Mountain Mafia

In the interest of full disclosure, I not only worked briefly on the set of this movie but I consider several people involved in the making of it good friends. However, as a movie lover and a supporter of quality independent films, I can look at the final product with an objective eye.

Mountain Mafia is, at its center, a gangster story. You have the typical characters in place: the "Don," the hit-man/enforcer, rival families, and so on. The story revolves around Dwight, top enforcer for a gangster nicknamed "Mr. Italy," who decides to move on past his life of crime after a botched collection attempt almost sends him to an early grave. The film follows Dwight's treacherous journey through the crime circles in his hopes to get him and his loved ones out in one piece.

While this may sound like a story you've seen before, the characters and setting make the film fresh. While Dwight is the focus of the movie, the surrounding characters add a much needed complexity to the story. Two standouts are Billy, another enforcer and friend who cannot keep his jealousy of a former girlfriend in check, and June Bug, Dwight's mentally-challenged brother.

Another element that is almost a character in-of-itself is the setting of the Appalachian hills of Eastern Kentucky. The movie takes great care in making its world feel real without delving into redneck stereotypes (too much). It is a setting that few gangster movies explore and Mountain Mafia takes full advantage of this.

If you love true independent cinema, I would suggest giving this movie a go.