Known by many simply as The Sopranos movie, The Many Saints Of Newark isn’t simply a continuation of the greatest TV series of all time, but is instead a wonderfully crafted prequel which brings many key players from the classic HBO show back into the world of The Sopranos.
Written by series creator David Chase (the visionary writer/director responsible for changing the face of television), The Many Saints Of Newark takes place in in the 1960s and 70s, and gives us a glimpse into the early years of Tony Soprano (immortalised on the small screen by the late James Gandolfini, and played here by his real-life son Michael Gandolfini). However, despite the way it was often marketed, Newark is not the Tony Soprano origin story.
Sure, we see a school-age Tony getting into a few scrapes, have plenty of glimpses into the reasons he becomes the man we know so well, and even watch how his father Johnny (Jon Bernthal, The Punisher) and family-friend Dickie Moltisanti (Alessandro Nivola, American Hustle) may have tempted him towards the mobster life we know him for, but Newark is Dickie’s story. It’s Dickie who takes centre-stage throughout, it’s he who is the most connected to the impending gang-war, it’s his personal and professional struggles making up the meat of the movie, and it’s his influence over his young nephew which will inform much of what is to come later.
Nivola does a great job of helming the film as the seasoned-yet-emotional gangster, struggling with his own moral conflicts, not to mention family pressures, and both internal and external threats putting his own position within the mafia family at risk. He’s charismatic, vulnerable, and perfectly cast to play the flawed antagonist whom it would have been great to see more of in a limited series.
Other cast members also work well; Michael Gadolfini, despite having a much smaller role than the film’s marketing may have implied, does a fantastic job of emulating his late father’s mannerisms, and plays the young Tony to perfection as a slightly more hopeful version of the man we will eventually follow through six of the best seasons ever aired on television. Corey Stoll (Ant-Man) does a fantastic portrayal of Junior Soprano; appearing every bit as insecure, ill-tempered, and erratic as we know Uncle Jnr. (previously played by Dominic Chianese) to be; and the always impressive Jon Bernthal puts in a stellar, scene-stealing, performance as Johnny Soprano (Tony’s father), besting his TV counterpart in every possible way.
Although some members of the cast do fall flat; Ray Liotta, one of an exceptionally small number of Goodfellas’ alumni who didn’t make the TV series, puts in two acceptable, but sadly forgettable, turns as both Dickie’s father and twin-brother. Vera Farmiga (The Conjuring star recently seen in Hawkeye) takes on the infamous role of Tony’s mother Livia Soprano, but due in part to her performance, lacklustre writing, and the memory of Nancy Marchand, she lacks the presence Livia should command, and fails to be anywhere near as intimidating as we already know the unforgiving matriarch to be.
The worst offenders however come in the form of beloved supporting characters; everyone from Paulie Walnuts, to Big Pussy, and Silvio Dante are here. We even get brief glimpses of a young Carmella Soprano, and Artie Bucco. Yet while their additions sound both welcome, and nostalgia-inducing, on paper, they often fail to land; largely because instead of watching a younger version of a beloved character, most of these additions feel like little more than poor fan-service, and often come across simply as low-level actors doing a bad impressions of people and characters we spent so long getting to know (John Magaro’s awful impersonation of Steven Van Zandt’s Silvio being by far the worst culprit).
Still, a huge part of what’s wrong with The Many Saints Of Newark can be traced to two things; the writing, and the new format; there’s no denying David Chase knows his way around a story, but not only does Newark feel somewhat directionless (partly because it’s not the film we thought we were getting), it’s basically little more than an average gangster film; one simultaneously carried by, and hampered by, it’s small-screen origins.
Sopranos fans will come in with a set of stringent expectations, and sadly be confronted with something very different to what the trailers promised, as well as finding themselves confronted with the very real limitations of a traditional movie; as Newark simply doesn’t have time to flesh out every character arc, plot-line, and epic storyline it aspires to create. Instead the movie lacks a lot of the nuance we have become accustomed to, and gives us a truncated version of events which would have been far better played out as a HBO limited series.
One thing a film does allow for however, is superb visuals and a fantastic period setting. Director Alan Taylor, best known for helming some of Game Of Thrones’ best episodes, and Thor: The Dark World, shoots a brilliant looking film here; the filmmakers’ vision of 1960s New Jersey, complete with depressingly contemporary-feeling race riots, drafting, and more, looks equal parts glamorous and dangerous (mirroring the mafia lifestyle); it’s beautiful, dated, and almost hyper-real. A big screen, breeds a bigger budget, and a slick looking aesthetic which truly shines here.
The action, what little there is, comes hard and fast, and Newark does have its share of explosive moments. It also provides a great bit of backstory for long-time fans of The Sopranos and answers an important question many fans have been asking for years. It’s an enjoyable, entertaining, and pretty gripping watch. The problem with The Many Saints of Newark however, can be summed up by simply saying it’s not The Sopranos (even though it does a great job of fleshing out/recreating some classic Sopranos flashback scenes).
Maybe it shouldn’t be so heavily compared to its predecessor but, it’s impossible to separate the two and, sadly Newark suffers in comparison to its older-more-fleshed-out-brother. It’s a poorly marketed film which failed to give us a proper Tony Soprano origin story, or solely focus on the misadventures of Dickie Moltisanti; both of which would have worked better as a series; and it’s almost a shame Saints’ final shot and closing music is so good, as it reminds us why we came here to begin with.
There’s a decent, enjoyable film here; with an acceptable cast, solid direction, a great soundtrack, and a perfect setting. Newark is the best gangster film in years (far superior to the likes of The Irishman), it’s just neither the prequel we were promised, or the original story which could have reignited the genre. As a result, The Many Saints Of Newark turns out to be an average watch; sure to please gangster-movie-fans, and entertain (and mildly disappoint) Sopranos fans alike. A decent, but largely forgettable, film which would have worked far better as a TV series.
