“Many Saints of Newark” is a solid episode of “The Sopranos”

I woke up this morning, I watched a movie.

Yes, 14 years after HBO’s groundbreaking drama series “The Sopranos” aired its last – controversial to date – its prequel to “The Many Saints of Newark” premiered on Wednesday in New York City.

Fans filled every seat at the Beacon Theater, and the dress code was business. Some ticket holders interpreted this as Tony Soprano style tracksuits. They must have thought that the invitation said “family affair”.

Ahead of the film’s start, there was intense applause for the late James Gandolfini, who died in 2013, and his 22-year-old son Michael, who took the reins of his pop and now plays the young Tony Soprano.

A man on the balcony shouted to Michael on stage, “We loved your dad!

By the time the credits fell, we loved her son too.

“Many Saints of Newark,” written by genius “Sopranos” creator David Chase and directed by series mainstay Alan Taylor, had a tall order. The film had to complement what even a Himalayan hermit could tell you, it was the show that changed television forever. It does. And by ditching the hit for the big screen, the film had to compete with mafia classics such as “Goodfellas” and “The Godfather”. Sorry, it’s not on the same level. “Many Saints” plays like a solid television.

Nonetheless, the story of how Tony Soprano’s youth led him to become the capo of the DiMeo crime family in New Jersey is clever, entertaining, and brutal. Signature hunt. His mix of humor, terror, psychological complexity and strangely fascinating household chores is alive and well here. However, many characters are only alive for a brief period.

The bloody film begins during the Newark race riots in 1967 and mainly follows Dickie Moltisanti (Alessandro Nivola), Christopher’s father (Michael Imperioli tells a bit) and Tony’s favorite uncle (first William Ludwig then Gandolfini), as his city ​​and mafia is trained in kicking and shooting in the modern world.

He is part of a new generation about to take over, with Corrado “Junior” (Corey Stoll) and Johnny Soprano (Jon Bernthal). They face off against Harold McBrayer (Leslie Odom Jr.), a black gangster who works for Dickie but has his own greater aspirations. Best of the lot, however, is Ray Liotta as Dickie’s father, Aldo. He’s absolutely hysterical. Reprehensible, but hysterical.

The same goes for Vera Farmiga, who expertly plays Tony’s kvetching mother Livia. It’s fascinating, if you’re familiar with the show, to watch Livia and Junior hungry for the chance to interact with a growing Tony.

Contrary to what you would assume, Tony is not the main event. He’s more of a wide-eyed observer – aware of what the eccentric men in his family are doing but naive of the gruesome details. He adores Dickie, unaware that he is a murderous racist with a mistress by his side. Obviously, this guy has rubbed off on Tony.

Gandolfini, however, nails the most important aspect of his father’s iconic role – the shy sensibility. During his therapy sessions on the show, we learned that there was more to this mobster than a gun and a greasy white tank top. “Many Saints” adds layers upon layers to that. There is a moment when young Gandolfini proves his seriousness when we feel that a child who could have taken a very different path – artist, writer, scientist – instead chooses a life of crime. Audiences rightly applaud him, if not the whole movie.

When you make a movie based on the greatest TV show of all time, there’s bound to be a hint of disappointment. What you get here is a very enjoyable crowd flick that can be enjoyed by anyone, but will undoubtedly be preferred by “Sopranos” fans. “The Godfather IV” is not.

No matter what your nitpicking, however, you can sleep well knowing that “Many Saints of Newark” doesn’t end with the song “Don’t Stop Believin ‘”.