One Line Review: βThe Many Saints of Newarkβ is a must for every Sopranos fan.
Youtube Trailer Many Saints of Newark
Starring: Michael Gandolfini, Ray Liotta
Director: Alan Taylor
Release Date: 1 October 2021
Introduction
Today weβre going to talk about βMany Saints of Newarkβ. The film was released earlier in some parts of the world but the creators decided to release it in the rest parts. Let’s check what this movie has got for us…
Plot Summary
Growing up in one of the most tumultuous eras in Newark history, young Anthony Soprano becomes a man as rival gangsters rise and challenge the almighty DiMeo crime family over the increasingly racial city. The uncle he idolizes, Dickie Moltisanti, is trapped in the passage of time who struggles to handle both his professional and personal duties – and how his influence on his formidable nephew will help make the teenager the almighty Mafia boss we know: Tony Soprano.
Criticism of the plot
14 years ago, the last episode of The Sopranos flickered across the US American screens and the story of the mafia boss Tony Soprano and his eponymous family came to a temporary end. Now series creator David Chase and director Alan Taylor are bringing the iconic criminal back by telling the story of The Sopranos and how the protagonist of the award-winning Mafia series has become the man the audience over six has become with The Many Saints of Newark Has accompanied seasons. But there is another in the foreground of the plot. That man who was like a father to the young Tony Soprano ( Michael Gandolfini) and whose family name already foreshadows the fate of his father, son and his own: Richard “Dickie” Moltisanti ( Alessandro Nivola ). Because behind every sinner, there is ultimately an even greater sinner.
The two-hour gangster drama, therefore, focuses on Dickie Moltisanti and begins with the narrative at the end of the 1960s. Shortly after Dickes father Aldo ( Ray Liotta) has returned from Italy with a new partner, New Jersey is falling into chaos. The race riots shake the city and exacerbate the conflict between the criminal parties of the African and Italian Americans. As Dickie feels more and more overwhelmed by the changing times, tensions rise in his private life and business. At the same time, his responsibility to his nephew Tony grows, who as he gets older is more and more influenced by the criminal milieu that surrounds him. It should be noted that Dickie’s son Christopher Moltisanti recapitulates the relationship between him and his uncle Tony as well as a key moment from The Sopranos in the first few minutes. In other words: spoiler alert.
That’s why The Many Saints of Newark feels all the more like a film for Sopranos fans because of this premise. Numerous scenes turn out to be references or homage to moments in the series and when familiar faces appear every minute – just in their younger days – the film feels like an old class reunion. The actors, who already embody characters from the series, manage to depict the young versions with absolutely remarkable precision and sensitivity and to perfectly capture their mentality. For example, if Paulie “Walnuts” Gualtieri is upset about the blood to spatter on his new jacket, you might think Billy Magnussen is the young Tony Sirico. Especially in the first few minutes, the film feels like a single who’s who? β. Like leafing through an old photo album and looking for familiar faces.
The most interesting character
Aside from all these little reunions, however, it is the character of Dickie that deserves the most attention. Because with Dickie, David Chase and his co-writer Lawrence Konner have created another gangster who fits into the world sketched by the series in a grandiose way and enriches it with some fresh facets. His tightrope walk between favor and disfavor is cautiously and, despite some escalations, usually staged calmly. At the same time, The Many Saints of Newark continues the intriguing web and illustrates who betrayed whom, long before Tony Soprano became a true member of the mafia family. A gangster drama told with care and a focused look, just as the audience of the Sopranos knows. In short: a wonderful feeling to be at home again!
Conclusion
Whether it really needed this film is an open question, but after all these years diving into the criminal realm of New Jersey and watching the old entourage of wild daredevils, eloquent hotheads, and not squeamish devils in their younger days (again) awakened simply a sinfully good feeling. Especially since the explicit introduction of Dicke Moltisanti is an incredibly valuable addition to the universe. βThe Many Saints of Newarkβ is, therefore, a must for every Sopranos fan.
