I love mob movies. I love true stories turned to film. Thus, when I saw the preview for this I could not wait to see it. However, the film was only scheduled for limited release in a few screens across the country and St. Louis was not on that short list. "Kill the Irishman" is now available on DVD and I highly encourage you to rent this picture. The film stars Ray Stevenson, Vincent D'Onofrio, Val Kilmer, and Christopher Walken.
This is the true story of an Irish mobster named Danny Greene. Born and raised in Cleveland Ohio, Danny rises from his poor upbringing to become the president of the International Longshoremen's Association in Cleveland. This leads to his involvement with the Mafia in Cleveland, dominated by an Italian family with connections to the Gambinos in New York City. After a "disagreement" with one of Cleveland's top mob officials, the Jewish money launderer and lone shark named Shondor Birns (Christopher Walken) puts out the contract for Danny Greene's execution. This begins the brutal and true all out war waged between the Italian mafia and Danny Greene's crew. In the summer of 1976, 36 bombs detonated in various mob killings all over the Cleveland area. Most of which were aimed at Greene, who had an uncanny knack for avoiding death. He became a media sensation, and popular opinion either labeled him a hero of the people and the neighborhood he loved or a vicious egomaniacal killer with an unsatiable thirst for money and power.
This movie is a must see on many levels. First and foremost, as outrageous as the story becomes - it is 100% true. There is no fabrication or embellishment to this screenplay, penned by Jeremy Walters and Jonathan Hensliegh (who also directed the film). The attention to detail is fantastic. This movie does not look at all like it was filmed in 2011. It is a complete immersion into the 1970's, down to the fine detail of using actual television news coverage from the 70's to help tell the story.
The cast is the film's greatest strength. The director has chosen some of today's most talented, and in some cases, most underrated actors to bring these real life characters to life. Ray Stevenson is fantastic throughout as the seemingly unkillable Danny Greene. His performance is consistently powerful throughout the film. I am very much looking forward to seeing his next performance in the upcoming "The Three Musketeers" as he will be portraying the flamboyant Porthos (previously enacted by Gerard Depardieau and Oliver Platt). Vincent D'Onofrio is as quirky and entertaining as ever in his portrayal of John Nardi, an Italian mobster who gets shafted by his own organization and allies with Greene. Christopher Walken ... ahhh, Christopher Walken. Has he ever turned in a bad performance? The answer is a simple "no". And while he does not play a large role in the film, his character is ultimately responsible for the whole story you are about to see, and Walken owns every scene he is in.
Lastly, Val Kilmer portrays the good cop, Joe Manditski, who is a native of the same neighborhood as Danny Greene. In another world, with another set of circumstances, Greene and Manditski would probably have been best of friends. In this one, Manditski cannot help but secretly like Greene, and all the while he pursues him as a good cop should. Val Kilmer is one of our generation's best actors. It is a shame that his career seems to have dwindled from the bright lights of the big screen to more of the Direct to DVD market. Time, as well, has not been too kind to Kilmer. He is not aging particularly well as the once "Iceman" is now more aptly categorized as more of a double scoop of soft serve. But, his talent is as strong and chiseled to a sharp point as it ever was, and hopefully with more roles like this - we will see Kilmer back on the big screen where his caliber of talent belongs.
In conclusion, "Kill the Irishman" did not get the big screen time it should have, and as such not enough people have seen or heard of this film. This is one of the best mob films made in recent history. Given enough time and word of mouth recomendations from one person to another, and the day will come that this film will be rightfully listed on any Top 10 Mob Movies list that is worth paying attention to. If you like movies like, "Goodfellas", "Donnie Brasco", and "The Departed" - you need to see this movie. And then, you need to tell as many of your friends and family who like good movies that they need to see this movie.
4 out of 4 Bright, Shining Stars on this one !
John M. Dunlap
The Hollywood Outsiders
