'Many Saints of Newark' review: Prequel is heaven for 'Sopranos' fans
PLOT The story of a budding young mobster and his favorite uncle.
CAST Alessandro Nivola, Michael Gandolfini, Leslie Odom Jr.
RATED R (extreme violence)
LENGTH 2:00
WHERE In theaters and streaming on HBO Max on Oct. 1.
BOTTOM LINE Heaven for “Sopranos” fans, though this is really less a prequel than a spin-off.
Quick, name Tony Soprano’s favorite "Godfather" movie. It’s "Part II," according to the 1999 pilot episode of HBO’s "The Sopranos." We’re told Tony loves the scenes about the Old World — the story before the story.
More than 20 years after that series launched a new Golden Age of Television and turned James Gandolfini’s Tony Soprano into America’s favorite fictional mobster, writer-creator David Chase and his longtime director Alan Taylor have given the character a prequel of his own, "The Many Saints of Newark." Gandolfini died in 2013, but in a poignant (and much-publicized) twist, his son, a relatively unknown Michael Gandolfini, steps into the role of young Tony.
Only 25¢ for 5 months
Quick, name Tony Soprano’s favorite "Godfather" movie. It’s "Part II," according to the 1999 pilot episode of HBO’s "The Sopranos." We’re told Tony loves the scenes about the Old World — the story before the story.
More than 20 years after that series launched a new Golden Age of Television and turned James Gandolfini’s Tony Soprano into America’s favorite fictional mobster, writer-creator David Chase and his longtime director Alan Taylor have given the character a prequel of his own, "The Many Saints of Newark." Gandolfini died in 2013, but in a poignant (and much-publicized) twist, his son, a relatively unknown Michael Gandolfini, steps into the role of young Tony.
Fans of the show should be aware: Though Michael Gandolfini is convincing as a bright, sensitive kid born into a family of criminals and killers, he’s not the focus of this film. "Many Saints" is really the story of a character fans never saw: Tony’s beloved "uncle" — technically a cousin — Dickie Moltisanti, the father of "The Sopranos'" Christopher (Michael Imperioli), who is shown in this film as a baby. (The Italian surname loosely translates to "many saints.")
The movie also introduces a new character, Harold McBrayer (Leslie Odom Jr.), who wants to build a Black crime empire to rival the Sopranos and their wider DiMeo clan. Yet another character narrates — from the grave. All of this muddies the movie’s waters, but one thing is clear: Alessandro Nivola, known mostly for art-house roles ("Coco Before Chanel," "Disobedience"), delivers a breakthrough performance as the volatile, charismatic and often guilt-ridden Dickie.
Dickie’s is a classic mobster’s tale with shades of Greek tragedy. When his father (an excellent Ray Liotta) returns from Italy with a sexy young bride, Giuseppina (Michela De Rossi, a captivating Italian making her American film debut), an Oedipal complex rears its head. At work, Dickie has other problems: The Black marches and riots of the late 1960s are giving his employee, Harold, some unwelcome ideas.
"Many Saints" has much to recommend it, beginning with the team of Chase-Taylor, whose writing and directing blend seamlessly. Nearly every actor is perfectly cast, notably Corey Stoll as Uncle Junior; Vera Farmiga as Tony’s unbearable mother, Livia; and Jon Bernthal as Tony’s hardheaded dad, Johnny. One unexpected problem is the character of Harold: He’s such a commanding figure, and Odom plays him with such spirit and intelligence, that he divides our loyalties and nearly takes over the movie. That kind of complexity was a hallmark of the series, but it works less well in the tight format of a feature film.
Rolling the closing credits over "Woke Up This Morning," the show’s bluesy theme song, may not be quite enough to give fans that full-circle feeling. (At least it wasn’t Journey’s "Don’t Stop Believin,’" which ended the series on a famously cryptic note in 2007.) As for Nivola’s electrifying Dickie Moltisanti, a prequel before this prequel may be in order.