By Jack Ransom - March 20, 2025
The latest feature from acclaimed director Barry Levinson (Rain Man, Good Morning Vietnam & Sleepers). The Alto Knights tells the story of Vito Genovese and Frank Costello (both Robert De Niro), a pair of Italian Americans who were rivals for control of a major crime family in the mid-20th century. Genovese attempted to assassinate Costello in 1957, although Costello retired from the mob.
The idea of De Niro once again returning to the mobster and mafia genre that defined so much of his acclaimed career was certainly an appealing one, especially with how excellent his latter years turn in Martin Scorsese’s The Irishman was. Whilst this delivers moments of bloodshed, an engaging concept and De Niro not phoning it in, it suffers from messy structuring, repetitive stylistic tropes, genre box ticking narrative traits and quite frankly snooze-inducing pacing.
The Alto Knights starts off solidly, but unfortunately becomes less thrilling and intriguing as it progresses. What’s most frustrating about this screenplay is just how underdeveloped the core relationship between Vito and Frank is. Their backstory and history is a swift narration expository dump with a barrage of photographic snapshots. They share two one on one conversations together throughout the duration of the film, outside of that it’s Frank saying how Vito’s a dangerous loose cannon and Vito rapid fire f-bombing and claiming Frank is clearly up to something behind the scenes. There is no palpable sense of pre-existing close friendship at all and a serious lack of dramatic weight to anything.
It doesn’t help that the structure and presentation is choppy and messy. Cutting between an (even older) Frank talking to the camera from his projection booth and outside on a bench, barraging the viewer with countless generic corruption waffle, prohibition deals and gangsters getting whacked. Coupled with repeated flashing snapshot black and white images, sporadic montages and bizarre cutting. It attempts to echo Scorsese and occasionally taps into that vein with energetic montages, bursts of splattery practical violence, a bopping soundtrack and era immersive set designs.
There is no denying De Niro’s output over the past few years has been hit and miss (as well as his devotion to particular projects). Whilst this is a far cry from his acclaimed recent roles (The Irishman, Killers of the Flower Moon and even his supporting role in Joker), he does commit to the material. It’s just a shame the screenplay lets him down. Frank is certainly the superior portrayal, as he is essentially a less ruthless Frank Sheeran (The Irishman), however his portrayal of Vito largely comes off like a Joe Pesci in Goodfellas impression. Debra Messing, Kathrine Narducci and Cosmo Jarvis deliver in their support roles.
The Alto Knights is somewhat refreshing in its old school appeal and I have no doubt some viewers will get a kick out of these mostly pensioners grumbling and occasionally gunning each other down. It’s a shame that a legendary lead is wasted on a script that's pale in comparison to many of The Alto Knights' iconic influences.
In cinemas March 21
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