Movie Review: "Gangster Squad" (*** out of 5) - I was quite surprise by how much I actually enjoyed this film. The film is loosely based on the story of the Los Angeles Police Department officers and detectives who formed a "Gangster Squad" unit in an attempt to keep the city safe from the likes of mobster Mickey Cohen (played by Sean Penn) in the late 1940s-early 1950s. The film features an ensemble cast that included Josh Brolin (Sgt. John O'Mara), Ryan Gosling (Sgt. Jerry Wooters), Nick Nolte (Police Chief Parker), Emma Stone (Grace Faraday), Michael Peña (Officer Navidad Ramirez), and Giovanni Ribisi (Officer Conway Keeler).
Mickey Cohen (Penn) is on the verge of establishing the largest wire gambling hub on the west coast which would effectively give him control of all of California. He has already bribed city officials, dirty cops, judges, and elected officials; and pretty much owns the city of Los Angeles. With the wire gambling hub, Cohen will basically have control of every dollar bet on the west coast. Chief Bill Parker (Nick Nolte) recruits Sgt. John O'Mara (Josh Brolin) to wage guerilla warfare on Cohen, due to his special operations background and training during World War II; he mission is simple: dismantle Cohen's empire by any means possible and force him out of Los Angeles.
The film has that film noire feel to it, and Josh Brolin was perfect casting for the role of Sgt. John O'Mara. However, more enjoyable was Mireille Enos as Brolin's somewhat supportive and pregnant wife Connie. Ryan Gosling plays the pretty boy well, while Emma Stone's Grace adds just the right amount of eye candy to lure the likes of both Gosling and Penn.
This is not quite "The Untouchables"; however, the cinematography is wonderful, the film is well written and well acted, and the plot works (though it's a little predictable). This film is definitely worth seeking out. It is interesting to note that the film gives the impression that the Gangster Squad was responsible for Mickey Cohen's arrest. In reality, Cohen was arrested in 1950 for the more mundane crime of tax evasion. He was also not sent to Alcatraz until 1961, over a decade after the film's time frame. Funny how Hollywood loves to rewrite history .
See more of my reviews on FB @ "The Faris Reel"
Mickey Cohen (Penn) is on the verge of establishing the largest wire gambling hub on the west coast which would effectively give him control of all of California. He has already bribed city officials, dirty cops, judges, and elected officials; and pretty much owns the city of Los Angeles. With the wire gambling hub, Cohen will basically have control of every dollar bet on the west coast. Chief Bill Parker (Nick Nolte) recruits Sgt. John O'Mara (Josh Brolin) to wage guerilla warfare on Cohen, due to his special operations background and training during World War II; he mission is simple: dismantle Cohen's empire by any means possible and force him out of Los Angeles.
The film has that film noire feel to it, and Josh Brolin was perfect casting for the role of Sgt. John O'Mara. However, more enjoyable was Mireille Enos as Brolin's somewhat supportive and pregnant wife Connie. Ryan Gosling plays the pretty boy well, while Emma Stone's Grace adds just the right amount of eye candy to lure the likes of both Gosling and Penn.
This is not quite "The Untouchables"; however, the cinematography is wonderful, the film is well written and well acted, and the plot works (though it's a little predictable). This film is definitely worth seeking out. It is interesting to note that the film gives the impression that the Gangster Squad was responsible for Mickey Cohen's arrest. In reality, Cohen was arrested in 1950 for the more mundane crime of tax evasion. He was also not sent to Alcatraz until 1961, over a decade after the film's time frame. Funny how Hollywood loves to rewrite history .
See more of my reviews on FB @ "The Faris Reel"