Review of Gangster Squad (2013) by Alfonz D — 13 Oct 2013

Gangster movie loosely based in true facts. A group of policemen are secretly recruited to put away mobster, Mickey Cohen. Almost single-handedly he used to control all criminal activities during the 50s in Los Angeles and he was a dangerous and bloody gangster. The movie depicts the steadfast attempts by the squad to overturn the situation, but we also get to see the sinister business of Cohen and the relationship he had with his girlfriend Grace.

Despite the obvious lack of historical accuracy I liked the sophisticated look of the film. The locations and costumes are superb and so are the action scenes. There are several contradictions in the story which you can always argue it is due to a generous poetic license, but in the overall I enjoyed the thrilling plot and the performances of a dedicated cast, especially Penn as a ruthless gangster Cohen. It is just a shame that Hollywood has given us a distorted version of true events, but I guess that's show biz.