We Own the Night

Set in 1980s Brooklyn, director James Gray's Scorsese-esque crime drama We Own the Night relies on a plot gambit that hails all the way back to the silent-movie days. Joaquin Phoenix plays Bobby Green, an ambitious, young, drug-abusing club manager whose straight-arrow cop brother (Mark Wahlberg) and precinct-captain dad (Robert Duvall) want him to wear a wire in order to record incriminating conversations with the drug runners who frequent his nightspot. Torn between two worlds, Bobby is ultimately forced to make some tough choices when the mobsters decide to go after his family. The brothers-on-opposite-sides-of-the-law gimmick (which not only was a staple of early crime films but also old Westerns) may be derivative, but We Own the Night is a gritty, entertaining thriller that flawlessly recaptures the period, while also offering some viscerally exciting action sequences, and boasting solid performances from the principal players, as well as Eva Mendes as Bobby's supportive girlfriend. Recommended. [Note: DVD extras include audio commentary by writer-director James Gray, a 15-minute “Tension” making-of featurette, an 11-minute “Police Action: Filming Cops, Cars and Chaos” production featurette, “A Moment in Crime: Creating Late ‘80s Brooklyn” featurette on set design (9 min.), and trailers. Bottom line: a fine extras package for a solid drama.] (E. Hulse)