10th & Wolf DVD Review

"10th And Wolf" reviews

DVD

10th And Wolf

Author

anonymous

Date reviewed

2007-08-03 14:50:22

Provider

DVD Review

Crash co-writer Robert Moresco makes his directorial debut with a crime drama that boasts a stellar cast including James Marsden and Dennis Hopper.

The story concerns a Marine who attempts to save his Mafia-linked family by becoming an informer. Following the first Gulf War, Tommy Santoro (Marsden) is frustrated by the decision not to take out Saddam Hussein and after attacking an officer he goes AWOL. Tommy eventually faces prison for his actions, but an FBI agent (Brian Dennehy). comes to his aid. However, there's a price to pay. He agrees to be an informer when he realises that it might save his mafia-linked younger brother, Vinnie (Brad Renfro) and cousin Joey (Giovanni Ribisi).

When Tommy returns to Philadelphia he finds his brother and loose cannon cousin running the drug trafficking business following the demise of local crime boss Matello, (who the ever excellent Dennis Hopper plays in flashback). Tommy gets FBI encouragement to get involved in the business and all that it entails.

There are of course parallels between this and other gangster stories. Tommy is like a modern Michael from the Godfather with Vinnie more akin to Santino or Goodfellas' Jimmy. In true Sopranos style, the older characters fondly remember the good old days when the violence was more personal.

There's a little bit of romance shoehorned in and good performances all round. Moresco clearly likes to ask more questions than he answers and, like Crash, 10th And Wolf is thought-provoking and entertaining. Even if it is a tad derivative, he borrows from damn good sources.