Pacino and DeNiro's Righteous Kill
Considering Upcoming Cop Film Partnering Two Screen Legends
Jun 7, 2008
Pacino Still Has Something
Al Pacino hasn’t really delivered since his last pairing with DeNiro in Heat. Pacino’s iconic performances as Michael Corleone in The Godfather, Serpico in Serpico, and Sonny in Dog Day Afternoon, are long gone. But he has still delivered some fine performances recently, as producer Lowell Bergman in The Insider and as the titular Satan in The Devil’s Advocate. Pacino can still bring something to the screen, and the excitement of pairing with DeNiro may be the kick he needs to bring his A game.
DeNiro Does Too
Much like Pacino, DeNiro hasn’t been stellar in a long time. He has thrown in more comic performances as of late, playing off his screen persona as a tough guy with roles in Stardust, Meet the Parents, and Analyze This. But DeNiro has a tough guy screen persona because of his career legacy from classics like Goodfellas, Casino, and The Godfather.
Screenwriter Russell Gewirtz Wrote Inside Man
The scribe for Righteous Kill made his screen debut with the twisty treat Inside Man. The film was clever and original, the dialogue crackled with humor and personality. Audiences and critics embraced Inside Man, and it also dealt with cops and criminals interacting, much like Righteous Kill.
Jon Avnet Just Directed Pacino in 88 Minutes
While 88 Minutes might not have been the absolute debacle many critics and its meager box office made it out to be, it was still a fairly terrible picture. Pacino did little with the poor material and Avnet was unable to imbue the picture with any visual excitement or energy. Both men will need to improve their performances for their collaboration on Righteous Kill to have superior results.
The Rest of the Cast of Righteous Kill Is Nothing Special
Apart from Pacino and DeNiro Righteous Kill boasts 50 Cent, Donnie Wahlberg, and John Leguizamo…in other words they spent the casting budget on Pacino and DeNiro. 50 Cent is still feeling his way through the acting profession, Wahlberg is the poor man’s version of his brother Mark, and Leguizamo is hit or miss.
The Trailer Looks About As Good As The Supporting Cast
There are two trailers out for Righteous Kill and they’re both equally underwhelming. Gewirtz’s knack for sharp dialogue is missing; Avnet’s camera work looks cribbed from Scorsese’s The Departed without being as dynamic and there isn’t a hint of Pacino or DeNiro performing at their bests.
Bottom Line, It’s Pacino and DeNiro Together
Pacino and DeNiro are world-class actors, and their one previous scene acting together in Michael Mann's cop film Heat was magnificent. Gewirtz is a talented scribe. If director Jon Avnet can at least not actively detract from the film’s quality, and the mediocre supporting cast performs to the best of their abilities, Righteous Kill could be quite good. The world finds out on September 12th.
