Robert De Niro adds another gangster movie to his long list of genre credits with The Alto Knights, but it’s far from a victory lap. Loosely based on the mafia bosses Vito Genovese and Frank Costello, both played by De Niro, The Alto Knights is similar in tone to The Big Short if the gangsters onscreen were ready to admit they’re breaking the law. Set against the backdrop of New York City in the 1950s, The Alto Knights makes a play for our nostalgic machinations of this period while relying heavily on De Niro to keep us in our seats.
Unfortunately, it’s not an exaggeration to say that De Niro is essentially in the movie alone since Vito and Frank are the only characters that are distinguishable from the mᴀsses. Debra Messing is instantly forgettable and redundant as Bobbie Costello. She plays Frank’s wife, who has no purpose besides watching TV and feeling strongly about their dogs. Even the surprise appearance by Kathrine Narducci, who plays Anna Genovese, the one woman with an ounce of personality, doesn’t last long. After she’s fulfilled her role of sparking further tension between Vito and Frank, it’s as if she never existed.
The Alto Knights Relies On Voice Over & Heavy-Handed Exposition
Told From Frank’s Perspective, It’s Easy To See Which De Niro Is King
The Alto Knights relies on the ᴀssumption that we will believe Vito and Frank were once friends and that their relationship was strong enough for there to be a tangible fallout after it ends. Unfortunately, The Alto Knights‘s greatest weakness, its tell-don’t-show sensibility, doesn’t give us any insight or proof that these men ever cared for each other. Throughout the two hours we spend with the dueling De Niros, we’re expected to simply take Frank at his word and trust everything he tells us is true about the old neighborhood.
A better movie would play with the idea that Frank is an unreliable narrator, but The Alto Knights fails to develop this angle of his characterization. Even the twists of Vito’s latest violent outburst or Frank’s conniving plans don’t land because I was never given any time to care about these people. We’ve caught up with these men when they’re rich and comfortable. If they do face consequences for their actions, The Alto Knights resolves this plot line in under a minute. It can be challenging to chronicle an entire lifetime in a single movie without glazing over some aspects.
The Alto Knights skips all the good stuff, leaving us with an uneventful two hours.
However, The Alto Knights skips all the good stuff, leaving us with an uneventful two hours. The film relies on dialogue and mines its comedy from the miscommunications and gesticulations of the mob bosses in conversation. However, the conversations are near-impossible to follow. Whenever we enter another prolonged sequence of two people conversing where practically nothing is said, the camera starts making wild sweeping movements. It’s clear that Barry Levinson, the director, is well aware they’re telling the most boring part of the story in the most convoluted way, but it’s unclear why it wasn’t changed.
Though cartoony, the action has the nostalgic tinge of the many black and white pH๏τographs and Big Band standards, but these tugs on our heartstrings feel hollow. The look and feel of The Alto Knights had a warm, grainy period aesthetic, which I liked. However, it was too clear the movie was slapping the bandages of some vintage cars over a much larger problem. The McMansions reeked of the 21st century, and the stylization was costumey, not lived-in. This builds on the sense that we’re watching a shiny recreation of the period while holding it at arm’s length.
The Alto Knights Has Nothing To Say About The Mafia Or Its Characters
If The Movie Snuck In A Deeper Message Somewhere Along The Way, I Must Have Missed It
It’s not a requirement that a classic mob movie makes broad, sweeping comments on the state of organized crime and the delicate balance of the antihero. However, The Alto Knights isn’t particularly interested in its plot or its characters, which leaves you wondering why it got made in the first place. The Alto Knights goes so far as to present Frank Costello as the hero of the piece, giving him a happy ending and characterizing him as the good guy, the gentleman mobster, to Vito’s harsh and cruel tendencies. I would’ve been a lot more interested if both men were bad.
De Niro has some funny moments, and the movie ultimately doesn’t take itself too seriously. However, for those looking for an exciting follow-up to The Irishman or any of De Niro’s classic gangster flicks, it’s important to remember that Scorsese isn’t behind this one. He isn’t exactly phoning it in, but by the end, I was wondering why they didn’t just cast another actor for him to play off of instead of leaving him alone with himself. While it’s true there’s nothing new under the sun, The Alto Knights took this as an opportunity instead of a challenge.
