'The Drop' A Review

The Drop is a slow burning crime drama about a drop bar(a holding place for mob funds) in Brooklyn. Marv(James Gandolfini) and Bob(Tom Hardy) run Cousin Marv's a bar used to launder money by the Chechen mafia. One night the bar is held up and Marv and Bob are put in a dangerous position with their Chechen handlers. Bob, a simple man, acquires a dog and through the pup meets and develops a connection with Nadia(Noomi Rapace). The situation becomes more precarious when a robbery is planned for Super Bowl Sunday when Cousin Marv's holds all the dirty money for the city.

Tom Hardy makes the film worth it, with a masterful, complex, and layered performance. We are unsure throughout of his exact intentions or perceptions and he builds to a poignant thrilling reveal. Gandolfini, in his final on screen performance, is petulant, conniving, and unlikable. Marv is Tony Sopranos weaker uncharming cousin, an interesting epilogue to Gandolfini's memorable somewhat limited career. Rapace as always is watchable and her chemistry with Hardy is magnetic. They aren't given a whole lot to sink their teeth into but the film overall is relatively quiet, pleasantly so.

A sedate crime film with little violence, an extended build, and nuanced performances.

See It.