Kill the Irishman

Starring Ray Stevenson, Christopher Walken, Vincent D'Onofrio, Val Kilmer, Paul Sorvino, Linda Cardellini
Screenplay by Jonathan Hensleigh and Jeremy Walters
Based on "To Kill The Irishman: The War That Crippled The Mafia" by Rick Porello
Directed by Jonathan Hensleigh
website: http://www.killtheirishman.com/

IN SHORT: Think goodfellas as a dog fight.. [Rated R for strong violence, language and some sexual content/nudity. 106 minutes]

The setting is back about 1970 or so (the film provides specific dates). Danny Greene (Ray Stevenson) works the docks. It's a union gig that pays well, if the union boss calls out your name in the morning and allows you to work. Even worse, the union bosses appear to be in bed with the dock owners, demanding that the shlubs down in the cargo holds be made to work dangerously long shifts under inhuman conditions. Danny doesn't like that. "What're you gonna do, run against me in the election?" smirks the union president.

Danny votes with his fists.

So begins Kill the Irishman, telling of the story of Danny Greene, classic Irish tuff who rises in the criminal ranks of Cleveland as an enforcer for loan shark Shondor Birns (Christopher Walken) while running the docks when he gets the union under his thumb. That leads to a deal with pro criminal John Nardi (Vincent D’Onofrio), to rip off merchandise never "officially" off-loaded from the cargo ships at dockside. It's a profitable "business."

As his economic power grows, thanks to an expansion into trucking and the garbage business, Danny ruffles the feathers of the Mob operatives in town (whose own schemes draw more attention from the Feds than Danny's penny ante schemes), who are astounded that these local hot shots don't recognize the necessity of offering a taste of the action to their "betters" from out of town. Comes the Summer of 1976, all hell breaks loose.

Howzabout if we drop the detail that, all the while, due to an earlier bust and secret plea deal, Danny Greene is feeding info to the Feds? Or that no part of that deal includes a promise not to retaliate, in kind, against any person or mob who would try to, say, blow our "hero" to Kingdom Come. Each kill attempt and each retaliation gets a little bit bigger than the last. Time after time, Mr. Greene manages to survive.

We'll point out that the suppiorting cast of the film is stuffed with names of note -- Val Kilmer, Paul Sorvino, the Sopranos' Steven R. Schirripa -- and those you'll know if you pay attention to the credits -- Robert Davi and Linda Cardellini. Ones a killer. The other's the love interest. You figure out which.

There are a lot of movies coming out this week, all vying for your attention. All wearing Cranky down which, with a big storm coming down on New York wreaking hell with long standing disabilities, means we're pretty miserable. So we'll put this to bed early and simply,

On average, a first run movie ticket will run you Ten Bucks. Were Cranky able to set his own price to Kill the Irishman, he would have paid . . .

$7.50

the best of the week.

	Click to buy films by Jonathan Hensleigh
	Click to buy films starring Ray Stevenson
	Click to buy films starring Christopher Walken
	Click to buy films starring Val Kilmer
	Click to buy films starring Vincent D'Onofrio
	Click to buy films starring Paul Sorvino

The Cranky Critic® is a Registered Trademark of, and his website is Copyright © 1995 - 2012 by Chuck Schwartz. Articles by Paul Fischer are Copyright © 1999 - 2006 Paul Fischer. All images, unless otherwise noted, are property of,©, ®, ™ their respective studios and are used by permission. All Rights Reserved. Not to be used or copied for any commercial purpose. Academy Award™(s) and Oscar®(s) are registered trademarks and service marks of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences.