Review: "The Alto Knights"

Everybody loves a good mob story.  We can credit Francis Ford Coppola with the modern rebirth of the gangster film which dates back to the early 1930’s with Warner Brothers classics like “The Public Enemy” and “Little Caesar,” both released in 1931. 

The Godfather trilogy in the Seventies reinvented the genre and set the standard for movies about organized crime.  Martin Scorsese brought his genius touch to the table with movies like “Goodfellas” (1990)  and “Casino” (1995).  Robert De Niro collaborated with both directors in the creation of unforgettable roles (like Vito Corleone, and Sam Rothstein).

Let us not forget the pop culture impact of HBO’s immensely popular cable series “The Sopranos.”  Crime dramas have been a staple of our entertainment diet.  From the earliest days, they have served as morality tales about ill begotten wealth and power and their inevitable, ugly loss, in the final reel.  In the movie industry, crime could never be glamorized.  Criminals were always apprehended and punished, and sometimes killed. 

We know the endings of these movies, but we watch them anyway to see the tantalizing and often gruesome ways they play out.  There is a perverse joy in watching the rise of the anti-heroes.  We revel in their ruthlessness and brutality, whether fictional or real. 

In the case of “The Alto Knights,” the story centers on Frank Costello and Vito Genovese, both played by Robert De Niro.  They were real-life, childhood friends who grew up to become notorious New York City crime bosses in the 1950s.  The title of the movie is reference to the club the two young men and their criminal counterparts belonged to. 

As is often the case, jealousy and raw ambition turn the two men into deadly adversaries, as is evidenced in the opening scenes when a young hit man attempts to kill Frank as he’s stepping onto an elevator.  The bullet grazes the side of Frank’s head making him (and the audience) aware that someone is out to get him.

“The Alto Knights” was written by Nicholas Pileggi whose credits include “Goodfellas” (1990), “Casino” (1995) and “The Irishman” (2019)—movies that all starred Robert De Niro.  It was directed by Barry Levenson whose movies include “Rain Man” (1988) and the 1991 gangster flick “Bugsy,” starring Warren Beatty.  “The Alto Knights” is an impressive collaboration of two talented filmmakers and one legendary actor.

In terms of style, Levenson takes a documentary-style approach using film clips and photos, both real and doctored, to tell the backstories of the main characters and establish the story’s mid-century time frame.  The art direction and cinematography are clearly inspired by the great, modern mob movies.

While the story has a sluggish start, it eventually picks up steam as the brutal rivalry unfolds.  People are gunned down, including a machine gun execution reminiscent of Sonny’s bloody toll booth demise in “The Godfather.”  Other murders are depicted in black and white tabloid newspaper type photographs.  It underscores the shocking underlying reality of “The Alto Knights.” 

While the overall story may fall short of the high standards set by the movies of Coppola or Scorsese, it succeeds in chronicling the chapter of history in which nationwide organized crime was first identified and acknowledged in America.  It was the era of Senator Estes Kefauver and J. Edgar Hoover, in which suspected crime bosses were being called to appear at Congressional hearings to testify about their activities.  The pressure and tension only served to further fuel the panic and desperation of the criminals, who started to feel the walls closing in.

De Niro’s dual performance is a mixed bag, portraying the more likeable, level-headed Frank Costello (not unlike the characters he played in “The Godfather” and “Casino”) and the more detestable, volatile Vito Genevese (a character more like the ones that Joe Pesci played in just about every movie he’s ever made).  We can only guess that Pesci was unavailable, and the De Niro offered to do his best Pesci impersonation.

De Niro’s dual roles require some adjustment early in the film, but you come to recognize Vito as De Niro with glasses and Frank as De Niro with a prosthetic nose. It’s hard to escape the feeling that the dual role idea was little more than a marketing gimmick and possibly the chance to earn two pay checks for the same project.

“The Alto Knights” tries to incorporate many the elements of the classic mob movies, right down to the obligatory kitchen scene with the steaming pasta and spicey Italian sausage. It’s a privileged life.  Even the crime boss’s dogs wear fur coats and hats.  But in movies like this, you know that everything comes with a price, and in the end, you pay for your thrills, one way or another.

“The Alto Knights” is Rated R for violence and pervasive language.