We Own the Night

Quite a pleasant surprise in the end. James Gray has improved quite a bit, after the previous very boring, almost TV-like The Yards this is way better. At times pretty suspenseful (the visit to a drug den, the car chase in the rain), at times ridiculously theatrical; overall a better 3*. The bloodless Wahlberg is much neglected, Eva Mendes serves as mere decoration, basically the whole thing is pulled by a superb Phoenix, it’s a terrible shame that he plays in so few films. (02/02/2008)

This unbalanced police story suffers from: a) an acute lack of tough guys, b) narrative dilettantism, and c) too much chatter. So for next time: Mark Wahlberg is not suited to the role of a good daddy, and if Joaquin Phoenix wasn't such a big shot we’d have a hard time buying into his "family" motivation. In addition, brotherly relationships can be cemented in action, not by crying on a shoulder. The Departed is on another level... (30/03/2008)

Movie about how even if you are a loser, you can eventually become an honorable citizen, even to the extent that you will be on the side of good, specifically the police. Joaquim Phoenix shows what he's made of, unfortunately the script of this film is not groundbreaking and only gives us a glimpse into the issue, which was better portrayed in the film "American Gangster" and even better in various other mafia movies that the film industry is full of. It tries to be "new" in the sense that it shows us a slightly different story of a person, not a downfall but rather growth, which ultimately leads to the viewer feeling the weight of the pathetic effort to create an overly positive hero. Mark Wahlberg had enough room not to offend, which is typical for movies with him. "The Fighter" relied more on Christian Bale's performance, although it is true that Wahlberg also had enough space here. Sometimes he can be quite unbearable, as in "Ted". The film "We Own the Night" doses him just right. It tries to be a drama, which works in some places, but to be a truly great drama, it is too unoriginal. More: http://www.filmovy-denik.cz/2012/05/noc-patri-nam-voda-pro-slony-posledni.html (18/02/2013)

We Own the Night is smaller and less original, but more open and emotionally relatable than the similar American Gangster. Excellent actors, hard-on-inducing Eva Mendes, and a breath-taking car chase that will make the blood freeze in your veins. Very good job, folks! (19/02/2008)

Not a particularly original story, but with its structure (it could easily have been de facto wrapped up in an hour over, but it isn't, and that's a good thing!) and the well written and of course well acted character of Joaquin Phoenix, it towers quite high above the genre average. No unnecessary attempt at shocking twists, very well shot action (the car chase tops the list), and a divinely perfect Eva Mendes. Brilliantly written and directed. (27/09/2012)