The Yards

Stylistically, The Yards is a vivid throwback to the gritty urban dramas of the 1970s--a character-driven, dank and moody morality tale, photographed in dusky, rusty hues. Dramatically, however, its understated manner--full of subtle, unspoken expressions and conflicted ethics and loyalties--is never quite the gripping piece of cinema the filmmaker clearly intended. The increasingly impressive Mark Wahlberg stars as a frayed recent parolee trying to put his life back together when he lands in hot water by taking a job with his uncle (James Caan), a corrupt New York City subway system subcontractor. Soon he's on the run for a murder committed by his former best friend (a greasy Joaquin Phoenix) and forced to decide between loyalty and whistle-blowing. Writer-director James Gray forges a hard-boiled atmosphere of danger and nepotism, yet the film, which also stars Charlize Theron, Ellen Burstyn and Faye Dunaway, never truly envelops the audience in the deep tenor and rich realism of its sullied world. Optional. (R. Blackwelder)[DVD Review—Jan. 10, 2006—Miramax, 115 min., R, $19.99—Making its second appearance on DVD, 2000's The Yards (Director's Cut), which boasts a fine transfer and Dolby Digital 5.1 surround sound, is an alternate cut that's actually a couple of minutes shorter than the original. DVD extras include two audio commentaries (one with writer/director James Gray; the other with Gray and filmmaker Steven Soderbergh), a 31-minute roundtable discussion with Gray and costars Charlize Theron, Mark Wahlberg, and James Caan, a 12-minute behind-the-scenes featurette, a “Visualizing The Yards” featurette (12 min.), eight deleted scenes with optional commentary (7 min.), and trailers. Bottom line: this was an optional purchase originally, and remains so after the minor tweaking.]