Two of New York City’s most notorious organized crime bosses vie for control of the city’s streets. Once best friends, petty jealousies and a series of betrayals set them on a deadly collision course.
Chuck says:
There’s an unfortunate gimmick hanging over Barry Levinson’s “The Alto Knights,” a gangster chronicle that covers a heretofore unexamined chapter in mob history, at least where the movies are concerned. Two-time Oscar-winner Robert De Niro takes on the dual roles of rival gangsters Frank Costello and Vito Genovese. One assumes either Joe Pesci wasn’t available to take one of the parts off the Oscar-winner’s hands, or the veteran thespian was simply looking for a challenge. It’s to the actor’s credit that, eventually, the viewer is able to overlook this distraction, thanks to his contrary dual performances and the compelling nature of the story. Yet, it’s probable some won’t be able to make this leap and ultimately not give the movie its proper due.
Costello narrates the story, beginning with recounting the night in 1957 when he miraculously survived an assassination attempt. It’s obvious to him and his allies that his one-time friend, Genovese is behind this act, the result of a long-simmering feud that’s reached a boiling point.
Flashbacks ensue that recount the cause of this ruction. Children of immigrants, Costello and Genovese are friends from an early age and look for a different avenue to success than the one their parents took. Belonging to the Alto Knights Social Club, they soon begin to establish a reputation as petty crooks and blackmailers, pressuring local businesses for protection they don’t need. Joined at the hip, they ultimately make their fortune during prohibition, growing rich by creating a vast network in New York through which they sell thousands of dollars in liquor on the sly. However, when Genovese commits a double homicide, he flees to Europe to avoid being charged with the crime, leaving Costello in charge.
All of this is recounted economically, Levinson and screenwriter Nicholas Pileggi dispensing with this necessary information in a tight, compelling manner. They know bigger narrative fish are in need of frying as the bulk of the movie deals with Genovese’s return to the United States in the early 1950’s, having reached an “understanding” with authorities. However, he’s far from happy with his situation, as the position he’s been given by Costello, in the organization he helped establish, is far from what he thinks he deserves. Expecting to be reinstated as a co-boss with his old friend, rather than a simple lieutenant, the seeds of his animosity begin to grow.
The conflict that emerges between them has ripple effects throughout the New York gangster community. The violence that erupts due to this, as well as an extraordinary divorce case between Genovese and his wife, draws the attention of federal authorities, and ultimately leads to hearings conducted by the United States Senate. Though there are a great many moving parts, it never feels cumbersome, the story engaging and surprising throughout.
As for De Niro’s dual performance, it’s a challenge he rises to, rendering the two mobsters in a distinctly different manner that never feels overdone. He brings a reserve to Costello, rendering him as a laidback, reluctant mobster whose Achille’s Heel proves to be his reluctance to act aggressively. As for Genovese, he’s a live wire, his impulsivity and anger leading to his ultimate downfall. It’s a tribute to the actor that when digital wizardry is employed and both characters appear in a scene at the same time, the illusion of two distinctly different personalities conversing is convincing.
To be sure, “The Alto Knights” will not be mentioned in the same breath as “The Godfather,” “Goodfellas” or other mob classics. Yet, it is a compelling enough to be worthwhile, serving as a bridge between the era of classic movie gangsters and modern mobsters of Tony Soprano’s ilk, Levinson’s sure hand always at the wheel.
3 Stars
