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doomonfilm · 3 years

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Review : The Many Saints of Newark (2021)

From the moment that The Many Saints of Newark was announced as a scheduled production, the internet kicked its standard practice of extreme mixed feelings into full gear. As the first piece of connected media to follow the mammoth, culture-shifting property that was David Chase’s HBO series The Sopranos, the weight of expectations and fan fulfillment were immediately present. The film’s position as an origin story promised to fill in some of the mysterious and legendary referential gaps that The Sopranos made itself famous for, and the casting of Michael Gandolfini to fill the shoes of his deceased father’s iconic portrayal of Tony Soprano hung even more expectation on the project. After two trailer releases that stirred the mixed feelings even more, the wait (and weight of anticipation) finally ceased with the HBOMax and theatrical release of the film.

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The initial reviews and internet feedback pegged the film as underwhelming for the most part, and for my money’s worth, my guess is that many people were expecting the film to be nothing more than a glorified rewind that walks us up to the realms of The Sopranos that we are familiar with. While the film manages to do this to an extent (which I will speak more upon soon), what really drives this film home is the focus on historical conflicts between the Italian and Black communities along the East Coast. As entertaining as The Sopranos was as a series, it cannot be denied that they were honest about the racist tendencies of the beloved characters, and seeing the well known struggles of both communities (albeit for polar opposite reasons) that existed in the 1960s and 1970s through the lens of The Sopranos serves the purpose of driving home why characters like Tony, Paulie, Christopher and so on could be so casual in their racist summations, which in turn led to infamous moments of problematic quotes and shortsighted actions. Many people are panning the thinness of the film’s narrative, but it seems as if they missed the point that the spine of the film is history itself (which is validated through tie-ins of real figures such as The Last Poets or Frank Lucas), and seeing as we’ve heard about most everything we’ve seen before, the film feels much more as if its purpose is to set the table rather than feed you sustenance.

That being said, the film is not shy about fan service, and as someone who has seen The Sopranos in its entirety nearly ten times, I feel more than happy to have taken part in the self-indulgence. Be it the nail-on-the-head impersonations of characters like Livia, Sylvio and Junior, the presence of iconic catchphrases that stayed with the characters that exist in both properties, or even the outright portrayal of legendary happenings, the references work on multiple levels that will likely please less skeptical fans, be they hardcore or casual. As mentioned before, the explorations of race are meant to provide clarity to why the people in The Sopranos act and feel the way they do, but it certainly doesn’t stop there, as ideas of morality, violence, economic advantages and disadvantages, familial love and support, nationalist pride and organized crime all get proper focus and attention as well.

One of the immediate focuses from the moment each trailer dropped was the odd look chosen, specifically the somewhat elementary and expressionless color-timing... maybe the aesthetic choice was purposeful in an attempt to mirror the coldness and lack of empathy within the world of The Sopranos, but ultimately, I allowed myself to not be distracted by it. Many other elements provided avenues for connection, particularly those that locked in lore fulfillment like giving us the chance to know Dickie Moltisanti, or getting to know Johnny Soprano a bit better. The music choices for the film stand out, particularly the choices that cater toward the Black side of the narrative, as it gives both the chart-topping soul and the revolutionary music opportunities to shine at appropriate times. The cinematography is consistently strong, living up to the cinematic expectations one would set for a movie connected to a TV show that pushed the boundaries of cable cinematography. The production value for the action beats, particularly the riot scenes, was surprisingly strong, and I found myself sincerely impressed by it.

The Many Saints of Newark leaned heavily into its choice to make the film a true ensemble cast piece, and I think this was the right choice, as we get a large smattering of entertaining performances that stand tall in the shadows of the characters we love from the series, be it from stories or actual experiences. Though we never met Dickie Moltisanti, we heard enough about him to form a vision of him, and Alessandro Nivola jumps headlong into the shell provided, embodying all of the pride, romanticism and uncheckable passion the Moltisantis are known for. Standing in opposition to him is the equally driven and strong-willed Leslie Odom Jr., who embraces his outsider role in the realm of The Sopranos while using it as an opportunity to make an impression via his calm, calculating and intimidating presence. Jon Bernthal brings the bigger than life presence needed to portray Johnny Soprano, while also having the penchant for a burst of violence coded into his face and physicality that reads as truly fear-inducing. Vera Farminga is given the tall order of portraying Livia, but she brings new shades of motherly love and understanding that were absent in the TV series, largely due to the age that Livia was as a character by the time of the series. Corey Stoll finds that magic harmony between humor and pride-driven shortcomings that fuels Junior Soprano, which is rare to do without turning in a satirical performance. I could go on and on about the cast, so rather than turn my musings on them into a full-fledged novel, I will point out that Michael Gandolfini, Ray Liotta, Billy Magnussen, Michela DeRossi, Joey Diaz and everyone else lock in and show out.

I will probably be one of the few to step out on a limb and embrace The Many Saints of Newark for what it is rather than pan it, but I am also self-aware enough to understand that the amount of time I have devoted into the series would inherently put me in a position to love the project. That being said, the film did genuine surprise me in many ways, and while I thought I had a clear understanding of what it would be, I found myself wrong without being upset. In the end, this film will probably not satisfy those with a certain level of familiarity to The Sopranos, it will likely bring the curious and unfamiliar over into the fold of viewership for the series, and for diehards like myself, it will give us more to fawn over and speculate about (especially Chris Moltisanti’s possible confirmation that Tony survived the end of the series). If you’re curious, check it out... if you’ve already programmed yourself to be disappointed, give it a week or so... regardless, be ready for a swerve, and stick with the ride until it’s over.

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