RIGHTEOUS KILL
US, 2008, 101 minutes, Colour.
Robert De Niro, Al Pacino, Curtis Jackson, Carla Gugino, John Leguizamo, Donny Wahlberg, Brian Dennehy, Trilby Glover, Melissa Leo.
Directed by Jon Avnet.
With a title like this, you can rightly if not righteously guess that we are in the realm of vigilante killings, the administration of justice for crimes which the processes of law cannot touch.
The film bills itself as historic. It pairs Robert de Niro with Al Pacino (though they were in Michael Mann's Hear, they had only one major scene together). We now have the opportunity to compare the performances of the two – and this reviewer would give the award to Al Pacino. De Niro has been relying on a number of blustery gestures and face-pulling in recent years and this is what he does here. Pacino tends to rant and rave but he shows more energy than de Niro.
For those who are fans of police thrillers, novels, television programs and films, this is a murder mystery. And, to put it mildly, there is a whole lot of misdirection of audience attention going on. But, the screenplay cheats. There are some pieces of information and misinformation that it would be impossible for the audience to pick up clues to until late in the film – and that is a maybe. This means that suspicion hovers over characters until the twist at the end.
Someone is killing off New York scum and leaving some doggerel verses to make comment on the executions. The victims include a pimp, a gun dealer, a rapist, a Russian thug and (topically, with some elaboration) an elderly pedophile priest. The target throughout the film is, of course, a drug dealer who owns a fashionable night club. He is played by 50 Cents (Curtis Jackson).
In the mix are the forensic officer who is in a relationship with de Niro, Carla Gugino, the superior officer, Brian Dennehy, and two other detectives, John Leguizamo and Donnie Wahlberg.
The film is dark, often literally. The subject is contemporary but also squalid and violent. The solution might irritate some audiences who like to follow leads and clues. But, this is our chance to see de Niro and Pacino together.
1.A police drama? Murder mystery? Serial killer? Vigilante/justice film?
2.The casting of Robert De Niro and Al Pacino, their working together, strengths?
3.The title, vigilante talk? As used by Rooster?
4.The screenplay and the clues? The initial misdirection? Audience attention to detail? Presumptions? The tape, the names, the confession? The devices to misdirect the audience?
5.New York City, Manhattan and Brooklyn? The precincts, the nightclubs, apartments? The courts? The atmospheric score?
6.The initial impact, De Niro and the confession on tape, the names, the recurring images from the confession? The end and the truth? The visual concealing of the killer? Suspects? Hingis and his suspicions? Attention directed towards Turk? The suspicions of Karen? Of Lopez?
7.The initial case, the rapist, going free, the visit to him by Rooster and Turk in jail, the witness coming forward and talking to Perez and Riley? The end, Dave and his saying that this was the case that lost him his faith in justice? And the fact that Tom actually concealed the weapon and got the rapist charge on a false case?
8.The initial parallels between the two: Turk and his baseball, becoming angry with referees? Rooster and the background of playing chess, the number of games going at once?
9.Their work as partners, the bond between them, sharing, Turk and his encounter with Jessica in the toilet, leading to the set-up on Spider? Her being wired? Spider suspecting, the police coming in, Turk and his kicking and bashing Spider? The shooting of his assistant? The investigations, Internal Affairs, the questions? Hingis and his attitude?
10.The relationship between Turk and Karen? The violence? Karen and her work, examining the bodies, forensic evidence? The friendship with Perez? The misleading indications of the relationship? Rooster and his talking to her about sexuality? The end, his assault? The photo and the Russian in hospital? Her presence at the end with Turk at the baseball?
11.Audience sympathies and suspicions: Turk, Rooster? Turk’s behaviour, stances, attitudes?
12.The rapist, in court, his defying the police, his death? The pimp and the girls? The gun dealer? The priest, the background of sexual abuse, giving first communion to Turk, the abuse of Rooster? Shooting the Russian? The confrontation with Spider and his death? Righteous kills? Rooster as a serial killer? His addiction, this being the only satisfaction? A religious man who had lost his faith? His confrontation with Turk, calling him Tom? The confession, the video? His taunting him to kill him? Using the police signals? The final shots and his death?
13.Perez and Riley, in themselves, at the baseball match, the testosterone and the fight with Turk’s team? Their continued investigations, teaming up with Turk and Rooster? Their suspicions? Social life? Perez and Karen? The focus on Turk? The discussions with Hingis, with Rooster and his reassuring them? The final set-up with Spider out of prison, at his club, Turk turning up? Their making the mistake – and losing the bet with Rooster? Their following Martin Baum, suspicions? His alibi?
14.Hingis, supervisor, suspicions, talking to Turk, suspending him?
15.The psychiatrist, the intercutting of the interviews with Rooster and with Turk, asking about sanity, feelings, work, killings? Urging to journal? The irony of Rooster, his poems, Turk finally reading the journal? Turk not doing it?
16.Internal Affairs, the questions, the end and the review of the tape?
17.The victims, the guns from the dealer, the verses with each body, indication of clues, justice?
18.Karen, Rooster’s assault, taking the photo to the Russian?
19.Jessica, the lawyer, the drugs in the toilet, her agreeing to be wired, her record expunged, the failure of the set-up, her being shot, hospital, gratitude to Turk?
20.The priest, the current issues of sexual abuse, priests being moved? Giving communion to Turk? Rooster and speaking to him in the confessional, the revenge, the shooting, the poem and issues of lust, ashes and dust, the church and responsibilities?
21.The background of Catholicism, Rooster as being a person who went to church, of faith, his mother, church activities? Praying? Going to the church, holy water, genuflecting?
22.The finale, the audience looking at Turk differently, Rooster and the pursuit, his explanations, using the codes for his death?
