I love James Gandolfini and this little movie showed me why. In Down the Shore he is a sad, lonely man disappointed in what life has handed him and yet powerless to change anything. The bleak setting of the shore in winter, a broken down amusement park and the tiny run down houses (although the house weirdly gets bigger and nicer as the film goes on), produce an almost claustrophobic feeling to the film. Everyone before has said it..its beautifully acted and filmed. But afterwards I kept asking myself questions in the plot that were never fully explained. I gave it an 8 because it's a beautiful well crafted film...but flawed.

Down the Shore is a small drama that soars way above your expectations. It concerns 3 childhood friends living in a small town whose lives are thrown into turmoil when a stranger comes to visit. It takes it time to set up the premise by which time you get to know the characters involved. With a smart script, it sucks you in and you quickly get involved in the lives of the characters. It never goes where you think it will and the acting throughout is just superb by all members of the talented cast. The sadly deceased James Gandolfino puts in a towering performance as a man tortured by the past. There is a melancholy air throughout the film accentuated by a sparse and bleak landscape. This is an intelligent film that deserves a much wider audience and is well worth seeking out.

As Tony Soprano James Gandolfini has left an Enduring Icon in Popular Culture. An Actor who Carried His Bulk Uneasily, yet with Intimidation, Always seemed to be Struggling against Gravity. Inside was a Smoldering Fire that He seemed to Restrain Except for an Occasional Outburst that Resembled a Raging Bull.In this Little Seen, Little Movie He gives an Actor's Showcase along with a Strong Cast, as a Sensitive Soul that is Bitter about the Life He was Given. When a Stranger Shows Up and says that He was Married to His Vacationing Sister, Gandolfini is Suspect and is Outraged when he is told some Very Bad News.This is a Chilling and Atmospheric Movie that is Interspersed with Interpersonal Relationships that are Fragile and Long Suffering. It is a Slice of Jersey Life with a Background of a Small Amusement Park that Recalls a Remanence of a Neglected Bastard Child of Coney Island Long Removed from its Glory Days.Certainly Worth a View for those that are Attracted to Real Life Scenarios Without a lot of Packaging and is a Somewhat Subtle Display of Repressed Emotions and a Depressing Existence. It is the Environment of an Abusive Family Life and a Cold Setting of a Sunless Beach and a Wintery Carnival that like the Humans that Inhabit are Distinctively Dislocated from a Friendly or Attractive Place that is Conducive for Thriving and Prospering.

I guess since his passing I've appreciated James Gandolfini more than before, I wasn't a Soprano guy but I really enjoyed him as Mayor of NYC in the remade Taking of Pelham 123. That's why I watched this obscure little flick. He plays the manager of a tiny amusement park in one of the strangest beach areas you've ever seen. More than anything I'm fascinated by the shooting location, undoubtedly on the ocean but with city views out in the distance (in fact Keansburg NJ is across Raritan Bay from Perth Amboy and within view of lower Manhattan). Since the story occurs in the winter, the physical back drop is even more depressed by the season. James is affected by the death of his sister, who knowing she had cancer goes to France, marries a man, and leaves him one half of the house she shared with James. Does she do this because she knows he will be good for James? Your guess is as good as mine. I was drawn partially into this movie, enough to watch it through but not enough to highly recommend it for anything but die-hard JG fans. P.S. I have since visited Keansburg and Kiddie Land and it looks just like it does on the screen.