Monday, October 15, 2007

"We Own the Night" dynamic and moving

By Katie Libecco

I thought about looking up Joaquin Phoenix's IMDB to see what other badass characters he's played, but then realized after playing Johnny Cash and his most recent role as Bobby Green in "We Own the Night" that he's established himself way beyond my opinion.

"We Own the Night" could be perceived as a modern-day Western with the good guys and bad guys, but Phoenix's performance is so intriguingly complex, it goes beyond good and evil.

Mark Wahlberg plays his brother Joseph and Robert Duvall plays their police chief dad. There couldn't be any less family resemblance, no matter how much they dyed Marky Mark's, er, Wahlberg's, hair.

The script, by director James Gray, gives Phoenix a more dynamic role to play than his supporting cast. The drama comes not in what happens at the end, but what happens next as the plot twists.

Eva Mendez as Phoenix's love interest obviously adds to "We Own the Night." The film starts with her starting off a hot love scene, even if they don't get too far. Her character is simple and shallow, but helps keep the movies pace up in the beginning.

Gray's dark and urban style is much from the work of cinematographer Joaquin Baca-Asay. Even in the most action-filled sequences, the film remains eerily dark and quiet.

"We Own the Night" is a complex and moving film that transcends its surface appearance of another drama by Gray. The story is captivating for anyone in the audience.