"We Own the Night" (***)

I did not know much about "We Own the Night" when I walked into the auditorium. I was not expecting anything special, but the film caught me off gaurd and really surprised me.

Bobby Green is the manager of El Caribe, a club owned by a Russian family. These Russians are Bobby's new family. He has turned his back on his family. His father and brother are cops, and Bobby disassociates himself with them, even going as far as using his mother's maiden name so no one will connect him with his real family. Bobby is running a life of nonstop partying and drugs. Bobby's life, however, will change forever when his brother bust into the club in search of a Russian drugdealer.

When I saw the preview to this film I said to myself that this did not look like the type of film that I would enjoy, but the story is interesting, making many unconventional choices that I did not expect. The story played out differently than I believed. Some of the dialogue was cheesy, but it was easy to overlook. The script is a refreshing ray of light in an age where every film sounds the same. I think the reason I enjoyed the story is because I went in expecting this formulaic action thriller, but the film is neither. At its heart it is a character driven story.

Joaquin Phoenix gives another tour-de-force performance as Bobby Green. At times I forgot it was Joaquin Phoenix on the screen. He WAS Bobby Green. In today's celebrity-obsessed society it is hard for a character to so completely dissolve into his character that the viewer forgets who he is; he embodies Bobby. Right now this is my favorite performance of the year, but the awards season is just beginning. The rest of the cast do good jobs, but this is Joaquin's film. Eva Mendes gives her best performance to date as Bobby's girlfriend, Amanda. The pathetic thing about this is that her performance is just good. She does a good job with the source material and has some good scenes, but she is the most cliched character of the film, the suffering girlfriend. Also noteworthy are Mark Wahlberg and Robert Duvall as Bobby's brother and father. Both give good performances, but neither can match the screen presence of Joaquin Phoenix.

The film is also skillfully directed by James Grey. He does a good job in directing his actors and make some interesting choices. There isn't much music in the film. Instead, the film relies on sounds to create tension; for example, the sound of windshield wipers echo in the viewers' heads during a car chase sequence. The cinematography was also well done. When Bobby is about to walk down the hall and into this "drug factory" of sorts the camera does not move. Bobby walks ahead and is soon enveloped in the darkeness, symbolizing the ensuing troubles that are about to occur.

Overall, "We Own the Night" is a well-done film that I really enjoyed. If you go into the theatre with no high expectations like I did, then you should walk out pleasantly surprised. It may not be a perfect film, but it is better than most of what is out now.