This year will mark the return of 81-year-old director Barry Levinson. His latest, “Alto Knights,” Formerly titled “Wise Guys,” is set to become Warner Bros’ first original feature of the Warner Bros. Discovery era — a period mobster drama starring Robert De Niro in dual roles.
De Niro and the mobster genre go hand in hand and “Wise Guys,” very much intended for theatrical distribution, has been touted as Levinson’s return to big and bold studio filmmaking.
However, I don’t know if giving Levinson $50 million to make a movie was the smartest idea, he hasn’t made anything great (theatrically speaking) since 1997’s “Wag the Dog.” A few of his HBO movies, especially 2010’s “You Don’t Know Jack,” were quite good.
Nicholas Pileggi, who wrote “Wiseguy,” the 1985 book that was the basis for ”Goodfellas”, penned the screenplay for “Alto Knights”. This will either be a total disaster or a runaway winner. Which is it?
The film revolves around Vito Genovese and Frank Costello, two Italian-American crime bosses of the 20th century. In 1957, Genovese attempted to assassinate Costello but failed, then things got out of hand .. why did they decide to have De Niro play both roles?
A test screening for “Alto Knights” occurred on Wednesday in Pasadena. I’m told the general consensus was a positive one. Here’s one reaction:
Levinson’s film is old-school storytelling about the heated rivalry between two friends. When one of them gains all the power the other built up, and returns after being in hiding, he wants more than just a slice. The crime elements here are familiar, but Levinson doesn’t mind treading familiar ground if he can give the audience a gripping story about the pull of power and how violence can easily get out of control. It’s not just the violence, Levinson tackles lengthy court hearings and heated conversations between the two, both of whom are played by Robert Deniro, with magnetic conviction. This is a mob story, but it’s a fascinating drama first.
Levinson was all the rage in the ‘80s and ‘90s, a go-to filmmaker for smart, adult-oriented Oscar contenders. His résumé is honestly one of the more underrated in Hollywood: “Diner”, “The Natural”, “Good Morning Vietnam”, “Bugsy”, “Sleepers”, “Rain Man”, “Wag the Dog” and many more.