Gangster Squad

Gangster Squad (2013)
Directed by: Ruben Fleischer
Rotten Tomatoes Score: 33%

Gangster Squad is, stylistically, one of the most interesting movies to come out of Hollywood in a long time. From start to finish; the film feels larger than life. There are scenes that are taken straight from comic books and the pulp stories of the 40's and 50's. It is a movie that is a ton of fun to watch.

The best way to describe Gangster Squad is by comparing it to a superhero movie. Notorious gangster, Mickey Cohen (Sean Penn) has made Los Angeles his personal playground. He lives a life of fine dining, fine women, and...fine...cime...? He is the king of LA. He owns the police force, the courts, the politicians, and some of the local businessmen. John O'Mara (Josh Brolin) is a WWII veteran trying to adjust to normal life. He has grown used to the trenches and is now looking to find the familiar feeling they provide. His solution is to become an officer with the LAPD. He is one of the few officers that wish to challenge Cohen. After O'Mara successfully brings down one of Cohen's fronts he is recruited by the Chief of Police, Bill Parker (Nick Nolte), to destroy Cohen's empire. O'Mara recruits an army of fellow officers that are striving to keep their streets free from Cohen's hands. They are the only force that stands between Mickey Cohen and the control of the entire Western United States.

Where Gangster Squad falls flat for me is that there is simply not enough time to introduce its characters. I stated above that the best way to watch this film is by comparing it to a superhero movie. John O'Mara is a World War II veteran that is striving to fight evil the only way he knows how (Captain America). Jerry Wooters (Ryan Gosling) is a womanizing playboy whose reckless behavior turns out to be his strongest asset (Iron Man). Bill Parker is a veteran police officer that is determined to bring criminals to justice by recruiting a group of talented officers together to combat Mickey Cohen (Nick Fury). Coleman Harris (Anthony Mackie) is a young detective that has incredible aim with a switch blade (Hawkeye). Conway Keeler (Giovanni Ribisi) was known in the Army for his supreme intellect. He specialized in the more covert areas of warfare (wire taps, surveillance, alarm disabling, etc) (The Hulk...maybe...because of the intelligence and all...?). Max Kennard (Robert Patrick) has been an officer in the LAPD for most of his life. He is known for his excellent marksman ability (also Hawkeye). Michael Pena's character (Navidad Ramirez) is added for some comic relief but ultimately does pull his weight (not sure who his analogue would be). What ultimately serves as a determent to the film is that unlike The Avengers, Gangster Squad did not build up to this epic tale of justice being served. Because of this, there is no character development, shortcuts are taken in the narrative so that the audience understands what's going on without much effort, and some of the roles feel pieced together from overused archetypes (i.e. the grizzled veteran, the damsel in distress, the hero, etc). Now that my gripes have been aired I will discuss why this is an absolutely fantastic movie.

When viewing a movie it is important to go in with the correct mindset. If you want Gangster Squad to be a true life neo noir then you will be upset at what you get. Judging from the trailers I knew that this movie was going to be over the top and that I was going to love it! As I discussed previously, one of my favorite things in film is the long take. Gangster Squad has TWO of these incredibly difficult feats of cinematography. One follows Jerry Wooters from the street outside a club, through the front lobby, and then he turns right once he enters the main room and the camera continues to move forward. The focus is then turned to the people and actions inside the room. We see people dining, dancing, talking, drinking. The camera then turns and Wooters reenters the frame and becomes the focus again. We follow him to a table where he sits down and begins to speak with a friend of his. This whole scene lasted somewhere between 2 and 4 minutes but it feels like an eternity if you realize what is going on. When Wooters sits down he has a discussion with Jack Whalen (Sullivan Stapelton). Their 1 minute conversation is comprised of nearly 20 cuts. The next long take comes later in the movie when the Squad takes down one of Cohen's establishments. I won't give any details because it is so much fun to watch so just look for it!

Ultimately, I believe that the likability of the characters and the over the top action is what sells this movie. Ryan Gosling is practically one long "Hey Girl" meme the whole time but it works with his character.

No BS

Gangster Squad is a fun, albeit violent, movie. It can feel trite at times but overall it is definitely a great escape. Do you need to see it in theaters? No, but because of the crazy action it would only be better on a large screen.

My Score: 7/10