Review of The Son of No One (2011) by Emily H — 10 Nov 2014

A faulty premise holds this story back from the beginning. It is a shame to see when the storytelling technique, acting and direction are all clicking as they do here. It starts ambiguously, but clearly dark secrets from the past haunt a young New York City police officer, portrayed by Channing Tatum.

An unknown source is tipping off a journalist aiming to expose the local police department's corruption. It is all very promising, but not entirely logical. The problem is that the past events do not make sense as form of political threat or blackmail, as the story implies.

It affects multiple people, but the main plot device just does not seem to matter as much as it should. While events in the past have high stakes, the actual circumstances are mostly justifiable. It almost negates any dramatic consequence.

Even worse, it cannot pull its illogical storyline together for a coherent and meaningful ending. It leaves the viewer wonder what the point is. The characters and their motives are just as fuzzy. Director Dito Montiel does a very good job at building the right mood.

He tells the story in a deliberately paced dramatic fashion that only reveals a carefully crafted piece of the story at one time. Channing Tatum, Ray Liotta, and Al Pacino are all on their A-Game. Even Tracy Morgan is surprisingly skilled in a dramatic role as well.

Nearly every great movie starts with a strong story or solid concept. This is a prime example of how it is virtually impossible to overcome a weak story, no matter how good the rest of the production and acting team is.