Cinema Saturday
The golden age of television came about largely due to the success and impact of The Sopranos. The writing, the characters (particularly that of Tony Soprano) and the format changed the way networks went about producing TV series, ultimately even leading to changes in attitude towards actors that participate in TV shows. With shows that have since been produced, performing in television shows is no longer perceived as being ‘less than’. The Sopranos though has been concluded for years now, and its star tragically passed. This still it seems, has not stopped show creator David Chase from returning to his roots.
The Many Saints of Newark has very recently began screening in select cinemas and on HBO Max thanks to Chase who has apparently decided there’s more of the story to tell. This movie however, is less about the Sopranos than their marketing plan would have suggested. It follows Christopher Moltisanti’s father Dickie, a member of the crime family, who is shown to have exerted an early influence on Tony Soprano in his younger years. More so, the story shows to be more about Dickie’s days as a gangster, the height and decline of both his personal and professional relationships, and of course as fans of the series know, his eventual downfall. Some questions are answered, some left ambiguous, and a vivid picture is painted of the Newark that the characters of the beloved series would’ve inhabited during the 1960s; with a touch of young Anthony, and also some race riots.
The Many Saints of Newark will be incredibly debated by fans of the original series.
If one thing is absolutely not up for debate, it’s that The Many Saints of Newark will be incredibly debated by fans of the original series. David Chase creates the early world of the Italian crime family that is at times, questionable. Not just where the time period is concerned, but also in that of how the mob operated during the Newark riots. Production wise the movie is shot beautifully, the directing is fine on the part of Alan Taylor, and the actors are up to the task, but the gripe is in how the movie is formatted. It would be a remiss to say the least that Sopranos fans will not take issue with some of Chase’s writing choices and where his focus should have been. Others who aren’t as well acquainted with the series may choose to look the other way on some of these things.
On the upside, Alessandro Nivola does well enough as an emotionally complex mobster that serves as enough of a call back to the popular series. Likewise Michael Gandolfini, though given limited screen time, captures a minimal yet satisfactory essence of the way James Gandolfini carried himself as Tony Soprano. Of everything that could be picked apart about this movie, the best piece of advice is this: Do not watch this as a sole extension of The Sopranos. Doing so will only disappoint, but in watching it as a stand-alone venture, it’s much more tolerable and thus there’s more to be appreciated.
