Customer Reviews

Turn of Faith

5 star:		(0)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(2)

 

 

Don't miss this one. If you like a good thriller and drama that leaves you satisfied this is the one. Well cast with Ray Mancini in the lead and Charles Durning in a terrific character role that's right up his alley. It was good to see Tom Atkins again whom I remembered from "The Fog". And of course there's Tony Sirico. If ever there was an actor born to be the heavy and tough guy it's Tony. Watch Mia Sara as Joey's wife; a surprise you won't expect. The plotline and dialogue are excellent. You won't have to think why this happrned or why this was said. It flows very smoothly. All in all, I recommend this film with pleasure. Don't miss it.

Former boxer Ray Mancini not only stars in this "Sopranos" like drama, but he also produced it, making sure I guess he got the starring role. At any rate, TURN OF FAITH solidifies the sad state our society has evolved to, in that we want to glamorize and sanitize gangsters.
Mancini plays Joey, one of three friends who grew up together; one of his friends is a priest and the other is a hitman for the local mafia. The plot revolves around the doings of Philly, overplayed but convincingly so, by the durable Charles Durning. He controls the union, and with an upcoming election, wants to make sure he continues to do so. The new union wannabe (played by Tom Atkins "Fog" "Halloween III") is ahead in the polls so it looks like Durning and his thugs have work to do. This includes taking on Joey's friend Bobby (played by a chunky Costas Mandylor) to do his dirty work. Mia Sara as Joey's wife and Alan Gelfant as priest Frankie, round out the cast.
All the usual cliches play themselves out; when Bobby kills Atkins and his henchman, the law is out for Bobby.
Here's where the SOPRANOS influence hits hard: Bobby has coldbloodedly killed two men, and yet, the audience is supposed to sympathize with him and write this off? The inevitable happens and Durning faces his three foes in a somewhat incredible climax.
So, why three stars? It's gripping, if derivative; and the acting is way above the level of its script. But, face it folks, bad guys are bad guys, and Hollywood needs to stop elevating them to sainthood.

I actually worked on this film -- painting the scenery. Mancini is the nicest guy alive, but this film was awful. It was embarrassing sitting through the preview with Mancini in attendance. Durning is over the top terrible and the acting and directing are poor. Even the trailer is bad. Sheesh! What a dreadful script. The scenery looks great though -- LOL! But seriously, skip it. It's not even bad enough to be fun to watch. Just bad.

I enjoyed this movie and the casting is great. It is about the conflicts between the mafia and American Italian policeman that were born and raised in the same neighborhoods. The leading female role played by Mia Sara is the wife to "Joey" the police officer in the film. I think there are 1-2 actors from the HBO Sopranos in this film too. This film was made before the Sopranos became a big hit. I recommend this film.

This is not just another gangland film. Writer Lou Eppolito's experience with both law enforcement and the mafia provides this film with realistic, true to life dialogue often missed by others of the same genre. The acting and editing, while tense at time, still allow for surprises and climactic build up as the reality of the players comes to conclusion....

A necessary pick for anyone collecting mob flicks.

Considering Andrea is Lou's daughter she is giving a biased opinion. Considering who appeared in the movie, it was still lousy.