The old story, with new operatic embellishment, of brothers on opposite sides of the law (Mark Wahlberg, Joaquin Phoenix), plus a father firmly on the lawful side (Robert Duvall), and Russian drug dealers so ruthless and repugnant as to straighten out the bent brother. All pretty obvious and overstated, although a couple of big developments come sooner than might have been anticipated, and director James Gray (The Yards, also featuring Wahlberg, and Little Odessa, also featuring Russian mobsters) stages an exciting shootout on wheels in a low-visibility rainstorm. If this scene could be bodily transferred, let's say, to The Godfather, it would be celebrated as an immortal cinematic set piece. The Polish contemporary classical composer Wojciech Kilar, whenever there's a breather in the Eighties oldies, contributes some weighty, heavy-treading incidental music. With Eva Mendes, Alex Veadov, Antoni Corone, and Tony Musante. (2007) — Duncan Shepherd
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