We Own the Night Review

Joaquin Phoenix stars as Bobby Green and Mark Wahlberg takes on the role of his brother, Captain Joseph Grusinsky.   At the heart of the story is the brothers' relationship on opposite sides of the law, as well as their relationship with father Deputy Chief Burt Grusinsky (Robert Duvall).  Predictably, Bobby is the rebellious son and feels he can never measure up in his father's esteem in the way that his brother, Joseph, does.  Following in his father's footsteps in the Police Department, Joseph is at odds with his brother and teams up with his father to infiltrate and break up a Russian mob.  Since Bobby has a peripheral relationship with said mobsters, he has to make a decision whether to remain loyal to friends that he loves or to the family he opposes.

Overall, I didn't find the story to be any more compelling than what I can see on an episode of Law and Order.  The plot felt like something I've seen a thousand times before, and the scenes where there should have been prolonged tension and an atmosphere of danger were resolved so quickly and predictably that there was no real surprise or satisfaction in the conclusion. 

We Own the Night isn't a bad movie; it just wasn't anything that you haven't seen done before.  I think that all of the actors did a good job in their roles, but this tale of two brothers simply wasn't strong enough for it to make much difference.