The Drop: Movie Review
The new crime drama “The Drop” is based on the short story “Animal Rescue” from Dennis Lehane, who’s previous works, “Mystic River” and “Gone Baby Gone” were adapted into great films. “The Drop”, Which was directed by Michaël R. Roskam (Bullhead) is no exception. Thanks to the talented filmmaker and a cast that includes Tom Hardy, Noomi Rapace, and the late James Gandolfini, we get an intense, slow building crime flick that delivers the goods.
Bob (Hardy) is a lonely and quiet bartender at a bar in Brooklyn, where he and his cousin Marv (Gandolfini) serve drinks to the locals. The bar happens to also be a “money drop” where the New York’s gangsters funnel their cash. Everything is going smoothly until a couple of masked men stick up the bar and make-off with five thousand dollars of the gangster’s cash.
The robbery isn’t the only turn-of-events in Bob’s life. He also begins to come out of his comfort zone when he meets Nadia (Noomi Rapace), a young woman with her own set of emotional baggage. The two connect with each other after Bob rescues a puppy that was beaten and thrown in the trash in front of Nadia’s home. Nadia is drawn to Bob’s desire to protect the puppy and also is apparent kindness. Things do get a bit more complicated when the puppy’s owner (Matthias Schownaerts) shows up wanting not only the puppy back, but his ex, who happens to be Nadia.
One of the reasons “The Drop” works so well is that is keeps you guessing. Even as events begin to unravel, things still seem like they can go either way. Hardy does an amazing job anchoring the film. We know that there is something off about his character but we just can’t quite figure out what it is. Gandolfini isn’t doing anything new, but fans of his most well known work will find more to love an it’s a shame that we won’t be seeing anymore from the late actor. John Ortiz is also compelling as the religious detective who always sees Bob at church but wonders why the bartender has never taken communion. The detective is also investigating the bar robbery.
“The Drop” moves along smoothly and keeps you at the edge of your seat. If you enjoy crime dramas with great performances, this is one you won’t want to miss.
By: Marc Ferman