The Many Saints of Newark

[Mik]

Still going to watch it, although to be truthful I don't see how they can do much with two hours. The Sopranos had a long and interesting character arc.

[Horace]

@george-k said in The Many Saints of Newark:

https://www.nationalreview.com/2021/09/movie-review-the-many-saints-of-newark-the-sopranos-fizzle-on-the-big-screen/

The Sopranos never grabbed me, and I seldom watched it. I had the sense that others found it interesting for some of the same reasons they watched Jersey Shore. People told themselves, “This is prestige TV,” while they gawked at the strip-joint scenes and giggled at the mobsters’ Borscht Belt malapropisms.

What an odd choice of reviewer.

[Mik]

I didn't read any further than George's quote. You are right. It should have been someone who at least appreciated the original.

[George K]

@horace said in The Many Saints of Newark:

What an odd choice of reviewer.

Yeah, that's why I thought it worth posting.

Here's a guy who's not "invested" in the story, and basically DGAF about the Sopranos.

Why bother?

And yeah, I'll watch it.

[LuFins Dad]

I thought this thread was about Eli Apple, traded from the NJ Giants to the New Orleans Football Team...

[Mik]

Meh. It was only interesting because you knew most of the characters already. While it was well directed and acted, the story was not compelling in any other way.

[George K]

@mik said in The Many Saints of Newark:

the story was not compelling in any other way.

Yup, and with too many side-stories.

What was the point of the upcoming rival gang that killed what's-his-name? Just a distraction.

What was the point of what's-his-name's wife having an affair? Just a distraction.

This was a story that could have been told in a one hour TV special.

2 ½ stars.

[Mik]

That and the black gang and the riots? Irrelevant. It was a mess.

[Ivorythumper]

What a train wreck.

Bad story line. If no one knew who these characters already became, no one would care who they were. And Christopher Moltosanti narrating posthumously was irritating -- and it never really explained how Tony Soprano became Tony Soprano.

Bad casting. The actors playing younger versions of known characters were generally bad. Livia Soprano seemed like a Carmela figure, not a young Nancy Marchand. Perhaps that was intended, that Tony marries his mother, but it was annoying. The young Carmela was uninteresting. The young Paulie Walnuts was very flat and not at all intimidating, and the young Silvio Dante was a bad SNL impression. The young Junior was OK, and passable. The twin Ray Liotta roles was ridiculous.

Bad acting. The first Ray Liotta role was horrid acting. The second was better, but his all knowing, Buddha quoting prison guru character was weird. Michael Gandolfini was obviously only cast because of his dad.

Bad staging -- the pimp daddies down south wearing their fur coats and fedoras in the horse barn was also ridiculous.

$50MM budget? Wow.

[George K]

@ivorythumper said in The Many Saints of Newark:

Bad staging

I loved the sets and production design - all those cars and 1960s houses though. That was fun (even the avocado appliances).

But you're right about everything else. The whole thing was flat.

The young Junior was OK

I believe that was Corey Stoll. He played a compromised congressman in House of Cards, and had a major role in the 5th season of Billions (now there's a show that's a guilty pleasure!), taking the lead next year.

The young Carmela

Not uninteresting, not even there except for a minor scene.

[Mik]

I thought the Livia character did quite well, as did Junior. Silvio was a bit cartoonish, buy the original character was a bit that way anyway.

In any event, they did not seem to know what story the wanted to tell and ended up telling none. Cash cow.