Capone

A dramatic feature that lacks drama and dynamism, that keeps running for a relatively short period of time and manages to keep the story even shorter, providing very little character development and no significant twist or climax to hold on to. Hopelessly waiting to be explored, the story ends as it starts - silently and lifelessly.

 

For a film that is intended to be a biographical feature, it contains very little information about Capone or any other family member, and the interaction with the FBI officers is minimal. Josh Trank introduces a few episodes of dementia in the plot, one of which seems to occupy a third of the film. The other significant action is filled with shots of Tom Hardy staring at the camera, a rather forced and imbalanced scene that has Hardy going on a gory rampage through the garden and a very unexploited background story illustrating Capone`s 18-year-old estranged son.

 

The action sequence shot in the garden does nothing more than confirm how implausible and unnatural Trank`s directing felt compared to the actors` brave and admirable effort to keep the story standing; although not even Tom Hardy`s genius could save this tragic attempt at Hollywood glory. Such a potentially impactful scene should have been carried out in an undoubtedly more representative way in order to hit hard.

 

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The directing could have been more subtle and character-focused; the different angles could have served as a distinctive display of tension and emotion that could have made more use of Hardy`s articulate facial expressions and notable experience in playing antagonists. This `tense` scene could have easily worked if it wasn’t for the lack of power and gravity. In theory, the entire twist was intended to depict the loss of control in the situation, though in reality, the only aspect that is out of control is the continuous drop in consistency the script faces. With no noticeable influence over the audience, a film so static simply does not work.

 

Tom Hardy and Linda Cardellini pair to save the day by carrying the entire burden of the film on their shoulders, delivering a set of convincing, professionally crafted portrayals. Once again, Hardy`s most emblematic asset turns out to be his expressive eyes, which represented one of the few reasons to knowingly keep watching this drama until the end.

 

An assumingly ambitious score by El-P that reflected the narrative in its entirety -  an unconvincing musical approach, insufficient to validate the desired dramatic undertones. As its screenwriter, “Capone” `s songwriter composes a dull piece that fails to set the stage for its plot or produce any reaction on the viewer`s side.

 

A good picture has to be appealing both visually and theoretically, as well as stand on a solid foundation secured by its script. However, “Capone” collapses tragically in its attempt to capture the essence of Alphonse Capone`s final years, as writer and director Josh Trank takes a blind shot in an aimless try to achieve a memorable biopic. His amateur-looking directing is regrettably meant to impress crowds, the final product being nothing but a bland mix of professional acting displayed in a dreadfully disproportionate package. In other words, a forgettable film with an unforgettably low-standard script...