There is a difference between paying homage to a genre of movies and overusing the elements that make these movies classic. Sadly, “Pride and Glory” does the latter. Though it is full of talent, nearly every cop movie clich? is used at least once causing one to wonder why this movie was made. The answer could lie with the powerful performance from Edward Norton (“The Incredible Hulk”) and the presence of enough grit to make even Clint Eastwood back away. “Pride and Glory’s” excellent and poor qualities perfectly cancel each other out, resulting in a film that falls into mediocrity.
Edward Norton delivers a fascinating performance as Ray Tierney, one of the only straight cops in the movie. What is incredible about Norton is his ability to show pain through the way he moves and speaks. This movie would have been better suited to leave the audience with a sense of wonder about the character rather then explain every motivation he has, especially with an actor as talented as Norton who can convey almost any emotion in any situation. Ed Norton has an incredible talent and is a joy to watch, but sadly, the movie around him falls below the standard he sets.
The plot follows Tierney, who has been thrown into an investigation of four murdered cops. The investigation is a family affair, not only because the four cops were his brother’s men (Noah Emmerich, “The Truman Show”), but because his father (Jon Voight, “Transformers”) is the chief of Manhattan detectives, and his brother in law (Colin Farrell, “Miami Vice”) is surfacing as a dirty cop. As Tierney attempts to discover the truth behind the murders, he uncovers a drug deal gone wrong, a dangerous street gang and a division of the NYPD gone bad. Ray eventually discovers a secret that will not only hurt his family but also completely discredit the entire NYPD.
The main plot is very familiar, but the subplots send the film on a turn for the worse. Dying relatives and divorce do not make the characters more “real” as director and screenwriter Gavin Hood (“Miracle”) intended. Instead, they make the characters more clich? and unrealistic, turning the movie from a gritty cop thriller to an overdramatic soap opera. These subplots are what Hood used to separate his movie from those that inspired it, like “Dirty Harry” and “The Departed.” As it turns out, moving away from the main plot with dramatic family stories results in over-acting. And when these mean cops get angry, it is not powerful, but whiny. What makes Clint Eastwood in “Dirty Harry” an icon is the viewer’s lack of understanding to his motivation beyond doing his job. In “Pride and Glory,” knowing these motivations leads to dull results.
That said, there are some very enjoyable and intense moments. The standout scene ? and the one that has been getting some press ? is when Colin Farrell’s character, in an attempt to get information from a bad guy, threatens a baby with a hot iron. It is not so much a powerful scene as it is shocking, but in the end it works. There are some fun gun battles, hostage situations and thrilling moments for our hero that generally allow the viewer to briefly forget how annoying most of the characters are. Although most of the action is well done, the final fistfight is both anti-climactic and laughable. There is no reason for the characters to do this, and it results in the characters involved to lose their intimidating power.
In the end, this movie probably should not have been made, but now that it is here, the only thing to do is accept it. Ed Norton delivers as always, but his co-stars fall short and are simply irksome. The action is decent and the story is somewhat enjoyable. Still, it is very difficult to get past the question of, “So what?” There are hundreds of cop movies, and this one makes no strong effort to really separate itself or bring anything new to the genre. The people involved usually make quality movies, but this one was a misstep. The only thing to do is wish them a hearty “better luck next time.”
2 out of 5 stars
