Review of Pride and Glory (2008) by Arnaud C — 20 Jul 2010

Every time I see Edward Norton in any role, I always feel like he doesn't get nearly as much recognition as he deserves. He has a way of adding emotional sincerity to his performances, something that is rare among other leading actors and I was quickly reminded of this while watching Pride and Glory.

The film follows a string of characters, all officers of the NYPD and all members of the same family, and their reaction and connection to the murder of four police officers at the start of the film. Norton leads as the somewhat reluctant hero, playing a naturally talented detective who quarterbacks the investigation to track down the cop killer. The title is either cynical or intentionally ironic, almost every character has skeletons in their closet, a checkered past or a dark secret, and they're all cops. On the one hand, its not a mystery flick. The film wastes no time showing us who the bad guys are. On the other hand, its something of a morality tale, or maybe a tale that questions morality. Like I said, all the characters have their own dark secrets, even if a character wasn't somehow involved in the murders that created the plot, it doesn't necessarily mean they're hands are clean. This makes for some interesting ethical questions that surface as the film progresses. Some of the characters may have been involved in the murders, and this means that their own family members may end up having to take down their kin.

For the most part, this works well as a device to keep the viewer interested in what is happening. The somber tone of Pride and Glory is something that would eventually cause my dad to fall asleep while watching, but it doesn't fail to arouse interest, if not sympathy for its characters. As the plot continues it becomes a question of why the cops were murdered as opposed to who murdered them, and once the cause is discovered by our protagonist there is an intriguing twist which makes the complex case of the plot even more difficult to resolve than before. This then leaves the viewer wondering not what has happened but rather what our characters are going to do about it. The way the film explores the idea of family versus duty and contrasts honor and corruption yet smears the lines between the two is the best part of the experience, if not a thought-provoking one.

As comparisons go I'd say its somewhere between We Own The Night and The Departed, just less melodramatic than the former and less tragic than the latter. Drama is not easily crafted and less easily succeeds. Aside from Norton, who obviously plays his part well, the rest of the cast does a decent job, roles are well-cast and there's nothing wrong with their performances. Some of the dialogue is a bit cliched here and there but that should be expected in a crime drama involving members of the NYPD. The intentionally ambiguous ending could go either way with most people, love it or hate it, I myself felt it fit well with the theme of the film. In all I would define the film as not bad, not great, but worth watching. If you're an Edward Norton fan, a fan of crime drama or just looking for something to fill the hours while warming up a plate of frozen loneliness, like I was, give Pride and Glory a chance.