There’s a lot that goes on while the rest of the world sleeps that every day people don’t realize, and that’s why we have these things called movies & television series to help tell the tale of the underbelly of America – that not so hopeful land of the free. Everything comes with a cost, and when times get rough, pride takes over with ownership. What’s the common denominator? Money. Money is power, and power is control. In this movie, the themes of ownership, power, and control are at play in an unlikely way where we see Tom Hardy and the last of James Gandolfini in a familiar atmosphere he made a career in.

Every action has a reaction, and when you act upon the wrong people, the strength of the reaction varies from that. Tom Hardy comes off as the goofy, yes-man of a bartender that’s run (or was run) by his cousin Marv. It’s always the quiet ones that seem to have everyone fooled until you test them. This has been the case since the beginning of time – elementary school – and it holds true yet again. If anything in life has taught me anything, it’s that nothing comes in-between a man and his dog. Never mind family; the dog is very important. Don’t come in the way. The story of the dog was odd, but the story moved well with it that it made sense. You can only poke a dog with a stick for so long before it eventually bites back. Religion also played a part in the undertone of the film, but not too in-your-face about it, which is appreciated. There was only one particular aspect of the movie that was left incomplete, and that was with the involvement of the police, because there wasn’t really any closure, there was a hint of suspicion that was secretive, much like Bob’s (Hardy) role was played. It was cunning to say the least. Gandolfini for the majority of his acting life has been portrayed in a mob role – someone who has possession of a lot of power and authority, but there’s also a vulnerable side that shows weakness, which leads to desperate measures to be taken. It was interesting to see him timid and a sense of the unknown & angst of worry wash around his face for the majority of the movie, but the instincts of a boss man still rang true in some instances. It’s really sad that he’s no longer around. This was a great way to go out as his last movie.

I liked this movie because it kept me on edge for the majority of it. Looking at the stories and how they progressed, there was some feel-good aspect of it, but then you had the secrecy as well as the suspense that made question marks keep popping up in my head until all of a sudden something big happens and it comes out of nowhere. It was well directed, well written, and I’m sure it’ll be well received by critics and the general public. I’d definitely check it out. But for now, this is my opinion, this is my review

That’s My Word & It STiXX