In New York circa 1988, the Russian mafia have made it overseas to begin their drug-dealing business. Thrown into the mix is Bobby Green (Joaquin Phoenix), an upstart club owner looking to make it out of Brooklyn and begin a good life with his girlfriend Amada Juarez (Eva Mendez). However, when his estranged family, cops Joseph (Mark Wahlberg) and Burt Grusinsky (Robert Duvall), conduct a raid on his club, druglord and hitman Vadim Nezhinski (Alex Veadov) begins putting prices on the NYPD's head, which leaves Joseph in the hospital from a gun wound. Because of what happened, Bobby agrees in becoming an informant to the police, but can he do it without putting whom he loves in danger or, more importantly, himself?

We Own the Night may look like an action-packed crime thriller for the salacious hounds to eat up (and I'm one of them), but not according to director James Gray. Recalling the classic police dramas of the '70s (right down to the poster you'll see outside your nearest cineplex), it does have action, but the majority of the picture deals with familial bonds, making difficult choices, and sacrifice. Gray, familiar with these thematic elements of The Yards (this film is basically a follow up with Wahlberg and Phoenix back together), doesn't disappoint, making this wannabe The Departed clone one of the most endearing surprises.

This is due to Joaquin Phoenix. His first film since breaking huge with Walk the Line back in 2005, Phoenix never goes overboard to shove in our faces that this film is a drama. He's able to make us relate to Bobby, and easily makes the character's decent into depression and despair work easily. As a matter of fact, this is more his movie than it is his and Mark Wahlberg's (still coming on strong post-The Departed), as the co-star hardly appears in the second half, leaving the majority of the action focused on Phoenix, though he gets good complements from Wahlberg, Robert Duvall, and Eva Mendes. It's impressive work from these actors.

We Own the Night does have its share of action, but since Gray is more focused with the meatier material, it's more subdued than slam-bang Hollywood actioners of late. There are three, which include a firefight inside a warehouse where cocaine is made, a French Connection-style car chase down a heavily-percipitated street, and a suspenseful foot chase inside a smoke-filled cornfield. Gray even furthers his inspiration from the classic police dramas by mostly having the sound effects do his work instead of setting them to a bombastic soundtrack.

Gray sort of robs the film of true potential by increasing its mood of depression for a crowd-pleasing moment of sentimentality with the cliched staploe of killing of a family member, then having Bobby and Amada get into an angry spat that puts a damper on the sweet by-play they had earlier. Regardless, that can easily be forgiven with Phoenix and/or Wahlberg's magnetic presences, and that aforementioned foot chase. And get this: no plot twists for the sake of plot twists. You really can't ask for anything better than that, honestly.

Recommended:
Yes

Viewing Format: DVD
Video Occasion: Fit for Friday Evening
Suitability For Children: Not suitable for Children of any age