Customer Reviews

Wannabes

5 star:		(6)
4 star:		(4)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(2)

 

 

Great movie, great cast. If you're a fan of mob/mafia style movies you should check it out. If you're a fan of "guy works hard to be a somebody and make something of himself" style movies you should check it out. If you want to see a great story with great actors, you should check it out! Wannabes is more than just a mob flick, though it has just the right amount of that element. It's a story about family, friends, respect, and courage and what all that means on the streets. William DeMeo tells an American tale with a lot of heart- not to be missed!

This film was very good. Demeo, Dubin, and Addessi. Deserved the awards that they won. Thousands of independent movies are made each year. Especially mob films. And they go no where. Just on the shelf. Artisan picked up this movie for a reason. It's damn good. The movie is everywhere. And it deserves the recognition that it is getting. The film is hardcore. Very good acting. Filmed on the streets of Bklyn.

Great movie. Very well done. William Demeo is awesome as the leader of the crew. Ray Serra who plays Uncle Tommy is also superb. I rented this film. Then bought it right away. If you like mob movies. You will definetly enjoy this one. It' a pleasant suprise for an indy.

This is not a Goodfellas type of film.. this movie gives you a look into the lives of 4 young italian american men from brooklyn who desire much more in life then their going no where proffesions. They hook up with the neighborhood mafia boss("Jelly" from The movie "Analyze This") and have a growing hatered for the bosses son. There are some twists and turns with comedy,drama and action as we eventually see the men make it into the world of organized crime. I enjoyed this very much! Willam Demeo was great in this film he stared, wrote, directed and produced it.

This movie was really a surprise, as I expected a dull mob movie and it was not.

I just happend to rent this movie from blockbuster one night after reading the info on it. I was blown away! What a great movie the actors are highly underated and are now some of my favorites. Another thing that was cool was that the actor William Dameo played the voice of Paulie in the new video game Mafia and many of the same character names are used in this film that were from the video game. Tell ya what...Look out for the actors in this movie, all of them should be leading actors in the years to come. Get this movie, it will be one of your favorites.

I only watched this because Joseph D'onofrio is in it,this movie is totall genious though.

The DVD waanabes was dilivered in great shape and was sent out early. Yes I would order again from here.

I gave this movie a B grade. For an independent one, it is very good. Joe Viterelli gives another excellent performance as he did in "State of Grace". He is so natural and smooth...William De Meo is right behind him. It's a story about a group of Italian kids in a Brooklyn neighborhood who want to become gangsters.

Wannabes (2000) from Charles A. Addessi (Director), is right on
target in reconfirming the American Mob stereotype that most movie
goers already have by conjuring a tale of men born and raised in the
Italian section of Brooklyn, New York. There is one exception: the
story takes place in the 1990's, in an era dominated by computers and
technology, wherin many have a whole range of life and work options
at their disposal that wasn't the case at the turn of 20th century.

Some fans of the Godfather series will rent this DVD, perhaps
criminologists will be keen on it, and others curious of the
lifestyle and sociological aspects of running a book business of bets
and gambling too.

This work is clearly ultra-violent, and doesn't shy away from showing
the ugly reality behind various life situations, underworld
individuals controlling a given territory in a city, protection and
gambling rackets, etc. As such, it's an underworld 101 course for the
younger viewers, including frequent cussing over the entire work.

Most lacking, is the almost complete absence of great music, or any
music for that matter. Questionable, is the rabid microcosm focusing
on Italian pals who grew up together and open a risky gambling joint
venture.

Another aspect it the total absence of law enforcement in the
narrative, as if none existed in the world, except for a warning to
be careful when talking over the phone, comparing it to a stick of
dynamite from phone taps.

The better aspects of WANNABES, is the way the film explains to
viewers the risk and rewards of being a bookie, requiring tough
collection of bad debts, involvement in loan-sharking, the stress of
being either a leader or a brown noser to the leader essential in
maintaining prestige and progressing. Once entered, it's very
difficult to leave as a means to earn a living.

Gambling being a disease, it turns neighbor against neighbor,
impoverishes the weak willed against their propensity to gamble,
beyond their abilities to repayl it's a zero-sum game for services
rendered that have little or no socially redeeming value.

The rivalry of up-and-comers keeps viewers on the edge of their
seats. Strip joints, backrooms of pubs, other sections of NYC,
Spanish Harlem are shown.

The action will scare many law abiding citizens, as young men ride
together in a car, looking for trouble, with car vandalism and
baseball bat agressions intimidating bad debtors.

The story steers clear of absurdity and comedy, with simple dialog,
at times, tugging at people's heart strings through recollections of
childhood memories of baseball, sports, girlfriends, growing into
maturity.

Unfortunately, WANNABES is predictable and many will shy away from it
just from the unsavory language used over the 90 mins by the
protagonists. As art, it has its place, as did Pulp Fiction, etc. 2 1/2
stars.