People in my inner circle know how much I love New York City. If I ever leave where I live now, my heart tells me to move to the Big Apple. If you do some research, there are thousands of movies set in the city that never sleeps, so every now and then I like to watch a film with the city plays a significant role in the story. Today’s entry will be an iconic movie, one that many New Yorkers hold dear to their hearts, A Bronx Tale.
Another gangster movie from the 1990’s that featured heavyweights of the genre Robert DeNiro and Chazz Palminteri. I can understand why A Bronx Tale is considered one of the best movies set in the city, but at the same time, I don’t really know why it is held in such high regard.
When you strip down the story, written by Palminteri, you have just a basic mob movie set in the 1960s. There are turf wars and racism, all focal points in the Bronx during this time. What makes this story a little different than all the other ones past and present, is the young boy chasing down a dream to work for the mob. Usually, we see teenagers get caught up in the wrong things or through family connections find themselves “connected.” This one is a little different since a young boy pursues a mob life against his family’s well wishes.
I applaud DeNiro, Palminteri, and Lillo Brancato’s performances, even though this isn’t your typical shoot’em up mob movie. There’s a lot more heart and personality on display as they try to adjust to the ever-changing landscape of the 1960’s New York City.
Hailed a classic of the genre, my second ever viewing ended pretty much the same as the first. It was enjoyable, to a point. Nothing more, nothing less, I say. 5/10
Ten Stars or Less 