We Own the Night

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)

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)

I enjoyed this old-school film in all ways. Maybe it was the fact that I still haven't had the pleasure of seeing The Departed, which many people compare We Own the Night to, but basically I saw a good film with a simple story that the director wrapped in a suitably rough and fitting coat. The actors were all great and I enjoyed Kilar's music and tastefully chosen songs. The atmosphere of some of the scenes (the "feather", the transfer - especially that - and the ending) was incredibly realistic, and for a film that lasts less than two hours, it went by very quickly. It’s too bad that it had no logic at times, though. (12/03/2011)

The uncompromising and refreshingly straightforward path of personal transformation (the only point of contact with Departed, the often mentioned similarity simply eludes me), which James Gray brings to an emotionally intense conclusion and demonstrates that gangsters are not, and will not be dead for a long time. The perfect atmosphere makes you feel on your own skin what it's like to have one foot on the right side of the law and at the same time scrape the bottom of a pit full of mud. (25/04/2008)

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 (17/02/2013)