Wolff rating: GOOD
Plot summary: NYPD has set up town in New Jersey to be their private turf, while a NYPD-wanna-be watches over them as a powerless sheriff.
Biased, pithy comments: This movie is more at the beginning than it turns out to be in the end, but that doesn't stop this star-studded cast to really turn out their best for Mangold's direction. The script (also by Mangold) starts with intricate, dependent relationships that feel and smell real, but as the story progresses and the side stories and characters fall away, we're left with something not entirely worth the rest of the fine work---a much simpler character notion than the rest of the story is. But that's not to say it isn't quite good cinema, with some really gripping acting (even Stallone is pretty good), good cinematography, and really nice work on sound. Definitely worth seeing, though not a perfect film.
Other Notes: Stallone put on extra poundage for the film, and it looks like all his castmembers did as well.
How many times I have seen it: x1
Starring: Sylvester Stallone, Harvey Keitel, Ray Liotta, Robert De Niro, Peter Berg, Janeane Garofalo, Robert Patrick, Michael Rapaport, Annabella Sciorra.
Directed by: James Mangold