10th & Wolf (2006)

User Rating:

6.4/10   

Director:

Robert Moresco

Writers (WGA):

Robert Moresco (written by) and
Allan Steele (written by)

Release Date:

12 April 2007 (Lebanon)

Genre:

Crime | Drama | Mystery | Thriller

Tagline:

The intersection where family, honor and betrayal collide.

Plot:

A former street tough returns to his Philadelphia home after a stint in the military. Back on his home turf, he once again finds himself tangling with the mob boss who was instrumental in his going off to be a soldier.

Plot Keywords:

Desert Storm | Mob | 1990s | Grenade | Aunt Nephew Relationship

Cast

James Marsden	...	Tommy
Brian Dennehy	...	Agent Horvath
Leo Rossi	...	Agent Thornton
Dennis Hopper	...	Matty Matello
Tony Luke Jr.	...	Rocco
John Capodice	...	Sipio
Billy Gallo	...	Provenzano
Ken Garito	...	Willy
Dash Mihok	...	Junior
Brad Renfro	...	Vincent
Giovanni Ribisi	...	Joey
Rose Rossi	...	Blonde at Diner
James Grimaldi	...	Ricky Jerk-Off
Patrick Jordan	...	Ricky's Crew
Igor De Laurentiis	...	Ricky's crew

Also Known As:

For Life (USA) (working title)

MPAA:

Rated R for strong brutal violence, pervasive language, some drug content and sexuality/nudity.

Runtime:

107 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English | Italian

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Certification:

USA:R | Argentina:16 | Singapore:M18 (cut) | New Zealand:R16 | Australia:MA

Filming Locations:

California, USA

Company:

Suzanne DeLaurentiis Productions

Trivia:

One of the Sicilians name is Provenzano, this is the name that the real life undercover officer used to bring down mafia hitman, Richard 'Ice Man' Kuklinski.

Goofs:

Anachronisms: In the beginning when Tommy is shot and the car is driving away, a Pontiac Vibe can be seen in the background. These cars did not exist in the early 1990s.

Quotes:

[at Lauren's waiting for Vic to move out of the house]
Lauren: We're trying to get him out of the house.
Val: So I shut off the A/C in the apartment. He'll be so hot, he'll have to move out!
Holly: Val! He's a fireman! He's used to the heat!

Movie Connections:

References Coyote Ugly (2000)

Pleasantly surprised at the intensity of this sleeper

It had a legitimate cast, though I was a little disappointed in the screen time of some of the actors and you can figure out which ones I'm referring to if you have also watched the film. It seemed to take some time in getting around to the heart of the story, particularly at the beginning. And there may have been some parts that did not need to be included, but it was still more than watchable, notably in large part to Giovanni Ribisi. He is more believable in this role than most people including myself would give him credit for. It is Ribisi, in fact, who is the star of this film, not Madsen. Madsen just has the "central character" role. Yet Madsen I felt did not screw up his part. He just wasn't interesting. His character screamed one-dimensional and static just like most "good guy" roles do. He wasn't even a good guy. There weren't any good guys here. Not him, not La Cosa Nostra, not the Sicilian and his Mafia, and certainly not the FBI agents. The Feds were, after the Sicilian Riggio naturally, the worst lying backstabbing scum of the show. And you know what? I didn't mind the fact that they were all evil. Because 90 percent of the human race is and the other 10 percent don't care enough to do anything about that fact. Now that's realism on the silver screen. The ending left me feeling satisfied and even a little sad which is not a bad thing. It must mean I actually cared about the characters. And yes, I'm buying this one. My only gripe is that it didn't get some large financial backing behind it and go wide release. But from Lion's Gate, that isn't too surprising. They lacked the bankroll to make "10th & Wolf" into a "Godfather" and that is a true pity. That being said, it is a decent picture.