‘The Alto Knights’: So many talents for nothing | Culture

There are fixed, ancestral and almost always profitable themes in the history of Hollywood. One of them is something as sinister as the mafia. The spectators of any time have permanent hunger of it. And in accordance with the fact that many disposable, topical, predictable, unfortunate, dumb and cutter films have been made about the honorable society, but we must also owe it incontestable masterpieces.

It is obvious to affirm that the saga of The godfather It is one of the best things that have happened to the cinema and that for many times you see them the visual and narrative talent of one Martin Scorsese will continue to dazzle in One of ours, Casino e Infiltrated And few series have been as intelligent and addictive as The soprano. That is, the portrait of that dark organization has sometimes made us very happy to the mirror. It all depends on the quality that those who talk about it treasure.

And that is what surprises you most in this luxurious swimme The Alto Knights. A producer as serious as Irwin Winkler, someone who made possible some excellent Scorsese films; The script has been written by Nicholas Pileggi, author of the scripts of One of ours y Casino; It is directed by Barry Levinson, who has solid films such as Sleepers y Rain Manand even a beautiful as funny titled Diner. And Robert De Niro stars in, playing two characters. It is idle to tell that this gifted actor accumulated successively interpretations in unforgettable films such as the second part of El Godfather, taxi driver, twentieth century y The hunter.

But for quite some time I find it monotonous, go funny or dramatic. The last time he impressed me, like his partner in Pacino, it was in the vibrant and fatalistic Heat. No one can deny both talent, although they often put my nerves. There is something very affected or calculated in their work and in too many forgettable films. Of course, at their benefit, both do not stop shooting. For something it will be. Somehow his career will continue to possess magnet for the public. So much talent accumulation has only served this time to create something as mediocre as tedious, without a single sequence to alter your mood, to create some emotion. Nor characters with a minimum of attractiveness. Of course, music does not stop sounding, something that frequently uses cinema that has nothing memorable to narrate.

It is starred in two legendary gangsters who accumulated enormous power for excessive and unfortunate time. They are Frank Costello and Vito Genovese, intimate friends from childhood and confronted with the death in old age for something as sweet as the leadership of the empire. One is reflective, Machiavellian, an expert in buying politicians for the good march of the business. The other is visceral, and is convinced that you have to kill anyone who threatens their throne.

This fratricidal battle between two colleagues and partners in love with absolute power is described without the slightest tension, without matters or the destiny of all those who live from absolute corruption and predatory violence when things threaten to twist. And the old Robert de Niro sucking flat all the time, making Costello and Genovese. Someone will think it has been a brilliant idea. I do the same and the other the same.