Kill the Irishman (2011)

Simply Perfect

hyped garbage

A Masterpiece!

It’s not bad or unwatchable but despite the amplitude of the spectacle, the end result is underwhelming.

In a flashforward to 1975, Danny Greene (Ray Stevenson) survives a car bomb attempt in Cleveland. In 1960, he and friends Billy McComber and Art Sneperger are longshoremen. He takes on corrupt union boss Jerry Merke who doesn't care about the working members. Sneperger is in gambling debt to Cleveland Mafia John Nardi (Vincent D'Onofrio) and Danny offers to help him steal from the docks. Danny takes over the union and marries Joan (Linda Cardellini). Police Detective Joe Manditski (Val Kilmer) takes him down and he's banned from unions. He gets work from loan shark Shondor Birns (Christopher Walken). After a dispute over money, he gets into a car bombing war with New York mobsters. He gains notoriety as the "Robin Hood of Collinwood" surviving multiple murder attempts.This is very much a Goodfellas wannabe including a "Based on a True Story" moniker. There isn't anything wrong with aspiring to be one of the best films of all times. It's got plenty of solid actors in the many supporting roles. D'Onofrio is a standout although it may be trying to fit in too many characters. As for Ray Stevenson, he has a really powerful presence. He's a hulking man. The movie has minor flaws here and there that keeps it from being a truly great mobster movie. Some of the side characters need to step up. The wife and mistress are bland. The movie doesn't always flow well but it's a good watch.

This is a truly awful film from 2011 that you would think was made for TV in 1990. Such bad acting and dumb looks from the lead roll, you wonder how he ever got the gig. This film throws well know actors from many much better classic gangster films in extremely typecast rolls, to the point of you start to wonder who else the director has dug out from the woodwork to pop up during the film. But even they can not save this disaster of a movie. It reminded me of the Comic Strip film 'Strike' ... But for the wrong reasons.How on earth this film has the rating it does on here makes me think long and hard about how the reviews are put together on here.

There is a coldness to the warm heart of this "Robin Hood" as portrayed here and that seems to be the only attempt to capture the real brutal side of this Schizophrenic Mobster. It is a one note Performance about a two tiered Thug. The Movie's Film Stock (most likely post production that made it look that way) has a very 1970's sheen to it that is amazingly authentic as are most of the Sets, Wardrobe, and Hairstyles.Fictional Realism seems to be the buzz here and most of it works really well. Incorporating real TV New footage with a seamless effect is another cu-do worth mentioning. The Bio part of the Movie is rather rushed and all surface and mostly cheats its way to an imbalance and manipulation to make our Anti-Hero more Hero than Anti.Overall it is well done if not at all Stylish and it is rather shallow in a lot of respects, but the "Truth" of the Story does come through and we are more informed than not about a really bizarre and very unusual situation about Tribal Warfare in and on the Streets of the Melting Pot. If you ever wondered why no one ever took on the Mafia at their own Game, well, here it is.

Ray Stevenson really delivers a powerful performance as Irish mobster Danny Greene. Few actors can pull off dramatic stuff such as this while being so damn tough . Based on the life of real Irish crimelord Danny Greene this is very similar in style to Goodfellas and also shares some of the support cast of aforementioned mob classic . This also reminds me of the Sly Stallone crime classic FIST. Of which is a tough film in its own right , but also a well made , story, character driven drama like this film. Kill The Irishman has one of the best supporting casts around which includes Vincent D'Onofrio, Christopher Walken, Vinny Jones and Val Kilmer(plus half of the cast of Goodfellas ). Ray Stevenson holds his own among all of these great actors by playing Greene smart, tough , charismatic and ruthless . Dialogue is delivered just as well as brutal beatings.Danny Greene is truly a tragic figure and Kill The Irishman exhibits some humanity as well as making him sympathetic and likable . Excellent.