Pride and Glory

If you want something brutal, witness:

*** Stars

The Plot: Pride and Glory raises the question of morality surrounding a family of cops. Edward Norton, Colin Farrell, Noah Emmerich, and Jon Voight lead this ensemble in a tale of corruption versus loyalty. Ray Tierney (Norton) investigates a case that involves his brother-in-law Jimmy Egan (Farrell). Ray is stuck between protecting the family legacy and protecting the law. The story follows his choices and the outcomes of his actions.

Why the film works: Directed with gritty style by Gavin O'Connor (Miracle), Pride and Glory is a powerful film that has moments of brilliance sadly trapped by Hollywood conventions. To enjoy the film, you'll have to ignore them. (What are they? Pretty much every scene that doesn't include a principle actor). On that note, the lead cast is wonderful, especially Colin Farrell, who has a juicy role as the questionable brother-in-law. With this and In Bruges, it looks like Farrell is steadily becoming the actor we all knew he could be.

Review in a nutshell: We Own the Night's slightly stronger half.