While I was too young to remember the late 1980's, most of the adults would remember one particular movement: The war on drugs. Most people remember that First Lady Nancy Reagen was the one who started the campaign against drugs where she even made public appearances in TV shows trying to get the youth of America about the dangers of the substances of drugs.
In "We Own The Night", drugs are the least worries of Bobby Green.
The film's main character is Bobby Green portrayed by Joaquin Phoenix, who owns one of the hottest nightclubs in New York City in the late 1980's and at the same time leads a double life. One side of him is a hot shot bar owner who hangs with his Latin mistress Amada Juarez (Eva Mendes) and hangs with his friends and clients from the drug users, the crazy vatos, including a group of Russian mobsters in which Bobby doesn't know about their illegal drug operation in the bar. The other side of him is a secret since not many of his friends with the exception of Amada knows that Bobby comes from a family of cops out to stop the war on drugs. His brother Joesph (Mark Wahlberg) has just been promoted to captain while Bobby's father Burt (Robert Duvall), the chief of police, disapproves of the life his young son made; Burt wishes that Bobby would follow in Joesph's footsteps and be a cop instead of hanging with a bunch of lowlifes.
Trouble hits the fan for Bobby after his place is raided by Joesph's squad of police officers in which they go after Russian mobster Vadim Nezhinski (Alex Veadov). After Vadim's release, Joesph is attacked by Vadim's gang leaving him in critical condition where Bobby takes things into his own matter.
"We Own The Night" is the type of movie where it's not perfect, but manages to be entertaining in some aspects. The performances aren't exactly Oscar worthy or memorable but proves that every actor tries to take a different direction. Joaquin Phoenix had done better performances (Walk the Line, Gladiator, Parenthood) in his career but doesn't have the action hero quality while managing to deliver drama. Mark Wahlberg probably gives the best performance in the film where it's very similar to his popular role Sgt. Dignam from "The Departed" but without the high energy of profanity. Robert Duvall is okay in the short role, but it's Eva Mendes that's the weakest link where other than having a woman in the cliché peril, she doesn't have much to offer where other than proving how much of a Latina she is by speaking Spanish in certain scenes and dressing up for a Maxim magazine cover, there's really no importance for Eva Mendes's character when it should be just be an all guy action flick with no leading ladies in danger.
Overall, an okay flick to watch when there's nothing else to see.
In "We Own The Night", drugs are the least worries of Bobby Green.
The film's main character is Bobby Green portrayed by Joaquin Phoenix, who owns one of the hottest nightclubs in New York City in the late 1980's and at the same time leads a double life. One side of him is a hot shot bar owner who hangs with his Latin mistress Amada Juarez (Eva Mendes) and hangs with his friends and clients from the drug users, the crazy vatos, including a group of Russian mobsters in which Bobby doesn't know about their illegal drug operation in the bar. The other side of him is a secret since not many of his friends with the exception of Amada knows that Bobby comes from a family of cops out to stop the war on drugs. His brother Joesph (Mark Wahlberg) has just been promoted to captain while Bobby's father Burt (Robert Duvall), the chief of police, disapproves of the life his young son made; Burt wishes that Bobby would follow in Joesph's footsteps and be a cop instead of hanging with a bunch of lowlifes.
Trouble hits the fan for Bobby after his place is raided by Joesph's squad of police officers in which they go after Russian mobster Vadim Nezhinski (Alex Veadov). After Vadim's release, Joesph is attacked by Vadim's gang leaving him in critical condition where Bobby takes things into his own matter.
"We Own The Night" is the type of movie where it's not perfect, but manages to be entertaining in some aspects. The performances aren't exactly Oscar worthy or memorable but proves that every actor tries to take a different direction. Joaquin Phoenix had done better performances (Walk the Line, Gladiator, Parenthood) in his career but doesn't have the action hero quality while managing to deliver drama. Mark Wahlberg probably gives the best performance in the film where it's very similar to his popular role Sgt. Dignam from "The Departed" but without the high energy of profanity. Robert Duvall is okay in the short role, but it's Eva Mendes that's the weakest link where other than having a woman in the cliché peril, she doesn't have much to offer where other than proving how much of a Latina she is by speaking Spanish in certain scenes and dressing up for a Maxim magazine cover, there's really no importance for Eva Mendes's character when it should be just be an all guy action flick with no leading ladies in danger.
Overall, an okay flick to watch when there's nothing else to see.