Gritty, appropriately seedy, casually stylish, and always engrossing, The Drop recalls many other genre entries while still retaining a distinct and offbeat personality all its own.
I credit that to the carefully measured direction of Michaël R. Roskam (Bullhead – brilliant), who brings along his downbeat, European sensibility to this uniquely American tale of misdeeds and treachery.
Dennis Lehane’s pungent dialogue rings true from scene to scene, with the whiff of lowlifes and potentially corrupt cops always on the nostril.
Tom Hardy is a truly chameleonic actor seemingly capable of doing no wrong as a performer, continually demonstrating an impeccable taste for material, and always delivering something new and edgy and wholly consuming as an actor.
His performance here is as different as anything else that he’s previously done, and at this point, there’s very little that I can’t see him excelling at in terms of roles to take on. He navigates the various intricacies that make up his sneaky character with sly, understated ease. I’d love to see him paired up with Jessica Chastain in a high-octane drama of some sort.
The incomparable James Gandolfini did a terrific job – yet again – of subverting his Tony Soprano character within the same milieu of that groundbreaking TV show; it’s a travesty that he’s gone as he spruced up every project he was a part of.
What a joy it was to watch him do a different sort of sad-sack gangster performance, similar to his image-shredding work in the absurdly underrated crime gem Killing Them Softly.
The gripping Belgian actor Matthias Schoenaerts, reteaming with Roskam after their searing film Bullhead, cut another convincing portrait of a damaged soul; this guy has fire behind his eyes and I can’t wait to see what becomes of his career.
The Drop is a terrific neo-noir crime flick that was unjustly overlooked when it was released in theatres a few years ago. A film that frequently subverts your expectations, which is always a pleasure, especially in this crowded cinematic milieu. That Puppy POWER and definitely some Noomi Rapace POWER. Available on Blu-ray/DVD and via various streaming providers.
Review by Nick Clement
Summary
The Drop may not be revolutionary in any way, it’s just a solid-story-well-told, with a particularly dark ending that can’t really be lightened even if the filmmakers slightly tried in the final shot. I love how this film was more interested in character and moral ambiguity than showy action scenes and needless violence.
