User reviews

WE OWN THE NIGHT is the quote from the lower portion of the badge on the uniforms of NYPD police family Deputy Chief Bert Grusinsky (Robert Duvall) and one of his two sons Capt. Joe Grusinsky (Mark Wahlberg): the other son Bobby (Joaquin Phoenix) did not follow the family tradition of police work but instead is involved in nightclubs - and yes there is a schism of resentment. Bobby has distanced himself further from his family by changing his last name to 'Green', living with a Puerto Rican girl Amada (Eva Mendes), and bonding to a wealthy Russian family who owns the nightclub where Bobby works - a front for a drug dealing business. Writer/Director James Gray ('The Yards' and 'Little Odessa') has a feel for this underbelly of New York City and captures the 1988 mood of life in the city and beneath the city with style. The problem with the story is that it has been done so many times that it is simply stale yesterday's lunch. Two brothers at opposite end of the family spectrum require a major tragedy to bring them together, and to offer any more information to this fairly thin plot would be a disservice to those who plan to see the film.

The cast is strong, partly because each of them has played similar roles countless times and have the ideas down pat. It should be noted that two of the producers of the film are Mark Wahlberg and Joaquin Phoenix, probably a reason the film was made... There are some exciting moments and enough surprises and tense times to keep the adrenaline rolling, the smaller roles are very well cast, and one of the shining attributes of the film is the gorgeous Russian liturgy inspired musical score by Wojciech Kilar. It is not a bad film; it is just too much in the same mold as countless other New York police dramas. Grady Harp

I saw this movie at a special screening in LA. There were lots of folks there from all walks of life and all ages - the movie seemed to go over very well with everyone in the room. The move is filled with some very tense moments and excellent performances by Joaquin Phoenix, Mark Wahlberg, Robert Duvall and Eva Mendes. Phoenix and Wahlberg work well together as the troubled brothers and Robert Duvall is perfect as always. I've seen some real stinkers at the movies recently (I won't bother you with the list because it's too long) so it was refreshing to see that movies can still be well made with characters you can care about and root for. Since the movie wasn't finished at the time I got to see it, I look forward to enjoying the movie again at local movie theater..

We Own the Night (2007) is a powerful film based on a dark atmosphere, literally and figuratively. First of all, many, if not most, scenes are shot at night with an obvious aesthetic sense. Then, the topic deals with the violent conflict between the Russian underworld and the NYPD, within the Brooklyn of the 80s. It's an ultimate film noir: crime, treason, jealousy and fatalism are themes adroitly developed by James Gray and marvelously interpreted by an awesome cast. Robert Duvall is a honest and accomplished policeman, a wise and protector father, Eva Mendes is a deliberately inflammatory woman, Mark Wahlberg is the ideal son and then Joaquin Phoenix is the 'second' son with a slightly tortured mind and who seeks his own place in the shadow of his family. In my humble opinion, this movie is clearly underrated. As a synthesis: 8/9 of 10.

The film starts in Brooklyn , 1888. Two brothers, Robert and Albert Green have chosen separated ways. Bobby Green Grusinsky(Joaquin Phoenix) is manager of a Russian club, who suffers emotional pain when has to confront with his father and brother. Joseph Green Grusinsky (Mark Wahlberg)is a police officer recently promoted to captain, he's a cold-blood professional. Their father is the upright Deputy Chief Albert Grusinsky(Robert Duvall). Bobby has a beautiful fiancée(Eva Mendes) and directs efficiently his club. When a Russian mobster is making his heroin trade, Joseph and Albert ask help to Bobby but he declines. Then Joe busts the discotheque that Robert manages and detain the Russian gangster but also to Bobby. Then the events wreak havoc and lead a spiral out of control.

This is a familiar drama full of intrigue, action, tension, thrills, and violence. Stunning performances by the trio protagonist, Wahlberg, Duvall and Phoenix who frequently casts for the director Gray. Gorgeous beauty from Eva Mendes who also does a magnificent acting as suffering girlfriend .This entertaining and suspenseful film is plenty of twists and unexpected turns. Adequate and moving musical score by Wojciech Kilar.Atmospheric cinematography reflecting splendidly interiors and exteriors from Queens streets.The picture is well directed by John Gray who frequently deals familiar conflicts set in N.Y , in fact he grew up in Queens and his grandparents were Russian immigrants. Gray is a nice writer/director and winner of several prizes.His first movie was ¨Litte Odessa¨(1994) at age of twenty-four and winner of the Venice film Festival, concerning also about Russian immigrants. His following was ¨The Yards¨ which was selected for official competition at Cannes Festival and starred by Mark Wahlberg and Joaquin Phoenix . His last film is titled ¨Two lovers¨(2008), and again with Joaquin Phoenix. Rating : Better than average, well worth watching.

I saw that We Own The Night received a standing ovation at the European critics screening and premiere at Cannes. Well, I can tell you at the preview screening I saw a while ago in the US, the audience applauded enthusiastically as well. The audience was totally into this movie in a way you don't usually see anymore. Not just grooving on it, but engrossed. Reminds me of The Godfather not just the movie, but the way the audience enjoyed it. Only reason I didn't give it a 10 was I don't give most movies at 10 unless they're like The Searcher or Vetigo. Again I don't want to give away too much about the movie because I hate now how everyone knows everything about a movie's plot before it opens. Let's just say it's both a crime movie and a family drama. A socially conscious melodrama and a cop story. And it has a couple of great action scenes. The acting was top notch by Joaquin Phoenix, Mark Wahlberg (better than in The Departed), Robert Duvall (always good) and especially Eva Mendes who I've never seen like this before. 9/10

It's good to see a movie on the subject of drugs, organized crime and the police that is both hard-hitting and realistic but without the non-stop action and improbable stunts that are so prevalent in today's film industry. For that reason I really enjoyed this movie. Along with that, even though I have never been a big fan of either Joaquin Phoenix or Eva Mendes, I have to admit that I thought both of them gave truly outstanding performances in this film. "Bobby Green" (Joaquin Phoenix) is the manager of a very successful nightclub in New York. "Amanda Juarez" (Eva Mendes) is his girlfriend. Both of them are having the time of their lives and are completely oblivious to the war on drugs going on all around them. "Joseph Grusinsky" (Mark Wahlberg) is the brother of Bobby Green and has just been promoted to captain in the New York Police Department. His primary duty is to crack down on drugs and his main target is a key member of the Russian mafia, "Vadim Nezhinski" (played by Alex Veadov), who has lately begun to frequent Bobby's nightclub. Joseph decides to lead a raid on the nightclub which leads to serious problems for all concerned. Having said that, the writer/director (James Gray) goes on to weave a gripping story with just enough action and drama to keep the audience intrigued but without going overboard on one or the other. Now, those who insist on cheap stunts and lots of CGI probably won't like this film. But for those who appreciate good acting, good writing, and a good plot then this is a movie that is definitely worth your time.

I caught a recent screening of this film and as a fan of thrillers I was more than impressed. The film creates a handful of true white-knuckle scenes but also accomplishes telling a story that has weight and depth. I love when a film takes its time to develop real characters and not repeats of what we've already seen. The crime genre is so full of clichés already. This film pays homage to classics such as French Connection while breaking new ground in its family/police drama. Phoenix, Wahlberg, Duvall and Mendes are all superb. Eva Mendes deserves a particular mention, as she has not yet been seen this way before.

Great Phoenix, but thats not enought to cover the bad script. It started really great, the brother conflict, the poice-informer-mafia game, but the last 30 minutes are quite boring and ridiculous and let you with a lame taste in the mouth. duvall and phoenix do great, wahlberg is ok, mendes the only thing she always does.... at the end an ok movie

On the whole I think James Gray's movies benefit from his smooth directing, no rushed and furious MTV editing. This leads to a good deal of leniency from the part of critics (as with Night Shyamalan before it became too obvious he was shooting the same narrative structure over and over), a kind of prime for directors who don't harass the viewer with images + sounds but let the camera roll and the actors do their jobs, the story unfold and so on.

We Own the Night starts very well, the exposure is excellent. Even though the brother confrontation is definitely not new Joaquin Phoenix is so good you just get into the story and beg for the plot to become more complicated. Oops. The problem is the story becomes a one-way highway of the same old/same old. Joaquin Phoenix is ever so good you don't care too much until it becomes way way too much. In that respect (and lack of respect for the movie-goer) the movie ends in a lame way, rushing an happy and clean and tidy and moral conclusion.

The last lines (see the so-called "memorable quotes") say it all. It perfectly reflects that a smooth director may be too smooth on writing. Bringing sentiments before the camera is miles away from shooting scripted sentimentalism and I think James Gray has a problem with his characters' emotions since he is only able to play on pathos and good acting.

Before you say nighty-nite tonight, I invite you to take reading proprietorship on my film review of Director James Gray's police drama "We Own The Night". Gray's grayscale directorial techniques were impressive in helming a film on two brothers subdivided by the arm of the law in a crime-ridden New York society. Joaquin Phoenix does stellar work portraying Bobby Green, a rebellious club manager who bickers with his police captain brother and deputy chief father due to the fact that the club he manages is run by a Russian mafia even though Bobby does not deal in criminal activity with those White Russians. Mark Wahlberg is cool as an iceberg as Bobby's aforementioned po-po brother Captain Joe Grusinksy. Wahlberg seems to excel in roles that call for him to play the fiery law enforcement official as he did in his Oscar-nominated performance in "The Departed". I think Mr. Dirk Diggler himself digs to be typecast in that role! Robert Duvall pops it up as Bobby and Joe's po-po papa Deputy Chief Bert Grusinsky. Eva Mendez rounds out the "We Own The Night" role call lineup as Bobby's Latina girlfriend Amada Juarez. The gray areas that James Gray nocturnally takes us into in "We Own The Night" are suspenseful, enthralling, and familial. Gray's takes on society's perception on law enforcement and commitment to the family system are well-enforced throughout the narrative's continuing plot developments. The only cinematic citation I have for Gray's effort would be on his mechanical action-flick screenplay in reference to the characters' dialogue; even though the plot structure was not worthy of an arrested development. Nevertheless, "We Own The Night" has plenty of night fever for it to warrant a lawful recommendation. **** Good

Greetings again from the darkness. Although there is an air of familiarity about the story ... dutiful son, black sheep, worshiped father, family turmoil, redemption, etc ... writer/director James Grey still manages to create enough drama, tension and believability to make this a quality picture.

It never hurts to have Robert DuVall, Mark Wahlberg and especially Joaquin Phoenix in your three lead roles. Heck even Eva Mendes shows a little acting ability in a couple of scenes. Toss in a shootout in a drug factory, a really cool (but short) car chase in the rain, and hide and seek in the tall reeds and you got an above average cop thriller/family melodrama.

The three leads are well cast and do a nice job of establishing the obvious lifestyle and character differences very quickly. I especially enjoyed the scenes with Phoenix and DuVall. Special note on Alex Veadov who plays a really bad man ... he is scary.

I went into this movie with little expectations but I did read some reviews prior to it. Suffice to say this movie could have been a LOT better. Surely it's worst problem is the script and storyline, it just didn't go any place the movie hadn't been visiting already. The whole thing felt like it was on repeat and it wasn't in a hurry to rewind. The acting I thought was pretty solid but cringeworthy oneliners kept hitting me over the head.

Storywise, the movie didn't make a whole lot of sense. Our protagonist is supposed to be this tough guy but he's clearly in over his head and not the person you'd trust a an important drugdeal with. I didn't even get why he was present at the deal to begin with. Way too much drama was infused into this crime-movie but in such untimely fashion that caring for the characters was not its result.

There are however some redeeming qualities. The score was pretty good and the cinematography excellent. The car-chase specifically stood out. And of course it's always nice to see Robert Duval.

All in all I wouldn't recommend it rather than to catch it when it's on TV some rainy evening. You could do a lot worse.

Just watched this in 2023 and after having to put up with many nonsenses coming from streaming platforms, this film was a breathe of fresh air. Acting, script, storyline, that noir approach just makes it an excellent action drama film.

Joaquin Phoenix gives and outstanding performance. Wish I could say the same for Mark Wahlberg, who I'm a fan of, but he just didn't get the attention required for me to put him on par with Phoenix. Accompanying characters were good too, like Eva Mendez and Robert Duvall.

I don't understand ratings below 7 to be honest, so if you're into these types of films, nevermind those critics, give it a shot and judge for yourself.

Well directed well acted and well told story. Joaquin Phoenix did a good job.

I came across this flick due it's title. Never heard of it I thought it was going to be a horror but what a big surprise it was. I found it an excellent flick with great performances by Robert Duvall (Burt Grusinsky) and Joaquin Phoenix (Bobby Green).

I didn't had any problem with the story although it's a bit weird that a mobster can become a copper. A snitch I can take but this. But somehow I didn't had a problem with it because it fits in the story itself. The surprise was for me the effects used which were excellent and even gory on some parts (headshot). Eva Mendes (Amada) doesn't have a great part but fits in well with her sexy vibes and even a bit of nudity. Mark Wahlberg (Joseph) has a smaller part but does fine what he has to do.

Surprisingly good mobster flick that never bored me for a minute.

Gore 1,5/5 Nudity 0,5/5 Effects 3/5 Story 3/5 Comedy 0/5

Joaquin Phoenix is the ambitious night club owner who befriends all sorts of characters, some shady. His brother, Mark Wahlberg, is a principled captain in the NYPD, and their father, Robert Duval, is an even higher echelon type of cop -- Deputy Commissioner or Chief Executive Assistant Deputy of Commissioners and Non-Commissioners, or something. His beribboned uniform indicates that if he were in the Army he'd be a brigadier general, and in the Navy, a commodore except that the Navy no longer has such a rank. Naturally, Pop is prouder of his son the police officer, coming as he does from the kind of family that believes the fetus isn't viable until it graduates from the police academy.

Brother is pitted against brother but not for long. The heavies are all Russians. When a big time drug dealer, a really slimy type that wears his hair in an exotic do and never blinks, played by the Ukranian Alex Veadov, approaches Phoenix with an offer to sample his product and then spread the word about its quality among his night club patrons, Phoenix spills the beans at once to the cops. Phoenix is drafted as a conditional member of the NYPD and wears a wire to a meeting with Veadov. His true allegiance is uncovered by the heavily armed Russians and a shoot out follows.

There are other shoot outs, betrayals, and romantic squabbles in which Phoenix's girl friend objects to his becoming a police officer for the same reason that every other cop's girl friend in every other cop or military movie has objected to her man's job. The lines usually come out something like, "How do you think I feel, waiting for you every night, wondering if you're alive or lying dead in some alley (or battlefield)?" When John Wayne played a military man he constantly had these conflicts with his women and he always won, as Phoenix does here.

There have been lots of cop movies since American cities were turned upside down in the late 1960s and "Dirty Harry" incorporated all our fears of urban violence and serial killers. Most were shackled to action movie conventions. A bop on the head rendered a character unconscious for just as long as the script required. A sock on the jaw achieved the same effect. Not here, though. The violence is brutal but believable and done, if it can be said, with taste by writer/director James Gray.

Take the requisite car chase for example. "Bullitt" provided the holotype -- cars screeching at high speed around corners, shots exchanged, one car apparently trying to bump the other off the road, the shrieking and scattering of pedestrians and all that. Not here. The car chase is filmed with some originality. It takes place mostly on a single highway in New York City in a blinding rain. The point of view is limited almost exclusively to Phoenix, the driver of a car being peppered with slugs from the Russian mobsters. Phoenix is not angry. He's screaming because he's scared to death and because the rain is so heavy he can barely make out what's going on around him, and that's not to mention the dead guy in the suicide seat. The chase scene breaks most of the usual narrative conventions.

I'm not going to give Gray too many bonus points because he lapses into the cliché of the wobbling, hand-held camera during the final shoot out. I suppose it's designed to add a touch of authenticity but all it does is confuse and distract a viewer, interfering with the suspension of our disbelief. A camera that shakes crazily only reminds us that we're watching a movie.

But I have to say that in general this is a notch above the usual cop/action movie. There have been some neatly structured films in the genre -- "Serpico" and "Prince of the City", for instance. James Gray's movie is among the few that reflect the kind of thought and planning that requires skill and even artistry. Nice job.

"We Own the Night" features a brilliant performance by Joaquin Phoenix as Bobby Green, a manager of a Russian owned nightclub called the Caribe. He showed why he would go on to win an Oscar for his performance as Joker.

Bobby was something of a black sheep of the family. His father Burt Grusinsky (Robert Duvall) was the chief of police and his brother Joseph Grusinsky (Mark Wahlberg) was a police captain. Meanwhile, Bobby ran a nightclub, recreationally used drugs, and was dating a Puerto Rican woman (yes that was a point of contention). Bobby was fully prepared to distance himself from his father and brother, and do his own thing. Their worlds collided when Joseph raided his club in hopes to bust a known drug dealer named Vadim (Alex Veadov). Vadim would retaliate by sending a masked gunman to execute Joseph. From that point on Bobby would have to be on one side or the other.

"We Own the Night" takes place in 1988 New York. There wasn't a lot of action in this movie, but it made the little action that did occur so much more poignant. There were a few scenes that really jumped off the screen due to the creativity with the sound and imagery.

The overarching story was that of the NYPD trying to stem the flow of drugs to the streets. A co-plot was the struggle Bobby faced of having to choose to help the police catch Vadim. It was a difficult choice if for no other reason it was extremely dangerous. As important and deep as Phoenix's character was, Eva Mendes' character--Bobby's girlfriend Amada--was equally useless and weak. Amada was such a pathetic ornamental character she only hindered the movie. She didn't say or do anything of value except be a woman Bobby was fawning over and worried about. Her scenes were the only low points of the entire movie.

Mendes' character aside, this was an impressive movie. It's not about superhero cops shooting up all the bad guys. It's a grittier cop movie that's bittersweet for the hero thereby making it more appreciable.

We Own the Night is an action thriller that entertains throughout. While there are not many times where it is slow, the first half is undoubtedly better than the rest.

James Gray manages to make a very memorable and talked about car chase. Minimalistic sound and hectic weather provide a thrilling few minutes, accompanied with the industrial pounding of what sounds like a washing machine running.

The big four are great, but no other supporting roles stand out and most characters would be flat out bland if it was not for the actors who portrayed them.

The movie does not offer much of anything new, although I must admit I did not suspect the final villain to be who it was (even though in hindsight it could have been obvious)

Plain cinematography and repetition doesn't help the movie, but it doesn't take away the fact that it is well directed, entertaining, and keeps a promise to its genre.

Light 7/10

The Grusinsky family is a family of cops, father Bert is Deputy Chief and son Joe is Captain. However son Bobby has shunned this side of the family and, to Bert's chagrin, is using his mother's maiden name and is running a club in Brooklyn, mixing with those who see the police as a joke and the city as theirs. As a result the family is split, with neither willing to see the others' point of view. When Joe leads a raid on Booby's club and picks up several men of a high-profile Russian mobster the outcome is bloodshed - with a hit put out on Joe. With the Russians unaware of the family connection, Bobby must decide who he stands with and the risks he is willing to take for his family.

We Own the Night came and went in the cinemas over here and struck me as being one of those thrillers that gets made that is solid enough to watch but not remarkable enough to do really well. This was enough to make me check it out anyway though and it turned out to be pretty much what it appeared to be in the overview. This is no bad thing though because a solid thriller is still a solid thriller and sometimes that is a welcome relief from all the noisy, superficial blockbusters handed to us week in, week out. Set in the 1980's, the film does recall the cop thrillers of the 1970's to a certain point and it does feel like an old fashioned film in terms of the characters and the way it is shot and the rather grey and oppressive feel to the city of the time does lend itself to the narrative.

It's not a film of gripping tension though. There are several really well done scenes that are unbearably tragic and tense (the shoot-out between cars is particularly good) but mostly the film takes a slower pace that focuses on the characters. It is a good direction to go but the problem is that Gray allows it all to get just that bit too sombre and heavy and it does have an impact on the film in regards slowing it down somewhat. This seems to have been passed onto the cast as well, who are generally restrained in their emotions - again not a massive criticism but it does feel a bit like all these factors are weighing down the film to a certain extent. Phoenix impresses despite this and he does convince in his character even if he himself comes over like he has a weight on his shoulders that is crushing him; I get that that is part of his character but again it adds this sense of slowness to proceedings. Wahlberg is underused and has too little time and opportunity to make the most of his character - he is very much a supporting player. Duvall is better because his presence adds more and the lack of time doesn't take away from him as he does what he has to do. I enjoyed seeing Mendes doing more than being her usual foxy and a bit playful self - trust me, I do love her in that mode but she is capable of more. Gray and his cinematographer provide style when it matters but I think he is mostly responsible for the rather heavy feel to the entire film and it does rather suck the energy out of the film.

I'm not suggesting that this film should have been zingy and "fun" but just that it is sombre to the point of being a bit too much like hard work at times. In terms of content, characters and themes I found that it all worked but that this sense of weight did affect it. Still a solid film that is dramatically satisfying in an old fashioned way but these issues do prevent it being as memorable as it could have been.