The Drop (2014)

Are you doing something desperate? Something we can't clean up this time? The Drop is directed by Michael R. Roskam and written by Dennis Lehane, who adapts from his own short story titled Animal Rescue. It stars Tom Hardy, James Gandolfini, Noomi Rapace and Matthias Schoenaerts. Music is by Marco Beltrami and cinematography by Nicolas Karakatsanis. Brooklyn barman Bob Saginowski (Hardy) spies an opportunity for a better life - but only if he can escape family ties, the crime that surrounds him and a dark past It's arguably a tricky film to recommend with confidence given that it doesn't sit still in crime genre company. This is very much a character based story about a small handful of people affected by crime, where they are chained to events occurring by way of law breaking. Roskam is in no hurry what so ever to spin his picture's literary worth, very much favouring a slow burn - even low key - approach. He deftly develops atmosphere whilst simultaneously ensuring we the viewers are very much a part of the setting and situations - something Lehane does so brilliantly in his novels. By the time the pic plays its hand, what appeared at first to be needless complexities, are valid and close the piece down with some considerable success. 7.5/10