In an on-going trend which I can only hope will soon spark a Mad Men film, the rage of prestige television returning for one more outing, or “story” as they have repeatedly marketed, is an intriguing concept and with all the original talent at the helm the products have for the large part been very successful (I for one thought that El Camino: A Breaking Bad Story was rather excellent). The Many Saints of Newark, a new story from David Chase in the world of his critically acclaimed and nowadays justly iconic The Sopranos universe, falls thankfully into the category of success. The intentions to me at least seem rather clear, to tell a great gangster story almost wholly separate to the world of the show whilst using the fantastic characters that we all know and love as a form of wallpaper. The way in which the ultimate story we receive does ultimately blend with that of a young Tony Soprano is wonderful stuff to watch and makes all in all for a thrilling, dramatic, touching and ultimately very effective side-story to the world of Chase’s Sopranos.
For me this is two films; I’ll start with the film that I feel people thought they were gonna see, and of course do get, but perhaps not in the heavy dosage they would want. Many Saints is indeed the origin story to Tony and many other characters that we were told it was going to be, and I can put all worries to rest when I state that there is no gimmickry to any of the casting, nor to any of the performances. The more outlandish individuals amongst the show are still outlandish, but are also still imbued with all the humanity that made them great characters beyond easy impressions. Michael Gandolfini is of course perhaps the most effecting performance of the lot. The word “haunting” perhaps might be too crude to use, but the casting of him in the role that his father brought to the screen with such power, really is a thing of a similar power. Gandolfini here does great work and as I have already stated moves the easy imitation into something with a lot of pathos. Perhaps it’s a dumb thing to compare this great film to the terrible Cruella, but for me if one is to make an origin film or TV series, a chief factor must be that by the time it ends I still believe that the character we just spent our time with will become to the same character that we previously knew so well in its other medium. Many Saints gives us that journey here and definitely that ending. Chase and director Alan Taylor have made a taut and deeply felt dramatic study of the generation that so deeply informed the one of the series. Whether it be in small looks, line deliveries or the overall mood, one seriously gets the feeling of a true history that I can only imagine will imbue re-watches of the series moving forward with a whole new manner of generational power.
However as previously stated Chase and Taylor have done this largely through whole new characters, primarily a trio (or rather quartet if we include both twin brothers Ray Liotta plays) of people that come in and out the life of Dickie Moltisanti, Tony’s uncle, played by Alessandro Nivola, for me the major standout of the film. His power and dramatic quality in the truthfulness of his performance is something that fits perfectly into this world and the rage and sadness of the journey of his character is a very powerful study to watch, Nivola and Chase do a spectacular job of entering this man’s world and all the facets of it for this period of time. Liotta does indeed play twins in this film, both completely polar opposites, but both stark and compelling figures. One of which in particular serving here almost as a ghost of Christmas Future in a very touching and sombre turn, especially in comparison to the intense mania of his other twin. Leslie Odom Jr and Michela De Rossi, both show another facet to this generational element that the film focuses on, the black and female experience that once again add to the world that we are seeing in interesting ways. Overall the character of Dickie was very intriguing for me and made the film the success in my eyes that it was, with a lack of big showy character reveal moments (You know like a “I’m Tony. Tony Soprano”. Theme music starts. That kind of moment) leading to the film being a lot less nostalgic and cringey than it very well could have been.
A very solid 8/10 outing back into the world of The Sopranos. For all the things that this film is, a great Sopranos story as we know it, it perhaps isn’t. But a great Sopranos-adjacent film, it certainly is. A fascinating character study into the world of a man who made Tony the man he was. Nivola, Liotta, De Rossi and Oddom Jr. steal the show and this really is their film. Every other returning character and the new people playing them all do fantastic work, blending imitation with genuine character – but one must realise early on that this is wallpaper and not exactly the main story being told. But when it comes to wallpaper, some of the finest creations in media aren’t too bad to go with.
P.S. I personally don’t know what die-hard fans response is gonna be. This for certain is in so many ways not really the Tony origin movie that we were sold. It is in so many ways that, but in so many larger ways it really is not. I don’t know. I think people will be happy on the many re-watches after, but perhaps a little perplexed on a first watch. Who knows? I certainly don’t.
- - Thomas Carruthers
 – Review){kind=link}
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