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The Yards (2000)
Director: James Gray
Writers: James Gray, Matt Reeves
Cast: Mark Wahlberg, Joaquin Phoenix, Charlize Theron
Genre: Crime Drama
My favorite thing about the movie is the side story about a determined and sometimes emotionally controlling man (Joaquin Phoenix) and his distant girlfriend (Charlize Theron), who's growing increasingly scared of her boyfriend.
The best thing about The Yards is that all of it's story is grounded and so feels real and not like some over the top Hollywood flick and as it's based on real incidents the story is even more impressive.
The Yards (2000)
Writers: James Gray, Matt Reeves
Cast: Mark Wahlberg, Joaquin Phoenix, Charlize Theron
Genre: Crime Drama
A hidden gem...why this film isn't more well known is beyond me?
The Yards has it all: An intelligent script based on true events about crime and corruption among the contractors who repair the subway cars in Queens, New York. It has a family run crime business feeling to it, that fans of The Godfather should enjoy. And it has a damn good performance from one of the best actors working today, Joaquin Phoenix.
It has at it's heart, a man who was just released from jail and is trying to go straight (Mark Wahlberg). He's in need of a job and ends up working for his corrupt uncle (James Cain) and finds himself in a dark rail yard, sabotaging trains. Then he finds he's been ID by a cop and his uncle decides he's a threat to the business and must go....Heavy stuff and it's all handled very well.
The Yards has it all: An intelligent script based on true events about crime and corruption among the contractors who repair the subway cars in Queens, New York. It has a family run crime business feeling to it, that fans of The Godfather should enjoy. And it has a damn good performance from one of the best actors working today, Joaquin Phoenix.
It has at it's heart, a man who was just released from jail and is trying to go straight (Mark Wahlberg). He's in need of a job and ends up working for his corrupt uncle (James Cain) and finds himself in a dark rail yard, sabotaging trains. Then he finds he's been ID by a cop and his uncle decides he's a threat to the business and must go....Heavy stuff and it's all handled very well.
The best thing about The Yards is that all of it's story is grounded and so feels real and not like some over the top Hollywood flick and as it's based on real incidents the story is even more impressive.