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Fourteen years after The Sopranos finished their groundbreaking run, here’s this dazzling prequel. Fans of HBO’s New Jersey gangster saga can rejoice; The Many Saints of Newark is whatever you want it to be.
The story covers the mid 60s to early 70s when Tony Soprano is still in school (well, when he’s not cheating), but clearly absorbs everything his parents are doing anymore. aged. Tony’s played by William Ludwig and, later, Michael Gandolfini – son of the late James Gandolfini, who so memorably created the role. Both are formidable, with Gandolfini catching some of his father’s mannerisms; But with Tony’s father (Jon Bernthal) in prison and his mother (Vera Farmiga) at her wit’s end, the spotlight falls on Dickie Moltisanti (Alessandro Nivola), the man young Tony admires.
As fans know, Dickie is Christopher’s father, who Tony also took under his wing on the show. The plot begins with Dickie’s abusive father Aldo ‘Hollywood Dick’ Moltisanti (Ray Liotta) returning from Italy with a new wife (Gabriella Piazza), but it’s a marriage that won’t last. In search of power, the volatile Dickie is horrible in his actions.
The tale fits in with real life as the 1967 Newark Race Riots erupt into the streets. Racial tensions between the Italian-American and African-American communities spill over, symbolized by Dickie’s conflict with Harold McBrayer (Leslie Odom Jr.), a mercenary who becomes dangerously entangled in Dickie’s personal life.
Co-written by Sopranos creator David Chase and Lawrence Konner (who wrote a number of episodes), it’s a very compelling origin story. Nivola and Liotta stand out in a top-notch cast, while the younger versions of familiar characters – Uncle Junior (Corey Stoll), Silvio Dante (John Magaro) and Big Pussy (Samson Moeakiola) – blend in with a simmering story. for the first hour, before climbing, thrillingly, into the final stages.
A slightly bizarre idea sees the film narrated from the grave by Christopher (Michael Imperoli). It doesn’t quite work, but the Sopranos themselves were never afraid to try weird dreamy moments. For the most part, director Alan Taylor (Thor: The Dark World), another veteran of the Sopranos, is right, taking on the spirit of the series.
Along with Tony, a rebellious schoolboy who dreams of playing in the NFL, he’s an observer of this mob life; but the key to the film’s success lies in the skill with which it establishes the world of explosive violence and easy money that it will ultimately be swayed into.
The Many Saints of Newark will arrive in UK theaters on September 22 and in US theaters on October 1. The Sopranos movie will also air on HBO Max alongside theaters – get the best HBO prices here.
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