Released during a time whenMarvelandFast & Furioussequels were ushering in a new era of leading men in Hollywood, 2013’sGangster Squadwas a refreshing return to the kind of cinematic heroes who don’t wear capes. TheRuben Fleischer-directed crime thriller is headlined byJosh Brolin, who is no stranger to playing righteous characters who put family first, as evidenced by his upcoming horror film,Weapons. Featuring a reunion with hisMilkco-starSean Pennas his perfect foil in notorious crime bossMickey Cohen,Brolin delivers complexity to an otherwiseDick Tracy-style protagonist.
Gangster Squadhad the potential to become the next greatmob picture. Brolin and Penn led an all-star cast featuringRyan Gosling,Emma Stone,Anthony Mackie, andNick Nolte, to name a few. The lavish ‘40s Los Angeles set design is complemented by Flescher’s signature comic book-style visuals, which he also implemented inZombielandandVenom. However,Gangster Squadwas overshadowed by a release delay stemming froma violent scene involving a shootout at a movie theater, which was cut following a real-life tragedy during a screening ofThe Dark Knight Rises. Critics were not impressed either, scoring a 30% rotten score onRotten Tomatoes. Despite its shortcomings,Gangster Squadis held together by arock-solid performance from Brolinas the hardened-jaw leading man.
Following his military service after World War II, LAPD Sgt. John O’Mara (Brolin) finds the once dreamy Tinseltown falling prey to the corruption of mob enforcers led by Cohen (Penn). The East Coast-born gangster has his dirty hands in the pockets of the police and the courts, as well as unleashing his brutal tactics to keep witnesses to his criminal activity quiet. Under orders from the department chief, Bill Parker (Nolte),O’Mara becomes the leader of a small but special unit of the LAPD working outside the bounds of the law to shut down Cohen’s operations.
Among the officers assigned to O’Mara’s unit are fellow war veteran-turned-swinging bachelor Jerry Wooters (Gosling), edged weapons expert Coleman Harris (Mackie), sharpshooter Max Kennard (Robert Patrick), wiretap expert Conwell Keeler (Giovanni Ribisi), and rookie cop Navidad Ramirez (Michael Peña). The squad navigates the seedy underbelly of Los Angeles to break up everything from Cohen’s casino businesses to prostitution services. As the squad’s tactics escalate,so do Cohen’s threats to their personal lives.
Gangster Squadtakes its cues from the ‘30s and ‘40s era of Warner Bros. crime genre classics.There is very little gray area between Brolin’s unit and Cohen’s criminal enterprise, as the movie sticks closely to films such asLittle Caesar,Scarface, andWhite Heat. Each of these classics takes the black-and-white perspective of the world in which the gangster lacks humanity to the extent of lacking redemption, while the law enforcement hero goes above and beyond in the name of justice. The latter is where Brolin’s role as John O’Mara fits perfectly with the actor’s seasoned talents. His ethical, unblemished attitude towards justice balances out a diverse group of quirky police colleagues.
UnlikeKevin Costner’s portrayal of Elliot Ness inThe Untouchables,Brolin’s O’Mara is far from a square, personality-type of policeman. This is evidenced by his introductory scene when the LAPD detective saves a prostitute from being assaulted by Cohen’s men. Instead of taking the procedural approach of a Ness or a Joe Friday fromDragnet, O’Mara unleashes a savage beatdown of the thugs inside the hotel that includes dismembering a man’s hand and never once uses a gun. O’Mara’s brand of getting his palms dirty to fight crime isn’t just a setup for his bloody bare-knuckle brawl with Cohen inGangster Squad’s climax.The sequence defines O’Mara as the soldier he once was by taking action without hesitation or negotiation.
Much of the motivation of O’Mara is that of a war veteran who once found peace and solace in Los Angeles as a place to raise his family with his wife Connie (Mireille Enos) and their child. He is disgusted by how Cohen has corrupted the city with payoffs to dirty LAPD officers, silencing witnesses, and constantly evading the courts. Even though his intentions are righteous,the actions of O’Mara’s unit, operating without restrictions, create an inner tension as the task blurs into vigilante justice. The quest to arrest Cohen turns L.A. into a battleground no different from the skirmishes that O’Mara fought overseas. The more brutal it gets, the more O’Mara loses his moral center as he gets dangerously close to becoming the kind of corrupt power he’s desperately trying to stop.
Gangster Squad is living proof that the one-time teen idol fromThe Goonieshas evolved into a charismatic cinema hero in the mold ofClint Eastwood,Charles Bronson, andLee Marvin. For a crime picture that tries to appeal to a modern audience with stylish action scenes and attractive stars,Brolin’s performance is a reminder of the kind of leading man persona that is becoming increasingly rare in today’s marketplace.
Gangster Squadis streaming on Prime Video in the US.
Gangster Squad
