Friday, June 20, 2008

Antonie

Author(s): James Somerton
Location: NS, Canada

"Antoine.”



Directed By: Brian DePalma
Written By: James Somerton

Principal Cast:

Joaquin Phoenix as Antoine Sergeni
Jason Cerbone as Antoine Sergeni (1970’s)
Felicity Huffman as Patricia Referno
Haley Joel Osment as Blake Referno
Jamie Lynn Sigler as Kristin Referno
Brendan Filone as Michael Referno (1970’s)
Al Pacino as Anthony DeLetto

Tagline: "There’s a story behind every murder. So imagine a massacre"

Synopsis:

(1970’s)
Antoine Sergeni has just entered college when he meets Michael Referno, a well-known collector for the DeLetto family whom Antoine’s mother owes money. Antoine convinces Michael to excuse the debt but only by assisting him on a hit. Antoine only plans on watching but ends up killing a man to save Michael’s life. The problem is, that man was a police officer and now the only people who can protect him are the DeLetto’s.

(1980’s)
Antoine Sergeni is now one of the most prominent members of the DeLetto crime family. He’s even in the running to take over as boss once Anthony DeLetto, who is dying of lung cancer, dies. Michael Referno wants the job too though but is too respectful of Antoine to do anything about it. But once Antoine is caught in bed with Michael’s wife, Patricia, all bet’s are off. And the birth of a son sends everyone into panic. When Anthony DeLetto dies, Michael and Antoine break the family into two and an all out war begins.

(2000’s)
The Referno Crime Family is now all but extinct. The Sergeni Crime Family is flourishing in the new millennium and so is Antoine. Now that he has his son back, he can be the father he always wanted to be. But when he is taken to jail on RICO charges, his son, Blake, is forced into the family business. Now he must choose between the business created by the man who raised him, or the father that abandoned him.

What the press would say:

Very rarely does a sequel overshadow it’s predecessor but with “Antoine.”, it has been managed. However, “Antoine.” Is a very different film from “Lost in America”. “Lost in America” was a coming of age story that took place in the world of organized crime. “Antoine.” Is a full on mafia thriller that takes places in three different decades; the 70’s, the 80’s, and the 2000’s. I suppose that “Lost in America” took place in the 90’s seeing as how that decade is skipped over. The film’s writing is very powerful, jumping back and forth from decade to decade, all the while making sure that each and every plotline (and there are many) is taken care of nicely. The characters, many of which were introduced in “Lost in America”, are completely fleshed out in this film. Antoine Sergeni, who was a supporting player in “Lost in America”, becomes such a realistic and vibrant character that we find ourselves rooting for him even after seeing him commit some of the most heinous acts in film history. Another character that truly comes to light in this film is Blake Referno, played by Haley Joel Osment. Osment gives the performance of a lifetime in this movie, pulling out all the stops and creating a character so sympathetic that anyone would side with him.

This is perfect, especially when Blake starts committing his own heinous acts. Felicity Huffman returns as Patricia Referno and steals her scenes away from the male leads but the real scene-stealer of this movie is Al Pacino as Anthony DeLetto. The aging mob boss gives Pacino the perfect palate from which to work. His scenes with Phoenix are some of the best of his career. Now, I know that this is a sequel and that sequels are rarely as good as the originals, and almost never better, but “Antoine.” Really pulls it off.

The script and the actors compliment each other so well that director Brian DePalma has only to make it look interesting. He uses different techniques in all three stories to give them all a different feel. When you watch “The 70’s” you feel like you’re watching a movie from that era. When you watch “The 80’s” you feel like your watching a movie from that era too. This movie is nearly three hours long but it doesn’t feel that long. There were some moments near the end that I was wishing that the story would go on for another decade. To see what happens next. Maybe there will be another sequel to show us that. This is definitely one of the most interesting movies of the year. So interesting, in fact, that The New York Times has called it “Mesmerizing”. A real Winner!

POSSIBLE NOMINATIONS:

Best Picture
Best Director – Brian DePalma
Best Original Screenplay – James Somerton
Best Actor - Joaquin Phoenix
Best Supporting Actress – Felicity Huffman
Best Supporting Actor – Haley Joel Osment
Best Supporting Actor – Al Pacino

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