10th & Wolf (2006) Reviews

• A Tense, Moody, Atmospheric Thriller

  gradyharp2006-10-01

  Robert Moresco ('Crash') is proving to be a fine storyteller with a definite style of his own. 10TH & WOLF, written by both Moresco and Allan Steele and directed by Moresco appears on the shelves of DVDs as one of those films that makes us wonder why it didn't do well on the theater screens: it is well written, beautifully directed, has a cast that is consistently fine, and unravels a family involved in organized crime theme as well as any movie out there. Moresco very wisely starts his story in the burning oil fields of Kuwait during Desert Storm where Marine sargeant Tommy (James Marsden, doing his finest work since his brilliant portrayal in THE 24TH HOUR) drives his Hummer through the desert, coming to grips with the absurdity of war, a key turn in his personality causing him to be dishonorably discharged for his refusal to take part in that ridiculous war game. He is given a deal: FBI agents Horvath (Brian Dennehy) and Thornton (Leo Rossi) visit his cell stateside and offer him clemency if he helps them capture a big drug dealer Reggio (Francesco Salvi) in Tommy's hometown of Philadelphia. Tommy had escaped the organized crime scene by joining the Marines, but is suddenly returned to his family occupation as an undercover agent with a wire. Tommy's brother Vincent (Brad Renfro) and his cousin Joey (Giovanni Ribisi) welcome his return and begin plotting ways to off Reggio. Beatings and murders begin to occur: Joey is a bit on the mad side and plunges his boys into messes that become like quicksand. How the family bonds over losses to big crime and vendettas, and how that lifestyle affects parents (Lesley Ann Warren) and victims turned girlfriends (Piper Perabo) leaving the drive to survive as the paramount goal is the run of the plot. There are plenty of cameos (Dennis Hopper, Val Kilmer, Dash Mihok etc) to round out the dark atmosphere, but the strength of the film lies strongly on the shoulders of Marsden, Ribisi and Renfro and they handle their roles exceptionally well. This is yet another big crime story but one that grips the audience's attention and holds it to the final twisted end. Strong violence and language, but a testy and tightly woven story with many unspoken metaphors. Grady Harp

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• 10th and wolf is good and close to great

  dentzel2006-03-02

  I was not at the special screening in Orange County but got to see this movie under special circumstances. To me, this movie was about five elements from being great. Having said that, though, I would definitely recommend other people to see it because the project as a whole is worth it and it pays off in the end. James Marsden was excellent. Giovanni Ribisi was near excellent. Some of the other actors did very good jobs with their parts. The story itself was also compelling. What didn't ring true to me were Warren's performance. . .totally miscast and an average performance, the cameos of Tommy Lee and Val Kilmer were distracting and unneeded, Brad Renfro was good in any one scene but from scene to scene his character was not consistent. . .one scene he seemed normal and the next he seemed like Rain Man, the dialogue had a few too many clichés, and the movie did not completely capture the period of the early 1990's or, in flashbacks, the mid-80's. Had all of these things been just a little better a 9 out of 10 would have been easily attained. Still I plan to recommend it to other people because this movie will emotionally move you.

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• Memorable Moresco Mob Movie

  groundzero331852006-08-15

  I saw this film a couple weeks ago at the Pittsburgh premiere. I had been waiting to see this movie ever since Sept. 04 when I was cast as an extra for the strip club scene. Luckily, I made the final cut of the film for a couple seconds. Anyway, the film itself is a unique mob tale that utilizes the acting talents of James Marsden, Giovanni Ribisi, and Brad Renfro. I was pleased with James Marsden's performance because it showcased his ability to carry a leading role in a movie instead of playing supporting characters like Cyclops in the X-Men movies or Lois Lane's husband in Superman Returns. Giovanni Ribisi's performance was commendable as well. Even though this was a decent mafia movie, it doesn't hold a candle to The Godfather Parts 1 & 2 or Goodfellas. There were a few problems with the film such as the unnecessary cameos of Val Kilmer and Tommy Lee. Also, I felt Lesley Ann Warren's performance as Aunt Tina was a little annoying and over-the-top. Lastly, my biggest complaint was that the story is supposed to occur in Philly, but in the background of one scene you can see a Budweiser billboard with the Pittsburgh Steelers logo on it, which is the absolute last thing you would ever find in Philadelphia. Despite these minor problems, the film is a well-made piece of cinema that shows the great acting abilities of the up-in-coming stars of Hollywood. The story is compelling as it weaves the loyalty of family and friendship with the seductiveness and deception of the crime world. This movie is definitely worth seeing.

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• A guilty pleasure type of movie

  jaybob2007-06-11

  10th & Wolf is the kind of film that I always liked, in fact year back I may have given this a much higher rating. This is a drama about loyalty,friendships, honour, family. What is different here is that all the characters are not very nice people, in fact some are downright vicious. This being said,the all were at least interesting,. The script by Howard Moresco & Alan Steele is well written & told, Howard Moresco also directed it. The cast is large comprised of newer actors & older veteran performers. James Marsden, Giovanni Ribisi & Brad Renfro have the leads, they are first rate especially Ribisi. Piper Perabo is the main actress in this film, & soon will have starring roles,Leslie Ann Warren, Brian Dennahy,Dennis Hopper all have good scenes, Val Kilmer has a small cameo, (I did not recognize him . For some reason, the story location is Philadelphia BUT was made in Pittsburgh. There is lots of violence & many people die. What would you expect from a gangster movie.. As I said this is a guilty pleasure film. Ratings: *** (out of 4) 86 points (out of 100)IMDB 8 (out of 10)

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• Pleasantly surprised at the intensity of this sleeper

  arthurclay2007-01-31

  It had a legitimate cast, though I was a little disappointed in the screen time of some of the actors and you can figure out which ones I'm referring to if you have also watched the film. It seemed to take some time in getting around to the heart of the story, particularly at the beginning. And there may have been some parts that did not need to be included, but it was still more than watchable, notably in large part to Giovanni Ribisi. He is more believable in this role than most people including myself would give him credit for. It is Ribisi, in fact, who is the star of this film, not Madsen. Madsen just has the "central character" role. Yet Madsen I felt did not screw up his part. He just wasn't interesting. His character screamed one-dimensional and static just like most "good guy" roles do. He wasn't even a good guy. There weren't any good guys here. Not him, not La Cosa Nostra, not the Sicilian and his Mafia, and certainly not the FBI agents. The Feds were, after the Sicilian Riggio naturally, the worst lying backstabbing scum of the show. And you know what? I didn't mind the fact that they were all evil. Because 90 percent of the human race is and the other 10 percent don't care enough to do anything about that fact. Now that's realism on the silver screen. The ending left me feeling satisfied and even a little sad which is not a bad thing. It must mean I actually cared about the characters. And yes, I'm buying this one. My only gripe is that it didn't get some large financial backing behind it and go wide release. But from Lion's Gate, that isn't too surprising. They lacked the bankroll to make "10th & Wolf" into a "Godfather" and that is a true pity. That being said, it is a decent picture.

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