# Bronx Tale, A (1993)

### reviewed by
Simon Doherty

    A BRONX TALE (1993)

    Review by Simon Doherty

This was the first film to be directed by legendary actor Robert De Niro and it is a promising debut. Based on a stage play by Chazz Palminteri, it is very watchable, but a lack of depth prevents it being a great film.

The structure is similar to the first part of Goodfellas, following an Italian, Calogero Anello, and his growing association with the gangsters in his neighbourhood from age 9 to 17. De Niro plays his father, a bus driver who shuns involvement with the criminals and wishes his son would do the same. Palminteri is the local boss who takes Calogero under his wing. These performances are the high points of the film; both are compelling and completely believable. As a result the film tends to drag when neither are on screen, especially during Calogero's romance with a local black girl. Francis Capra plays the teenager capably, but cannot carry the subtler emotional scenes on his own.

The influence of Martin Scorsese on De Niro's direction is apparent. The (fairly limited) violence is handled in a similarly startling and unflinching way, and talk-overs are used extensively. However, the narration is less effective here than in Goodfellas. The lines are not delivered with the panache of Ray Liotta, and occasionally intrude on the story. In one scene particularly, when bikers enter the local bar, a voice-over is used when the images would have been sufficient to tell the story. This breaks the tension that had been developed and weakens the impact of what follows.

Overall, though, the film sustained my interest and created some memorable scenes and characters. Hopefully De Niro will tackle some less familiar material; he has the potential to develop a style of his own.

    7/10

    simon.doherty@btinternet.com

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