Since the release of Martin Scorsese's "Goodfellas" in 1990, it seems that every American crime movie has emulated elements of this masterpiece in some way or another. Who can blame the filmmakers? If you're going to crib, you might as well crib from the best. The "Goodfellas" wannabes are often undone by the pretentiousness of the homage to Scorsese's film while others successfully capture certain elements that don't overwhelm their own unique qualities. Falling squarely into the latter category is "Kill the Irishman", a 2011 production that preceded Scorsese's much-lauded 2019 film "The Irishman". 'lest you suspect that this was a case of the master cribbing from another film, think again. They are two completely different stories involving two completely different Irishmen. Had the 2011 film made any kind of cultural impact, chances are Scorese wouldn't have used the title "The Irishman" (which was chosen because the book it was based upon, Charles Brandt's "I Heard You Paint Houses" certainly didn't evoke visions of it clicking with movie audiences.) Chances are, you've never heard of "Kill the Irishman". The only reason it had any name recognition for me was because a friend of mine, actor Robert Davi, told me at the time that he had been hired to appear in the film. He mentioned it would have a good cast. The movie ultimately suffered the fate of so many other productions that were shot without major budgets or big box office names- it basically went straight to video after a brief, limited theatrical run that saw it gross less than $2 million. Recently, it's been getting some buzz from crime movie fans who streamed it on Amazon. After getting a couple of recommendations, I decided to check it out, expecting to see a "B" crime flick with a few memorable moments. In fact, "Kill the Irishman" is an exceptionally good movie on all levels and ranks among the better crime films I've seen in many years.
The film is another "ripped from the headlines" scenario based on real life events. However, because this particular crime movie isn't centered in New York, L.A., Chicago or London, the average person probably won't be aware of them unless you lived in or around Cleveland, Ohio, where most of the action takes place. (The movie was actually shot in Detroit.) It tells the tale of Danny Greene (Ray Stevenson), a proud Irish-American, who came into prominence in the 1970s. Greene was just another local blue collar longshoreman trying to feed his wife and kids by working at backbreaking menial labor under appalling conditions while his corrupt union boss lives like a Roman emperor. Fed up, Danny ignores conventional wisdom and takes on the union president, rallying the rank-and-file behind him. Danny's thuggish ways and willingness to personally dispense violence sees him win an improbable victory and become elected as the new leader of the union. For a while, things are good. He improves conditions and job opportunities for the members but soon becomes addicted to power and money and ends up being as corrupt as his predecessor. He gets into legal trouble, is banned from the union and ends up penniless and unemployed. The film chronicles Danny's Lazarus-like rise back to power, this time through brutality and corruption. Before long, he's the crime king of Cleveland and presides over a city besot by enough gang wars, bombings and shootouts to rival Chicago in the Al Capone era. He survives numerous assassination attempts, the departure of his wife and family and the betrayal of close friends. However, he makes a major error by taking out a large loan from the Gambino crime family in New York. When he can't pay it back, it leads to all-out war.
"Kill the Irishman" is directed with flair and skill by Jonathan Hensleigh, who captures the feel of the great Coppola and Scorsese crime movies, a job made easier by his own compelling script, co-written by Jeremy Walters. The centerpiece of the production is a towering performance by Ray Stevenson as Danny Greene, who brings depth and complexity to the role. Danny is a murderous thug at heart, but he also lives by a code of honor and truly cares about the ordinary working stiff. He's brash and courageous to the point of recklessness, surviving numerous attempts to kill him. (The film's remarkable and gripping opening scene depicts one such scenario.) Stevenson, best known for playing the comic book superhero The Punisher, deserved an Oscar nomination for his work here. The movie boasts an extraordinary cast of supporting actors : Christopher Walken in a small role as a Jewish crime kingpin, Linda Cardellini as Danny's long-suffering wife, Val Kilmer as an F.B.I. agent and childhood friend of Danny's, Vincent D'Onofrio as the only friend Danny can truly trust, Paul Sorvino and Tony Lo Bianco as Gambino crime family bosses and the aforementioned Robert Davi as an ultra creepy assassin. The production values are strong and the film looks far more expensive than its $12 million budget.
"Kill the Irishman" deserved a better fate. However, its availability on streaming gives yet another fine movie the opportunity to be discovered by a wider audience. Highly recommended.
(The film can be streamed for free by Amazon Prime members or can be rented or purchased for streaming by non-members.)
(A Blu-ray special edition can be ordered from Amazon by clicking here.)