The Many Saints of Newark (2021) ★★★★
As it's one of my favourite TV shows, a masterpiece of storytelling which included everything that needed to be said, I've never wanted a film prequel of The Sopranos but, now there is one, I wanted to see it.
Thankfully, though restricted by the relatively short format that a feature film (rather than a multiple season TV series) has, it never disappoints. I loved the framing device of Christopher Moltisante's (Michael Imperioli) off-screen narration talking about his cousin Tony, a character superbly essayed by the late, great James Gandolfi's real-life son, Michael.
Corey Stoll equally oppresses as the younger Corrado 'Junior' Soprano, and the moment when he falls and yells out the brilliant profanity "your sister's c**t" was eerily reminiscent of Dominic Chianese's delivery of the same line when Junior slips and falls in the shower.
Not only is this very well cast, the story is as good as I expected from a screenplay by David Chase and Lawrence Konner, as it effortlessly weaves a coherent narrative and enhances the links between the members of the DiMeo crime family.
I don't think it's as good as peak Sopranos, an episode like College, but few films or TV episodes are. David Chase set an almost impossible benchmark with that series and this is good enough to satisfy a fan like me and stand as a very good gangster movie in its own right.
I'll definitely add this to my 4K collection in the near future.
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