Parents' Guide to The Alto Knights

De Niro versus De Niro is equal parts fantastic, fascinating, and distracting. From Mean Streets to The Godfather III to Analyze This, the actor has long established himself as one of viewers' favorite movie mobsters, and he plays both Frank Costello and Vito Genovese to perfection. The dual performances are a feat and a feather in the cap of everyone involved in The Alto Knights (a list that also includes fellow masters of mafia movies director-producer Barry Levinson and screenwriter Nicholas Pileggi). But even with the heavy makeup, audiences are quite aware that it's De Niro in both roles. And because one actor playing multiple roles is usually relegated to murderous twins or over-the-top comedies starring Eddie Murphy, it's hard to stop focusing on De Niro's oppositional performances and be truly absorbed in the film.

Compared to other mob movies, The Alto Knights is less about the climb to power and more about maintaining that power. It's talkier, with history shared through the look-back lens of an aged Costello, perhaps making the film less likely to capture the interest of teens. For history buffs, actual images from the era are woven throughout the movie to remind us of the prevalence and brutality of organized crime of the time. As an adult, it's interesting to see Costello as the protagonist and consider how "the prime minister of the Underworld" navigated dangerous waters by using a soft voice, considered responses, and immense self-control. But as a parent, it's uncomfortable to see elevated and celebrated the shady figure behind so much malfeasance and murder.