"Pride and Glory" tries too hard for its own good

(ABC 4) - The TV ads proclaim that Pride and Glory is "one of the best cop dramas in years," but if you are looking for a compelling and a semirealistic film about an inner struggle between good and bad officers in the New York City Police Department... this movie doesn't live up to that billing.

This film tells the tale of a corrupt group of NYPD officers who take the law into their own hands in dealing with some of the city's most despicable criminals, and the consequences they eventually face when confronted by the department's do-gooders.  And while Pride and Glory has its moments, it ultimately comes off as a gritty wannabe.

In other words, the movie takes itself too seriously.

Starring Colin Farrell and Edward Norton -- actors who typically deliver good performances -- Pride and Glory is overdone and melodramatic, which is somewhat surprising because it was partially written by Joe Carnahan (who scripted the critically-acclaimed Narc in 2002).

Farrell plays Jimmy Egan, a New York detective who commands the bad guy cop squad which goes around snuffing out the city's criminal elite.  Norton plays Egan's brother-in-law, Ray Tierney -- a tired-of-the-streets cop who is assigned by his father to lead a task force, which is charged with finding out who keeps killing off the criminal elements before the justice system can get ahold of them.  (Movie photos)

After four police officers are killed during a drug raid in a New York City ghetto on the north end of Manhattan, Egan and Tierney are set on a path that ultimately leads their ethics to collide.

Egan learns that his secret activities are responsible for the officers' deaths, and sets out for revenge against criminal Angel Tezo -- who is believed to have participated in the massacre.  Only, Tierney also wants to find him and turn him over to justice.

What results is Tierney always finding him a step behind the NYPD death squad, until he eventually discovers that Egan is running the corrupt group.

Pride and Glory is the first attempt by director Gavin O'Connor at a serious crime drama.  He is the same director who scored with 2004's Miracle -- cinema's retelling of the 1980 Olympic triumph of USA men's hockey team over the Soviet Union.  O'Connor also co-wrote this movie with Carnahan.

However, O'Connor's direction missed the mark in many ways.  He takes a Paul Greengrass-styled approach to the film -- meaning he uses shaky camera action in combination with close-ups in several scenes, which may or may not leave viewers a bit nauseated.  The opening scenes are particularly unstable, leading me to question why O'Connor decided not to use a tripod... or at least a SteadiCam.  While this style is intended to represent realism, it has become an overused gimmick in films.

Farrell's performance is fine, as is Edward Norton's.  But some of the story points are too cliched and flawed to be overcome by solid acting alone.  Jon Voight plays Norton's cop father and Noah Emmerich (the assistant coach in Miracle) is his cop brother, who has knowledge of the death squad's antics but gives them a long leash to operate.

Pride and Glory tries to weave together a struggle within a police family and the crime-ridden mean streets of New York City.  But it ultimately fails due to strong plot troubles and predictable (and often slow) storyline seqencing.

The film is reminiscent of 1973's Magnum Force -- the second "Dirty Harry" film which features a similar death squad within the San Francisco Police Department.  Only for this film, substitute Clint Eastwood's character with Norton's -- with worse results.

Interestingly, Pride and Glory is a film that's been floating around Hollywood for years.  It was first planned in 2001, but 9/11 put the project on hold because the producers didn't want to link the New York City Police Department with corruption and killing.  It finally got the green light around 2005 and wasn't actually filmed until 2006.  New Line Cinema held onto it for the past couple of years, and at one time intended it for a 2009 release before bumping it up to Oct. 24.

Actually, viewers might not find this film too bad if they don't go into the theater expecting too much.

In other words, just don't believe the TV ads.

Pride and Glory (New Line Cinema)
** (two stars of four)
Approx. 2 hrs 5 minutes
Starring: Colin Farrell, Edward Norton, Jon Voight
Directed by Gavin O'Connor
Rated 'R' for strong language, violence and drug content

MORE:
Pride and Glory official site
Slideshow: "Pride and Glory"