BY PUMA PERL | Executive produced by Martin Scorcese, this is actor Nick Sandow’s first time out as both writer and director. Based on real-life events, it tells the story of Thomas Greco (Vincent Piazza), a Gotti-obsessed, unwelcome hanger-on.
Desperate to find his “in” with the mob, Thomas concocts a delusionary and naïve scheme to fix Gotti’s trial. Along the way, he hooks up with Rose (Patricia Arquette), a much older, been-around-the-block (including the prison block) kind of gal. Their first meeting occurs at a Howard Beach block party outside the Gotti headquarters. He preens like John Travolta in his white suit. She flirts like a neighborhood Flamenco dancer, using her People Magazine as a fan. “Who the hell is he?” asks her friend, Annie. “The ice cream man?” Eventually, one of Gotti’s henchmen confronts Thomas, demanding to know who invited him. Rose steps in. “He’s with me,” she announces, shoving a sausage sandwich into his hand. And, from then on, he was.
In a lifestyle where the greatest badge of success is to be “connected,” Rose and Thomas form an intense alliance, and bit by bit cast aside all traces of respectability. Both have despairing brothers who try to help in any way they can. Michael Imperioli, decked out in an unlikely ponytail and large glasses, plays the small but pivotal role of Thomas’ soft-spoken brother, a florist continuing the family business. Nick Sandow does a great job doing triple duty as Rose’s policeman brother, accurately conveying a mix of rage, frustration and intense familial love. Meanwhile, the couple not only continues their insane plan to free Gotti, but descends into a drug-filled haze, deteriorating before our eyes. A clinical diagnosis of this pair might be folie à deux — a madness shared by two.
The Scorcese name brings up images of his gritty New York City films, and the actors in his original stable. This is not “Mean Streets,” and we do not see the likes of a young De Niro. But the acting is uniformly good, particularly from Patricia Arquette, who brings a ferocious blend of hilarity and heartbreak. Courtroom scenes, actual news footage, and depictions of city characters and events bring added authenticity to a film that doesn’t quite measure up, but is a definite wannabe.
Written, directed and co-starring Nick Sandow. Runtime: 90 minutes. Opens Dec. 4 at AMC Empire 25 (234 W. 42nd St., btw. Seventh & Eight Aves.). For screening times, visit amctheatres.com.
