Pride and Glory

While much of the story is predictable, the movie is saved by the performances, especially Norton's and Emmerich's. And Farrell is alternately nuanced and over-the-top but ultimately excels as the shady, unrepentant Jimmy. Unfortunately, things get bogged down by the personal subplots involving the women in the cops' lives, especially the unresolved relationship between Ray and his estranged wife, Tasha (Carmen Ejogo). Jennifer Ehle, who's a brilliant, underrated actress reminiscent of a younger Meryl Streep, does her best as Frannie's cancer-stricken wife, but essentially, the women are one-dimensional.

The most realistic aspect of director Gavin O'Connor's story is how seamlessly he integrated the Dominican gang culture of New York's Washington Heights into the picture. The soundtrack features several songs by popular Latino rappers and Reggaeton stars; the Spanish-speaking characters are actually played by native speakers who can spit out streams of colloquialisms without taking a breath. Granted, it might still be considered un-PC to depict a community as full of gun-toting dealers, but at least O'Connor paid attention to the neighborhood. But that sliver of authenticity can't make up for the fact that this is an overlong crime drama that takes itself too seriously and obviously aims for the heights of Martin Scorsese's The Departed but falls somewhere slightly below the mark of We Own the Night.