Boss of Bosses
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Movie Reviews of Boss of Bosses
Movie Review: Crime Movie
Summary: 4 Stars
This is a very good movie if you are into crime movies. I love crime movies and all mob and true crime type movies and Chazz Palminteri plays an excellent part.Movie Review: Good movie
Summary: 4 Stars
Chazz Palmintari is one of my favorite actors and he's good as Big Paul Castellano. The movie has a great story. Great mafia film. Worth the buy.Movie Review: A lot of historical and educational aspects
Summary: 3 Stars
BOSS OF BOSSES (2001)is a valuable movie, above all for its
historical and educational aspects, in portraying the underworld in
America.
Admittedly, the plot is somewhat superficial, and in some ways
implausible. For exmaple, much attention and time is spent
detailing the intimate relationship between Paul Castellano (PC) and
the cleaning lady of his large home. The director's goal surely was
to make the movie more interesting, and the protagonist more human,
less one-dimensional, yet it seems contrived, with other personal
details unfortunately, few and far between.
Among the best talent is Chazz Palminteri playing PC, of the
Gambino family, having inherited the title after the natural death
of the founder; coupled with Mark Margolis and Richard Foronjy as
consiglieri or caporegimes. William DeMeo (who seems to specialize
in mobster movies) makes an appearance as does the interesting
Patricia Mauceri playing PC's wife.
The theory of the movie, is that a bunch of childhood pals who grew
up together in the neighboorhood during the Great Depression, were
naturally inclined towards the rackets of gambling, prostitution,
smuggling, extortion, loansharking and the collecting of bad debts
for monetary and power reasons, in an under-policed underworld of
NYC. The usual baseball bat aggressions, territory defending, etc is
present.
A controversial strategy of this picture, is to sanitize completely,
PC. FIrst, that PC was the "honest", "gentle hearted" and
"accountant/ intellectual" of the Gambinos. That over time, he was
exposed only to a limited extent to the Machevellian tactics that
were used over 50 years for fear, mind-control and authority among
the population in general, and over the grassroot soldiers in
general, to be maintained. He is shown preventing his own kids from
getting involved and following in his foot steps, and to be
remorseful of past excesses.
Another theory, is that Castello was a corporate, white collar -
minded man, who wanted to run the organization low profile,
low-risk, in legitimate businesses, expecting the grassroots people
to be like minded, with unlimited discipline, patience, intellectual
capacity, as he did. Oh, Oh. Thus, a recognized skill, of the
top man, was diversifying investments among legitimate businesses,
yet controlling the unions, since it allowed the influencing of the
outcome of awarding construction contracts.
Another theory, is the suggestion that Gotti legitimately dealt a
death blow to PC, because Gotti decided to kill rather than be
killed, for violating the rule prohibiting cocaine trafficking.
The visual quality of the picture, although adequate and clear for
TV, is not suitable for theatres and feels diluted when seen in a
DVD release.
The soundtrack is adequate, if not, repetitive, lacking imagination,
and stereotypical. More could have been done in the humor
department, also.
An aspect that is important, and accurate were the changed times,
of 1980 as compared to 1933. The technology allowed audio and video
surveillance from a distance, wireless bugs, and cameras equipped
with powerful zooms, phone taps easy to carry out, by contacting
telcom companies and hooking into their phone switches, coupled with
double agents, such as Donnie Brasco, that is referenced. The FBI is
shows as being as as skilled, if not more so, than the bad guys, at
picking locks, etc.
Consequently, with PC at the reigns of power, a number of
questionable decisions are made at the top that impoverishes the
prestige and image of the godfather, the fear and respect that his
predecessor had imposed on the members, resulting in a frailed
leadership based on a keeness for running the family as a
corporation.
Movie Review: Dunno ... Chazz looks a little short to be Paul
Summary: 3 Stars
Grant it 'Gotti' was a little wrong with the size of Paul Castellano but still - Chazz Palminteri offers the nice view of Paul Castellano as the loveable Mafia boss who's not a real fighter but a 'lover' - by doing this like in every book written about a famous person ... the key person is always made into a hero.Same with the HBO movie 'Gotti' which was based on Jerry Caprici's co-author book "GOTTI: Rise and Fall" and then there is "Witness to the Mob" which is the HBO version of Salvatore Gravano's "Underboss."
In fact 'Boss of Bosses' was based on the book written by the two FBI agents who helped 'bug' Castellano's Todht Hill mansion. And in the book these two agents come to enjoy his pressence (this happened right when the FBI in the movie arrested him and their conversation in the car) right before he got murdered afront of Sparks Steak House in Manhatten.
In the movie this scene was shot in the agents' car but according to the book - the scene actually took place in the back of Castellano's favorite deli - where they were eating some deli and whatnot.
The other problem was how they broke into Castellano's house - they didn't show how they got the information of where to put what - and in reality they had an agent ask to use their phone (which they gladly gave the okay too) and then his simple instructions other than too make an call was to remember everything in the house.
They also didn't jump over a wall - this would've meant that the alarms which I believe in the book said would go off in 2 minutes - I think he had motion sensors, so in reality they had to basically go over the roof and then into one of the windows -so they didn't just go through the front door. That would've game them away right?
Also when Carlo Gambino died - he didn't die in this big mansion - he died watching a Yankees game in his very modest house on Long Island. So that was wrong ... in fact from the picture I got from Gravano's book that - Neil Dellacroce was the one that died in the big mansion.
And when they showed the hit of Castellano - Gotti was in the car with Gravano not some overweight man! Last time I checked Gravano wasn't that overweight!
So these 3 stars are just for Palminteri's performance as the loveable Big Paulie ... keep up the good work.
Movie Review: Good rental for a Monday night
Summary: 3 Stars
I have to say is a good movie, it makes you wounder if Paul Castellano idea of running the mob business in the 70s with construction unions, real estates, etc, funded by the money earned from the illegal activities of the Gambino crime family as any other business was probably not a bad idea.
Chazz Palminteri (A Bronx Tale, good movie) gave a good performance as always even thou they could had use better make up, makes you wonder if they ran out budget before they even shot it. Chazz didn't look nothing like Castellano, but again good performance as most of the cast, good future for Karen Goberman young Nina very natural, one thing if you don't watch or follow any history you might get lost.
Who cast this? They could have done a better job with Carlos Gambino, and John Gotti who by the way should have more story time due to his involve in the Castellano's dead.
Also Donnie Brasco (Joe Pistone)is mention, but like I said if don't follow mob history, you be lost (Donnie Brasco, great movie) very nice performance by Angela Alvarado as Gloria his Colombian Maid, and lover.
I just wish the writers would had take their time in going more deep into the story on how Paul Castellano moved up the ladder to become the next capo of the Gambino crime family, and then move away from the every day activity of his main job as a capo, and not so much on how the FBI got to them.
It looks like it was written by its main character the butcher's son.
Chopped and thrown in together.