BLU-RAY REVIEW: PRIDE AND GLORY

BUY IT AT AMAZON: CLICK HERE
STUDIO: New Line
MSRP: $35.99
RATED: R
RUNNING TIME: 130 minutes
SPECIAL FEATURES:
• Documentary
• Digital Copy

 

The Pitch

The NYPD is corrupt. Only Bruce Banner can save the day.

The Humans

Edward Norton, Colin Farrell, Noah Emmerich, Jon Voight and Jennifer Ehle

The Nutshell

The Tierney Clan is an institution within the NYPD. Francis Sr. (Jon Voight) is proud of his oldest son Francis Jr. (Noah Emmerich), as he rises through the ranks of the Police Department. Younger son Ray (Ed Norton) is leading an investigation into a cop massacre out of Washington Heights. Ray discovers that his older brother’s men are involved in a crime ring that led to the massacre. What will happen when family and profession are challenged?

The Lowdown

Pride and Glory wants to be a great crime movie in the worst way. It’s a giant lagging beast of a film that seems to lose focus way too often. But, you see the heart of the matter. Director Gavin O’Connor wants to show that there are choices to be made when fighting crime. The choices are heavy and can often push you off the beaten path. It’s up to the individual to choose when or how they return.

That would be the easiest way of summing up Pride and Glory. But, that would to forgo the many efforts to try and balance Farrell and Norton off each other. The material simply doesn’t suit Colin Farrell, as he seems caught in this loop of making his character seem like an overbearing thug, even during quiet scenes. On the other hand, Ed Norton gets stuck in the role of the quiet investigator who keeps dropping F-bombs, so that the audience takes him seriously. Then, there’s the role of the NYPD in the film.

If you believe that the re-enactments on America’s Most Wanted present a heady street realism, then you might like the crime captured in this film. When the NYPD’s inner core gets display in the film, you have to wonder what axe Gavin O’ Connor is trying to grind. Throughout the documentary included in the disc’s supplementals, you hear him state that he wants to portray a realistic police force. I just wonder if he believes there’s a cop on every corner tying ladies to railroad tracks. When we’re not busy watching watching Colin Farrell twirl his pseudo-moustache, we’re expected to follow the stilted nature of the film’s heavy dialogue scenes.

STILTED DIALOGUE EX:

FARRELL: I tricks you.

NORTON: I can haz pardon?

FARRELL: I amz criminal supermind

NORTON: I can haz pardon?

FARRELL: No pardon for you. I amz supercriminal!

Pride and Glory is a fucking weird movie when it comes down to it. There are glaring problems with the setup and the push to accept the leads in the wrong roles. But, you’ve got to admire what amounts to a very loving throwback to Sidney Lumet’s crime dramas of the 1970s/early 1980s. I feel the same buzz that I get off of Rod Lurie’s work. You see the fan behind the camera, as he tries to craft something incredible. But, what lies in the can is something far from good. It’s an admirable attempt. Admirable attempts don’t make for the best movies.

The Package

Pride and Glory comes
to
Blu-Ray with an average release. You would think that they could’ve dug up a trailer or basic commentaries from the filmmakers. But, that’s not happening. You get a documentary about the lead-up to the film and a little bit about the actual filming. Basically, it’s a sixty-minute jaunt through the O’Connor attempt at aping Sidney Lumet.

The
A/V Quality is amazing, but that’s a mere benefit to shelling out this much money for what’s nearly a bare-bones disc. If you can hold off, wait for the inevitable price drop. Nobody’s going to want to shell out thirty bucks for such a featureless disc. You need something to make up for the lack of replay value. But, if you do pick this up and like the film…I’ve got a few recommendations. You can hunt down Dog Day Afternoon on Blu-Ray. Hell, you can find most of the Sidney Lumet filmography on DVD. Take a look at the original master, before settling with a decent knock-off.