Two of the best character actors among the new generation of movie stars couldn’t save Gangster Squad from falling into a “made for Hollywood” movie trap thanks to a weak, predictable script and a film experience that fails to crack the surface of the mob scene in 1940s Los Angeles.
Inspired by the real life racket of gangster Mickey Cohen and the team of against the grain policemen determined to bring him down, Gangster Squad gives the feel of an R-rated fairytale where the “happily ever after” is apparent almost from the opening scenes.
But, if nothing else, Gangster Squad has panache. Director Ruben Fleischer captures the essence of the cop vs. mob movies of the era from which the film actually takes place – flaws and all. The fashion, the fast talk, the cigarettes, the ruthlessness and the hero you can’t help but root far are all in the mix. But so is the diluted storyline, the tragically tacky love triangle and the implausibility. But in its defense Gangster Squad makes it all look incredibly good and stands out for its purist approach to the gangster drama genre.
Another bit of ammunition the film has going for it is the performances – particularly from the two leading characters.
Sean Penn is gritty and gruesome as the real life gang leader who had the entire city of Los Angeles on lock with his illegal activities and heartless strong-arm tactics. He flexes his character with as much muscle as Will Beall’s dialogue allows – which couldn’t possibly do justice to Paul Lieberman’s book of the same name. The lack of a back story or some type of doesn’t allow him to the room to truly draw audiences in makes for a convincing, yet incomplete picture of his villainous Cohen.
Josh Brolin, one of the most underrated actors in film, is once again completely immersed in his role as he tackles Sgt. Joe O’Mara – a World War II veteran who is attempting to apply his war hero persona to the Los Angeles Police force and heads up the team to take Cohen down.
The only downside to the pairing is while they are great separately, the natural ebb and flow of the antagonist vs. the protagonist one would expect of two actors of their caliber is missing between Penn and Brolin.
Ryan Gosling once again convincingly steps into the role of the bad boy/heartthrob who breaks all the rules.
Rising star Anthony Mackie is serviceable as Officer Coleman Harris, but one will rightfully expect more based on his string of standout performances in films like Notorious, The Adjustment Bureau, The Hurt Locker and most recently Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter.
Gangster Squad isn’t a classic by any stretch of the imagination, but some might find that it serves its purpose as a stroll down memory lane during the heyday of Hollywood – even if the tribute to the actual events is more than a bit hollow.
Gangster Squad is open in theatres nationwide. The film is Rated R with a running time of 113 minutes.
