{"id":23548,"date":"2021-09-22T16:57:59","date_gmt":"2021-09-22T23:57:59","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.cinemastance.com\/?p=23548"},"modified":"2021-09-22T16:57:59","modified_gmt":"2021-09-22T23:57:59","slug":"the-many-saints-of-newark-isnt-indispensable-but-features-a-few-memorable-moments","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/cinemastance.com\/?p=23548","title":{"rendered":"THE MANY SAINTS OF NEWARK Isn\u2019t Indispensable, But Features a Few Memorable Moments"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
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This feature will be playing in theaters and streaming on\nHBO Max Friday, October 1st<\/sup>. <\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

The HBO series, \u201cThe Sopranos,\u201d premiered just over 20 years\nago and became a phenomenon during its six-season run. Unfortunately, this\nreviewer didn\u2019t have the pay-cable service and completely missed it as a result.\nIn the years since, many who enjoyed the show have continued asking questions\nabout the show and its colorful characters. As a newbie to the material, I\nwould guess that \u201cThe Many Saints of Newark,\u201d isn\u2019t interested in answering any\nof these inquiries. That may be disappointing to some, but at least the film provides\na few memorable moments and more history to the central criminal\nenterprise.   <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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The story\u2019s early focus is on Richard ‘Dickie’ Moltisanti (Alessandro\nNivola) and his strained relationship with father and mobster, Aldo \u2018Hollywood\nDick\u2019 Moltisanti (Ray Liotta). On the cusp of the 1967 Newark riots, viewers\nare also introduced to Harold McBrayer (Leslie Odom Jr.), an African-America\nmember of the outfit dealing. He must contend with racism form all sides, but\nstill hopes to advance up the criminal ranks. After violent acts are committed during\nthe upheaval, the story jumps forward into the next decade. Richard Moltisanti\nand Harold McBrayer continue in their pursuits, making strides and eventually\ndeveloping an adversarial relationship. The story also introduces Richard\u2019s\nadmiring nephew, a teenage Tony Soprano (Michael Gandolfini), detailing the\nyoung man\u2019s struggle to find focus and inspiration in life. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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For those excited about seeing a younger version of the lead\ncharacter from the series, you will have to wait some time to reach this\nsubplot. A good chunk of the story is set against the backdrop of the riots and\nthe injustices committed by the police, as well as the inner turmoil between\nMoltisanti family members. McBrayer is solid as a put-upon underling dealing\nwith prejudice and trying to succeed in spite of his mistreatment. Richard\nMoltisanti also has some excellent moments, particularly when visiting a family\nrelation in prison. These bits end up acting as confessions and darkly humorous\ntherapy sessions, as the man attempts to rationalize his vicious acts and figure\nout his next move. And when he does appear, Michael Gandolfini is a natural as\nTony. He\u2019s a likable kid, possessing a believable rebellious streak and reacting\nwith appropriate curiosity about the unique figures around him.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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It is unfortunate that the movie isn\u2019t quite sure who its main character is and jumps between them so often. There are several plot threads featured and the transitions are, at times, awkward. Admittedly, all of the stories ultimately intersect (at least to some degree), but they don\u2019t coalesce or fit quite as snugly as one might expect. The film\u2019s big reveal appears to be what ultimately happened to Richard and who was responsible, although the secrets detailed won\u2019t result in major shock or surprise. And of course, there are likely scenes with subtle references to the show, but those were lost on this viewer.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Despite the story meandering between characters and feeling\nunfocused, one can\u2019t complain about the writing. When these figures speak to\none another and bicker about personal issues, it is fascinating and enjoyable\nto watch. There are some fantastic and relatable interactions between Tony\nSorprano and his relentlessly negative mother Livia (Vera Farmiga) that deliver\nplenty of chuckles. Even some of the gruesome moments offer a pinch of grim\nhumor, including a bit in which one character\u2019s toupee flips comically off of\nhis head while committing murder. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThe Many Saints of Newark,\u201d is an offshoot that is oddly\nstitched together and may not prove to be an indispensable addition to the show.\nStill, individual scenes do make an impression and those who watch it with\nexpectations in check will enjoy some witty dialogue and engaging performances.\nIt likely doesn\u2019t match the heights of the original series, but the film is intriguing\nenough to inspire this writer to finally go back, watch the show and see what\nthe fuss was all about. <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

This feature will be playing in theaters and streaming on HBO Max Friday, October 1st. The HBO series, \u201cThe Sopranos,\u201d premiered just over 20 years ago and became a phenomenon during its six-season run. Unfortunately, this reviewer didn\u2019t have the pay-cable service and completely missed it as a result. In the years since, many who […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":6,"featured_media":23549,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[5],"tags":[206,697,953,4910,6251,8102,12278,13782,14124,16336,16694,18856,21530,21531,21532,22254,23100],"class_list":["post-23548","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-movie-reviews","tag-206","tag-action","tag-alessandro-nivola","tag-crime","tag-drama","tag-gangsters","tag-leslie-odom-jr","tag-michael-gandolfini","tag-mobsters","tag-prequel","tag-ray-liotta","tag-spin-off","tag-the-many-saints-of-newark","tag-the-many-saints-of-newark-movie-review","tag-the-many-saints-of-newark-review","tag-the-sopranos","tag-tony-soprano"],"blocksy_meta":{"styles_descriptor":{"styles":{"desktop":"","tablet":"","mobile":""},"google_fonts":[],"version":8}},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/cinemastance.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/23548","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/cinemastance.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/cinemastance.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/cinemastance.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/6"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/cinemastance.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=23548"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/cinemastance.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/23548\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/cinemastance.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=23548"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/cinemastance.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=23548"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/cinemastance.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=23548"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}