BROOKLYN RULES

Tell me the mob doesn't rock!

Brooklyn Rules is the latest offering from Sopranos writer Terence Winter, and it beautifully captures the humanity in a hard-knocks world run by mob kingpins. The film begins in the 1960s, and follows the story of best friends Michael, Carmine, and Bobby. They're three boys who just want to be kids in a neighborhood where you're as likely to witness a knifing as a game of stickball. Caesar Manganaro (Alec Baldwin) is a particularly intimidating mob bigwig, but despite crossing his path several times, the boys go unharmed. One of the nicest things about the mafia is its code of decency. Even the baddest of the bad keep their hands off the innocent...most of the time.

This Brooklyn childhood is epitomized by the day the boys stumble upon a dead man in the woods. He's seated peacefully behind the steering wheel of his car, but there's blood streaming down his face, and, you know, he's no longer with us. The scene is both horrifying and fascinating, and as the boys examine the carnage, one of them pockets a gun, and Bobby spies a toolbox containing a Beagle pup. The dog becomes Bobby's constant companion, and out of this ugly situation comes something pure and beautiful.

Flash forward to 1985, and the boys are still as close as ever, despite the fact that they're beginning to go their separate ways. The movie maintains the look of the 60s, but songs like "The Walk of Life", "You Spin Me", and "Karma Chameleon" bring us into the 80s, as does a spirited analysis of Back to the Future. Michael (Freddie Prinze Jr.) is now attending college, dating a nice Connecticut girl (Mena Suvari), and working nights at a corner store. Bobby (Jerry Ferrara) is looking to settle down with a girl from the neighborhood, and Carmine (Scott Caan) is a loose cannon with connections to Caesar. Life is pulling them in different directions, but they remain bonded by Brooklyn rules.

Despite Michael's best efforts to distance himself from his roots, he soon tangles with the mob, and a Sit Down is required to ensure his safety. Luckily, he has remained on Caesar's good side for all these years, and Caesar goes to bat for him in a scene so incredibly cool I kind of wish I needed him to clear up a problem with the mob for me. Baldwin's Caesar is as suave as he is badass, and once he lays down his terms, he and the other mob representative shake hands and embrace. Tell me the mob doesn't rock!

Okay, so the mob doesn't rock. Brooklyn Rules slowly spins out of control, reaching a truly shocking and heart-wrenching conclusion. By the end of the film it's clear that this is not a story about Brooklyn and the mob, but the undying friendship of three boys. Despite some gritty scenery and plenty of F-bombs, I was in tears by the end. It takes exceptional talent to bring heart to a movie like this, and Terence Winter rises to the occasion.

DVD NOTES

Extra features include writer and director commentary, plus interviews with all the major players (including Alec Baldwin—yesss!).