Staten Island

I hadn't heard much about this film before viewing it, but I do remember seeing a clip somewhere or other. It follows the lives of three people living on the island and shows what happens when their lives intersect. It is made in a very interesting style, almost what I would expect to see from a French studio, but when I saw that one of the producers was none other than Luc Besson, I was less than surprised. But more of my thoughts later, here's a brief summary first (summary haters please protect this small forest while I write the next paragraph).

Sully Halverson cleans septic tanks for a living. He's not the sharpest blade in the box, but when he and his wife, Mary, decide to have a baby, he begins to get ideas. He sees a treatment program they are running at the hospital that genetically changes an embryo so the resultant child will be smarter. Now, if only he could get some money to pay for it… Parmie Tarzo is an ambitious mob boss. He lives alone with his mother and wants, more than anything, to be famous. His mother was recently shot during a robbery at his house and Tarzo and his gang are after the perpetrators. After he decides to take over the entire Staten Island operation and an attempted hit by a rival gang fails, he kind of loses the plot a little. He is found on a platform up a tree, trying to protect an area of forest due for demolition… Jasper Sabiano is a deaf mute who works in a deli and does 'disposal' jobs on the side for Tarzo. He has a liking for gambling on the horses and when he wins big he feels he might be able to help his friend Sully… These three characters are about to collide and things will never be that same for any of them.

As I said at the beginning, this film has very much the feel of a French art house film, but its set in New York. It's kind of strange to watch if you're not used to that sort of thing, but if you stick with it, it will pay off in the end. Great performances from all of the main cast; Ethan Hawke plays the dumb Sully Halverson with great aplomb, Vincent D'Onofrio is perfect as Parmie Tarzo and Seymour Cassel is superb as Jasper Sabiano. Oh, and an honourable mention must go to Julianne Nicholson as Mary Halverson.

Over all, I really enjoyed this film. It has quite a gentle pace that I found quite fitted the style adopted by the director. I loved the way the characters at some point all look wistfully across towards Manhattan, as if wishing they could be over there. It's not perfect by any means, but enjoyable none the less… Recommended.

My score: 6.9/10

In Staten Island, New York, Parmie Tarzo (Vincent D'Onofrio) is a powerful mobster boss. The family man Sully Halverson (Ethan Hawke) is septic tank cleaner married with Mary Halverson (Julianne Nicholson) and they are trying to have a baby. The deaf and dumb Jasper "Jas" Sabiano (Seymour Cassel) is the slicer of deli meat in a market and also works for Parmie Tarzo slicing the bodies of his victims. Jas likes Sully and expects to win the horse races.

One day, Sully that is not a bright man decides to heist the house of Parmie Tarzo, expecting to artificially inseminate Mary with a better sperm than his in an expensive clinic. Meanwhile Jas wins the horse race and there is an attempt on Tarzo's life and he finds that his gangsters have planned it. The lives of the three residents are entwined with tragic consequences.

"Staten Island" is a movie that blends different genres – comedy, crime and drama – in an uneven way. The screenplay is not linear and Parmie Tarzo on the top of the tree is boring and silly. The best segment is the drama of Sully, and the motives of Jas are not clear. "Staten Island" entertains but is not special. My vote is six.

Title (Brazil): Not Available

I attended the screening in NJ a couple of weeks ago and absolutely loved the film. It was three vignettes about different characters who are all tied together on Staten island. At times the film was funny and others grim but the overall effect was extremely enjoyable. Vincent D'Onofrio and Seymour Cassel were outstanding in their roles as gangster and cohort/victim. Ethan Hawke was also incredible. I was anxious to see the film because my 12 year old son and I watched a scene being filmed in our town last summer and was thoroughly surprised. I would recommend this for anyone who enjoys quirky comedy with a healthy dose of irony and drama.

I watched this movie because one of my friends insisted me to. I have to admit that I didn't expect much in this movie at first but it turned out to be a great movie.First, the characters are well-developed. You can not expect a stronger or more convincing performance from Seymour Cassel. I think he definitely deserves an Oscar for this cast. Ethan Hawke is just as great. I can see in him a father who is, well, a little dumb but loves his wife and his unborn kid with all his heart.

Second, about the plot. The story is quite slow and easy-flowing. Some may find that it makes you feel kinda sleepy. But trust me, the more you watch this movie, the more you will find it entertaining and meaningful. I can not promise that you will love this movie but I believe that it will make you feel relieved and relaxed. I myself smiled at the end of the movie and thanked my friend for having introduced to me such a touching movie.

If you are still hesitating whether you should watch this movie or not, hesitate no more. Watch it. Strongly recommended. 9/10.

In my opinion the characters were well developed and well played out for their parts. The story kept me intrigued. Honestly I can think of a whole slew of movies that this one would go good next to; Burn After Reading for example. And I just loved the music that was playing during the credits.

The problem for me was that all in all, by the end of it, I honestly could not fathom the reason for any of what had happened. After the movie ended I was left with a resounding unanswerable "WHY?". "What was accomplished?" "What was the use?" I was entertained by the characters and the story for an hour and a half, but the movie did not go anywhere. I honestly believe that the script was given a green light for the simple reason that everyone involved saw an opportunity to exercise their chops and do what it is that they're good at. The purpose here was not to entertain the audience or make some money. It was just a vehicle for those involved to feed their brain's craving to engage in a familiar and fun activity. Like doing a jigsaw puzzle, or a sudoku. Fun and engaging for the moment, but when you're done, what was it worth?