Less than the sum of its parts, Ruben Fleischer (Zombieland)
helms Gangster Squad, a lightweight crime drama set in 1940s Los Angeles.
Inspired by the real life story of vicious mob boss Mickey Cohen, Fleischer’s
sumptuous thriller brings with it a stellar cast of Hollywood’s finest. Josh
Brolin, Ryan Gosling, Sean Penn, Nick Nolte and Emma Stone lead the charge,
backed up by the likes of Robert Patrick and Michael Pena.
After moving to LA from the East Coast, Cohen (Penn) has
taken control of the town. With police officers and politicians under his
thumb, only a fool would consider taking him down. Police Chief Bill Parker
(Nolte) instructs Sergeant John O’Mara (Brolin) to wage war against Cohen and
his men, and he’s only too happy to oblige, bringing together a ragtag bunch of
loose cannons in order to get the job done.
Most of the characters appear to have fallen from the pages
of a comic book and Gangster Squad lacks realism as a result. A fine cast is on
hand to cover over the cracks but performances are all over the place. Penn
chews up the scenery in every frame, lacking genuine menace with his pantomime
theatrics. Brolin is solid but O’Mara is hard to relate to. He gets pretty much
everything wrong, relying on Wooters (Gosling) to bail him out at every turn.
Worse still, his family man sanctity – shoehorned in whenever emotional weight
is required – wavers from one scene to the next.
Gosling and Stone bring chemistry, washboard stomachs and
intensity (what little there is) to the table, though I’ve yet to decide
whether Ryan is a gifted actor or just plain idle. The supporting artists
perform admirably, but most of the films merits derive from its cast, not from
the characters they play. Fleischer’s crime drama lacks heart, substance and
depth but revels in surface sheen. Action packed and intermittently violent,
Gangster Squad won’t be remembered in years to come but it still entertains if
you’re in the right frame of mind. Worth a look. AW
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