The Drop--Directed by Michaël R. Roskam/Starring Tom Hardy,
Noomi Rapace, James Gandolfini, Matthias Schoenaerts, Bob Saginowski/ written
by Dennis Lehane, based on his short story/rated R/107 min
Bifocal Reviews by “Ageless1der” Barbara Rich & The Other Guy
(BR):I just wanted to get a break from the intense heat and cool down in
the theater. I was pleasantly
surprised. Tom Hardy and Noomi Rapace
are well cast in this film. Tom Hardy, especially impressed me with his
quiet yet powerful delivery, very reminiscent of Steve McQueen, who said so
much with so little dialog. I also realized how much I am missing James
Gandolfini. He was just perfect in is final role as Cousin Marv who owned a
bar where money drops were made to keep the dirty cash moving. As with most of the films this year, the
stories are lacking. The cast of actors and their performances raised the bar. Last year had much more clout in its
storylines. Nevertheless, I was
entertained and comfortably cool.
(OG): Other than the fact that this was James Gandolfini’s final
performance, I knew nothing about the movie. For that reason, there were
several elements that were pleasant surprises, Tom Hardy being one of them. He
was perfectly cast and basically dominated the screen, even when it was obvious
that his character was trying to look inconspicuous. Noomi Rapace and James Gandolfini
are the epitome of professionalism. They always act at the exact level as
everyone else in the scene. That was perfect for this film, because the story,
if examined closely, might have been a little thin. The great acting helped me
to suspend disbelief and accept the basic premises of the movie. In the end,
that’s all one can ever ask for. I give The Drop a three as well, so the
average (with Barbara’s score) is Three Binoculars.
