The Yards is a gripping family-centred mob drama set
in New York and directed by James Gray (Little
Odessa). Skilfully handling a large cast, Gray draws
terrific performances from Joaquin Phoenix and Mark
Wahlberg, who are supported by more mature stars such
as James Caan and Ellen Burstyn.
The film opens as 24-year old Leo (the increasingly
impressive Wahlberg) is released from jail after
serving 16 months behind bars for auto theft. Despite
his intentions to stay clean, he soon finds himself
dragged back into criminal ways by his old friend -
the violent and self-assured Willie (Phoenix), whose
gang is involved in a racket surrounding the New York
City subway yards. When Leo accompanies the gang on a
job in Queens, things get out of hand as Willie kills
a subway official and Leo winds up assaulting a police
officer. Subsequently forced to go on the run, Leo
finds himself abandoned by his friends, who fear that
he will incriminate them if he is caught for the
offence. When his frail mother (Burstyn) falls ill,
the compromised Leo is drawn back home to a dangerous
situation, where he soon finds that few can be
trusted, whether friends or family.
This tough thriller contains the same edge as the
groundbreaking pictures made by Dunaway, Caan and
Burstyn back in the 1970s. All three play refreshingly
well-scripted minor roles as members of an extended
family that is rooted in crime and slowly torn apart
from the inside by distrust and duplicity. The script
(which was co-written by Gray with Matt Reeves) is
particularly strong when presenting the conflicts that
arise from Willie's relationship with Erica (Charlize
Theron.) Gray displays a keen eye in directing the
film's set pieces and also makes good use of some
diverse locations, particularly The Yards themselves.
The film occasionally slips into sentimentality with
some rather jarring clichés, but on the whole this is
a powerful and edgy feature that promises even greater
things from both its director and its cast.
Reviewed by Chris Wiegand
See what other kamera.co.uk readers thought about this film
