Movie Review - The Drop

The Drop (2014)

Starring Tom Hardy, James Gandolfini, and Noomi Rapace

Directed by Michaël R. Roskam

When his cousin Marv's (James Gandolfini) bar gets robbed, bartender Bob (Tom Hardy) finds himself thrust into an investigation that makes him question his family, friends, and himself.  If that summary of The Drop sounds generic, that's because The Drop as a film is a bit generic.  That's certainly not to say that Michaël R. Roskam's film is a bust, but nothing new is brought to the table here in this tale of a corrupt New York City family.

However, I don't necessarily want to be a downer when it comes to this flick because it absolutely held my interest.  Helping to elevate things are the solid performances from the three leads with Tom Hardy, James Gandolfini, and Noomi Rapace giving their roles a bit more intricate depth than the somewhat basic plot seemingly would allow.  There's an innocence to Hardy's role in particular that is oddly striking and ultimately compelling when stacked up against the hardened Gandolfini and a few other mobster types that make their presence known throughout the flick.  It's a bit refreshing as I'm used to Hardy taking the same tough edge in many of his films, so the almost childlike demeanor he presents here is a fresh twist for the actor.

Still, in the end, The Drop emits this sense of genericness that it never really is able to overcome.  It's a perfectly acceptable crime piece, but it never truly excels at elevating itself to something really captivating.

The RyMickey Rating:  C+