I grew up in the Bronx and this is not the Bronx I remember, or rather a TV version of it. Shanley is a Bronx native but some things don't make sense. The feel of the characters seemed more like the 1950s. The Beatles with their long hair had already made their mark on America. The film was shot in Astoria, Queens, so right there the feel was incorrect. People standing in front of burning barrels seems a cliche better suited for the Bowery. The film's characters were unlikable and though John Turturro is great, I thought he was a little over the top in some scenes. The characters seem something out of TV's Happy Days. Many of the performances were good, but the scrip detracted from any pathos for the character. I have even heard of people getting shot with arrows but it seemed contrived. The craziness of the Bronx? It was crazier. Again, the locations were wrong. Five Corners is much tighter, more claustrophobic than what they showed in the film. Silly film. It's like Potsy and Fonzi on a bad night.
Review of Five Corners
