Comments: This is a low key thriller about how loyalty and friendship comes to a head with honesty and self preservation. Set in the middle of a family and it's family business it always keep a level of pressure, a level of suspense on the character Leo and the story itself. Without any up tempo bits, without explosions and without any high paced chases it still keeps interest. And that's good. However, it doesn't really reach any climaxes either. No scenes when almost everything comes to a point, when you are on your edge as a viewer. It only walks slowly along its storyline, with only small changes in pace. And that makes it good, but without any real high points. It is a good movie, but it will soon be forgotten.It relies heavily on the acting, and fortunately it has casted well. A movie that sports Mark Whalberg, Charlize Theron, James Caan, Joaquin Phoenix and Ellen Burstyn, among others, can consider itself lucky. Those are solid, quality actors and actresses and as usual they perform well. But like everything else they must conform to the story, and also never reaches any real high points.A good movie, with a good story but maybe a movie that should be viewed if you like any of the actors especially well. Or like stories about corrupt public systems more than others.6/10