It would seem that rebel couples make the best criminal partners. Or rather, the most entertaining ones. Inspired or not by the real life gangsters Bonnie and Clyde, Rob the Mob tells a similar-enough story of two young lovers turned small-time crooks when they decide to steal from the kitties of the high-powered Italian Mafia families of 1991’s Queens, New York.
Rob the Mob‘s hip, snappy title provides a good idea of what you should expect to get with this movie, as this crime-drama benefits from a regular dosage of sly attitude and charm from its leading gunslingers. As the real-life Mob mugging duo Thomas and Rosemarie Uva, Michael Pitt and Nina Arianda carve out a good piece of the crime couple cinematic landscape that has been all but missing from movies since we last saw the googley eyes of the wanted lovers in 1993’s shockingly sharp, Quentin Tarantino penned True Romance.
The actors’ chemistry is apparent in the film’s first frames, when we see Tommy and Rosie’s relationship, whose constant shouting matches-turned-make out sessions show the passion that leads them to attempt to (unsuccessfully) hold up a flower shop one Valentine’s Day, landing him in the clink and her trying to make good with a telemarketing gig. Years later and fresh out of prison, the pair reconnect, and now face a grown-up life with bills to pay and groceries to buy, much to the dismay of both, but there’s no killing their romance. A now cleaned up, all work and no play Rosie makes Tommy a dull boy, and so he finds himself stumbling into the landmark trial of Gambino-family boss John Gotti, where he spends his days soaking in testimonies galore that place in his head the knowledge that Mafia social clubs don’t carry firearms, and plant in his head the idea to make use of that information, and rob them.
Much of the movie’s heavy lifting is placed on Pitt and Arianda, and they are more than up to the task to step up. However, it’s the mood, look, and tone, which captures the 90’s-set New York inner city life in various and appealing locations, that director Raymond De Felitta (City Island) brings successfully to the big screen. Each scene, whether set in the boring cubicle office space, to Tommy and Rosie’s furniture-less shared apartment or in the Mob’s social clubs themselves, feels big and full of rich storytelling though the feeling retains its intimacy. Slightly oddball characters fill in some of these scenes, which add another jolt of punk humor.
Don’t underestimate the talent on display here; if you do, they might just pull a fast one on you.
After a string of successful Mob heists, the activity gains the attention of FBI and Mob reporter Jerry Cardozo (Ray Romano), whose curiosity attracts him to covering their stories. On the other side of the moral tracks, the embarrassing hits make their way up the chain to Mob boss Big Al (Andy Garcia), whose initial, calm, reluctance to “take care of” the cocksure criminals is deemed a mistake, when Tommy and Rosie get their hands on an invaluable item that could bring the entire Mob community down.
The billings of Ray Romano as the sympathetic reporter, who champions their cause and story (getting so far as to profile the notorious duo), and Andy Garcia, as the measured and wise old crime boss, are worthy additions here. Even if Romano can’t seem, or doesn’t try, to break from his already made, New York casual-ness character, he is still a friendly face with the utmost of trustworthy of intentions for the audience to rely on for moral centering. The work of Andy Garcia, meanwhile, shows a bigger hunger and eagerness, however dialed back and restrained it is, to sink his teeth into another character of depth. Although we see familiar tropes of “family first”-ness in Big Al’s character, going as far to say that “love” is the most important ingredient in his famous home-made Italian dish, Garcia brings with him a presence that does more than enough to get the audience imagining his colorful and dangerous background for him.
While it’s plainly obvious to see all the talent and craftsmanship on display here in this modestly-sized crime-drama, the shortcomings stem from its overall less than polished packaging. What gives each scene an appeal of life and energy, through a combination of loose shooting style and reactive performances, also waters down its larger vision. There is a lot on display here, sure; even the supporting story of the passing of Tommy’s late father at the hands of the Mafia allows even more human elements to be felt. But the emotions don’t stick, and at the end of the day, it would be better for the movie’s sake to decide which singular tone needs to be focused on in telling this story.
Ultimately, Rob the Mob, penned from scribe Jonathan Fernandez, has enough driving force in it, from the sum of all its parts (and in large part to Pitt and Arianda), to deem this a successful venture. Don’t underestimate the talent on display here; if you do, they might just pull a fast one on you.
