Customer Reviews

This Thing of Ours

5 star:		(6)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(3)
1 star:		(7)

 

 

This Mafia story has a lot of familiar elements. I've seen most of the actors in other Mafia movies and can well understand why. Yes, they are typecast. That's because they are so authentic.

The plot is silly but it doesn't matter. It's an old theme, just a bit updated. The mob is now moving into cyberspace and international bank accounts. The young bucks in this film get an egghead computer guy to help. And from there on the fun begins. There's lots of violence and double crossing. But the most memorable stuff of all is the way the gangsters sit around a table and tell tale tales, insulting each other and having a grand old time. I don't think there's a dialogue coach in the world who would be able to teach them the nuances and the inflections. It is all very real.

The story is cardboard though. A whole bunch of people get killed. And there's not a bit of love interest in the whole thing. Frankly, I love this type of film and I really enjoyed it. But I guess I'm just weird this way. Recommended for Mafia film buffs only.

"This thing of ours" is a great little film...Sure,the plot isn't the most clever or intricate that was ever devised,but so what?The actors,mostly playing mafia hoodlums ,are all stand out...And the film depends on thier interpretive skills rather than any unique plot or expensive special effects...Pat cooper,a noted ethnic comic,and James Caan,who played Sonny Corleone in the original Godfather make cameo appearenmces,but it is Frank Vincent,Vincent Pastore,and Danny Provenzano,among other less well known names that really shine in this picture...

A Must see....IF You love mafia movies...Go See" THis Thing Of Ours"...Unbelievable
performances from veteran actors as well as new commers...Great Directing
Love Johnny Irish.........

This Thing of Ours (2003), from Danny Provenzano, is a film aimed at
the niche market of organized crime. It has an HBO-grade quality,
meaning a step above a TV movie, yet clearly below theatrical
quality.

What makes this picture interesting is first and foremost, the fact
that it takes viewers for a ride in another time and space, and
makes them forget about themselves, which is an essential quality of
good entertainment.

Secondly, there's the soundtrack composed by Joe Perry, lead
guitarist of Aerosmith, with a cameo appearance by the bassist, Brad
Whitford towards the end of the movie - a plus for fans of that
great rock band.

Although successful overall, with a necessary mix of both ugly and
beautiful numbers (yin and yang), adolescent and mature, classical
and cheap pop songs, there's an ecletic mix of music that at times
has the movie over-indulging in a MTV music video style of
narrative. Also, the varied numbers may irritate a number of
viewers, from the numerous teenager loud-metal and dime a dozen
popsongs.

Third, the acting is certainly credible, and viewers will find
interesting some characters, especially those of Frank Vincent,
Vincent Pastore and James Caan. Unfortunately, a number of other
actors, although excellent in their professionalism and somewhat
innocuous on screen, are totally unknowns in the business, AFAIK.

Fourth, the script introduces the concept of old-school gangsters
forging ahead past the year 2000, with computers, cell phones,
defeating communication links based on coded algoritms of satellites
in orbit through hackers. The dollar amounts of $50 million and $1
to $2 billion in the heist are staggering, and questionable in their
realism. As such, it suggests sophisticated technology as the new
religion, such that even the FBI falls into its trap, as an agent is
caught planting evidence on closed circuit TV at a gangster's
dwelling.

Visually, this is a quasi-wide screen release, that is effective,
the editing very good, the images clear, with good zooms from time
to time, to stoke the excitement of viewers.

The first third of the movie seems to start a bit slowly, with dry
lines of dialog, but gets better as the story unfolds, greatly
assisted by the soundtrack that compensates for excitement, where
often none exists visually.

There are cliches, obviously (or essential elements) characterizing
this specific underworld group ...wine, spaghetti, gardening of
tomatoes, cussing, eating, lasagna as well as the selectin of
wise-guys by their external appearance, showing the techniques of
collecting money from bad debtors, victims thrown into the trunks of
a car, etc.

The downside of this picture, is perhaps the questionable graphic
nature of blood packs exploding during point-blank range rubouts,
which many will find unnecessary and distasteful, or the scenes of
electric shocks, intimidation, etc.

While this work is very professional, perhaps more could have been
done in bringing forward a few extra actors, big names that could
have brought in more charisma, class, realism and gravitas vs. some
actors with the tendency in being lightweights mixed with the 3 or
4 big names.

The outcome of the tale, is that ... even the best underworld
organizations show no gratitude for a few billion in profits brought
in by the 3 new members who masterminded the operation, preferring
to eliminate the risk of future stool pigeons by taking them out.

Wow!!! Somebody has a real chip on their shoulder... F word this and that. Well look I am no mormon, and we watch movies with an open mind, because it's fantasy. Yeah the movie was heavy with vulagarities, but it comes with the territory.

Now with that said, this movie was a great introduction to a new genre of mob flicks. I mean the concept is like no other, and it hit its mark at the right time. Hey technology is constantly evolving and growing --- so why not cash in right? This film packs in all the punches, and does not hold back believe me. I loved this film; from the subtle tense beginning to the unexpected scenes of violence, to even the harsh use of profanities. This was a very entertaining film, well directed, and definitely satisfies the mob genre hunger.

Yes, it's about "good fellas." Yes, it's peopled with alumni from the "Sopranos" (weakly cracking wise). And there are too many requisite bullets-to and through-the-head cinemagraphic moments. The plot is pretty weak - the downloading of money from a satellite requires a great deal of imaginative assent - the development of the story is uneven, and the acting is transparently bad on not just a few occasions. Still, the actor-writer-director, Provenzano, shows flashes and this would have been a very good end-of-college project for a cinema student. (Is that what it was?)

What you have to like about it is what he tries to do, not dislike what he doesn't do. Provenzano occasionally gives us - just now and again - the atmosphere of the NY-NJ crime-world, but these are far, far better than any portrayed in the "Sopranos." The dedication to business, the rock bottom-line mentality, the utterly cold sides that appear inhuman, in short, the "other" side of the human coin are nicely revealed in some very chilling scenes. Uncle ordering the death of his nephew's friends before his eyes; Johnny Irish bashing heads or killing; the torture scene: to paraphrase Tessio in "Godfather I," "nothing personal, just business.") (Of course, it has been alleged that the members of the underworld carted away and sold much metal from the WTC towers in the immediate aftermath of 9-11. "Just business.")

Thus, there is none of that revolting soap opera component that is increasingly dominating the "Sopranos" has become. (Indeed, the "Sopranos" jumped the shark many moons ago.) So try this one on for size. Sure, its production values are poor, some scenes are painful, you keep comparing to other Mafia-movies. But there are some hidden gems for those who look. (Yeah, I agree: Johnny Irish was a good character. The FBI guy, however, was agony to watch.)

Two stars for effort and for promise. Serious cinema students should check out Provenzano's next.

This Thing of Ours Not the Class A production that makes blockbuster movies, but well done with an excellent cast of characters, familiar to us all.

If your into Mafia flicks you'll like this one.
Frank Vincent is my favorite...I rate this dvd a 5 of 5 stars!!

Clipping and zipping, point-blank shooting, and dedicated murderers added no great excitement to the culture of the mafia. Missing Gotti's charismatic personality and Sami's dynamic involvement, the mafia is left to the senile and backward bosses and plenty of inexperienced soldiers. Entering the new Internet era, the mafia is split over the reliance of insecure and complicated technology that surpasses the ability of its brains to grasp. One thing was new in the movie that is the sudden awareness of one of the dedicated soldiers to the wrongful doing of the criminal underworld.

The new plot of deciphering the secure codes of transaction between banks and tampering with financial transfers sounded over ambitious and would have been suspected to fail with slightest guessing as of balancing and manipulating millions of accounts.

As such, with the improper title "This Thing is Ours", the movie regurgitates the same old tricks of constant clipping and killing entangled with the primitive lifestyle of gambling, eating, and drinking, in total detachment of the advances in modernity.

I think this was a great movie. It may not be the most updated movie, but it was great. There is action, the wayt the mafia works, how thay see things, I think it was just good! I would see it again for sure without a problem, and enjoy it again.
*Sponsored Post