The Alto Knights
A mesmerising De Niro carries the film
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Decades in the making, The Alto Knights sees Robert De Niro reunite with frequent collaborator Barry Levinson and Goodfellas and Casino screenwriter Nicholas Pileggi. In the past, De Niro has acted alongside fellow legends Joe Pesci, Al Pacino and Ray Liotta, to name a few. Now, his co-star is himself. Taking on the dual roles of real-life mob bosses Frank Costello and Vito Genovese, he is a marvel on screen.
In old age, Frank looks back on his eventful life. Once a young Italian migrant who couldn’t speak English, he soon became one of the key figureheads in New York’s criminal underworld. For many years, his closest ally – aside from his devoted wife, Bobbie (Debra Messing) – is fellow émigré Vito. However, their alliance becomes increasingly strained, with the two men vying for absolute power.
An old-school gangster flick, there’s more than a tinge of Pileggi’s most famous screenplays here, with the sensational opening scene itself lifted straight from Casino. Similarly, the fusion of mob drama and comedic interludes recalls De Niro’s best work playing off against Pesci. A scene in which Vito makes wisecracks while watching his frenemy testify before a senate committee is particularly amusing, with De Niro flitting between flustered Frank and a dazed Vito.
It’s an evocative rumination on the trappings of the gangster lifestyle. Frank suggests that being a mobster is simply the materialisation of the American dream – a way for immigrants to break free of poverty. However, one can’t help but feel that such subject matter should have been explored more critically; the filmmakers eschew taking a socio-political stance in favour of conventional narrative. As such, it all feels a little safe.
Its familiar storytelling aside, The Alto Knights is nevertheless an engaging biographical tale that follows in the footsteps of classic gangster fare. A mesmerising De Niro carries the film, his charisma showing no sign of waning with old age. An acting powerhouse, he, and by extension, the film, are bittersweet reminders of a bygone era in cinema.
Antonia Georgiou
The Alto Knights is released nationwide on 21st March 2025.
Watch the trailer for The Alto Knights here:
