A Bronx Tale

Starring: Robert DeNiro, Chazz Palminteri, Lillo Brancato, Joe Pesci (cameo)
Directed by: Robert DeNiro
Rating: R
Genre: Drama
1993

Times Seen:
Tim: 1

Summary: An Italian-American boy (Lillo Brancato) grows up in the 1960s with two powerful influences impacting his life- his hardworking father (Robert DeNiro) and a Mafia boss (Chazz Palminteri) who takes the boy under his wing. As these two men fight for control of the boy, his entire life hangs in the balance.

Review:

Tim: Robert DeNiro does an amazing job in his directorial debut. This is an incredibly engaging story of a young man growing up with two influences- his bus driver father and a charasmatic gangster. This story is told with heart, paying attention to every rich detail about growing up in the Bronx.

DeNiro is great as an honest bus driver. It is not the role you'd expect him to play, but he is very, very good. Chazz Palminteri wrote the semi-autobiographical film and then delivers perhaps his finest performance. He manages to be both ruthless and surprisingly likeable. Palminteri steals the show in every scene. Also, watch for a great cameo at the end of the film.

Amazingly, A Bronx Tale possesses a great deal of intelligence and insight into humanity and those precarious coming-of-age years. The discussions about Machiavelli, the Door Test, and how to live your life are all lessons "C" learns- sometimes the easy way, and sometimes the hard way.

It is so interesting to see a young man being fought over by two very different men whom both want the best for the boy. DeNiro tries to influence his son toward the higher, more noble and less glamorous path. Palminteri offers him a luxurious, prestigous, and dangerous lifestyle. We are riveted as we watch the young man teeter between two powerful influences leading him toward some unknown destination.

Rating 1-10
Tim's Rating: 8



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