Twice the De Niro should have been twice as good.
For the first time in his acting career, Robert De Niro has a dual role in “The Alto Knights,” the latest reunion between himself, writer Nicholas Pileggi (“Goodfellas”), producer Irwin Winkler, and director Barry Levinson. Based on a true story, he plays Frank Costello, and his old childhood friend Vito Genovese, who looks and acts like if Peter Falk’s ghost was possessing Joe Pesci. They both run different crime families, and they went in different directions in their lives.
Now this has the look and feel of a riveting gangster movie, thanks to the performances, dialogue, cinematography, and art direction. But given De Niro’s memorable list of gangster movies (including “Once Upon a Time in America,” “The Godfather: Part II,” “Goodfellas,” “Casino,” and “The Irishman,” among others), it doesn’t really have the kind of story or essence to remind us of the good old days. In fact, it ends up being derivative of those movies.
The time is 1957 in New York City. Vito tries to have Frank killed, but he survives. Before he quits the mafia and retire with his family, he must deal with his friend-turned-enemy. Frank tries to tell Vito to walk away from the game while he can, but he just won’t come around. There are methods, codes, and principles that gangsters must follow. At least that’s how I would see gangsters in real life or in general.
Frank has a Jewish wife named Bobbie (Debra Messing), who often questions why he would have two stacks of cash in both his pants pockets. And Vito has a wife named Anna (Katherine Narducci), who runs a club, and is angry that he is taking her money. She keeps calling and aggravating Bobbie, demanding that Frank talks to Vito.
“The Alto Knights” is the first and probably last time De Niro will have multiple roles in his film career, unless he lives the 2,000-year-old-man diet: no fried food. So, that’s what I was most excited about, and he delivers in both roles. And I admire the supporting performances from the likes of Messing and Narducci, because of how they question their spouses’ methods in their respective lives of crime.
As I was watching this movie, I was admiring the old-fashion tribute with most of the cast members being old and in their prime, but still as entertaining as in their youth. And as I was watching this movie, which is distributed by Warner Bros, I was reflecting on some of the studio’s smaller films in the 90s. Especially since I’m sure more people will be seeing the “Snow White” remake than they will with this. There was a lot for me to reflect on with “The Alto Knights.” If only my overall reaction was as big as my optimism.
De Niro can still entertain us in the 2020s, as wisely demonstrated with “Killers of the Flower Moon” and “Ezra.” And his latest movie is further proof of his acting gifts, especially when it’s a double role. But “The Alto Knights” should have been given more depth and less looks, because that seems to overshadow the story and makes it kind of routine and boring.
This is also Levinson’s first movie since “The Survivor,” which was a massively entertaining boxing movie about the Polish boxer Harry Haft, who survived the Holocaust. A movie made by Levinson and written and produced by some of the best collaborators in the entertainment industry should be a good movie. And I hate to sound repetitive by they don’t exceed their previous great films.
If Eddie Murphy and Eddie Murphy or Mike Myers and Mike Myers or Tom Hanks and Tom Hanks can star in movies, then why not Robert De Niro and Robert De Niro? Now, there’s a movie. Make the film less convoluted and you might have had something there. Yes, I’m talking to you.