So What If It Wasn't Filmed In South Philly?
Added 9/12/2008
With due respect to Caesar Warrington, et al, who lamented the fact that this firm was not shot on location, how many films are? That's why sets were created to begin with. That's why films get shot in Vancouver. I can empathize with that area evidently being a close-knit community, but this was a Hollywood film, not a documentary. And it was a darn good one if you ask me. All the players stood out and the film kept me riveted. That's what I seek from a film, not whether it was authentically shot where the story takes place.
0 out of 0 people found this helpful.
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Reality based, worth seeing
Added 7/10/2008
10th and Wolf (2006) promises thrills and a story told in the first person,
concerning the ultra-dangerous living environment of those taking part in
the underworld, tempted by the millions of dollars in earnings from the import
of cocaine, and its distribution in night clubs; yet resolved in accepting the fate
reserved for those taking part in it: often a fast trip to the morgue, through gang
rivalry and jealousies.
One strength of this picture, is its consistent, calm, subtle, moody,
and nostalgic approach in laying out the point of view of the story teller,
concerning past life events. Although pigeon-holed mentally, as
a Marine veteran in terms of job skills, this might also stem somewhat from PTSD after
being released from service, from being user the pressure of being a paid
confidential informant for the government, based on an ease in approaching
childhood friends from the past, and capturing their dialog on tape, and relaying
news, plans, tactics from the underworld to the FBI, as hard evidence for use
in the courts against the gangs. As such, the realism is extreme, taking the
movie to the next level for viewers, who "buy into" the action.
Giovanni Ribisi, once again, (as in past films) does an outstanding job in
relaying to the audience, the psychological landscape of the gang leader,
who, as a third generation American, doesn't buy into the European - Sicilian
mob rules of his forefathers and rival in the city - not only culturally,
linguistically, - but also in not seeing past his own limitations. In fact, Ribisi
shows a leader fully conscious of his limited shelf life, so to speak,
in that operating environment, yet paradoxically is comforted and satisfied
with his modest ability to think things through, or the implications of certain
murders that are spontaneously and irrationally done, for trivial motives.
The film also builds a rapport with the audience, by recalling recent events (Desert
Storm deployment in the Middle East) as well as the mental conditioning that
is learned and stays with a person after they completed military training and also
after they have left active service. The "quid pro quo" as a survival mechanism is another
interesting theme in the work.
Overall, the picture is redeemed by its truth in face of brutal events
over the 90 minutes, such as multiple stabbings, stranglings, point blank
pistol executions, blood packs going off, guts spilling out, and a finale that has
a DOOM - style gaming sequence exceeding 10 minutes, along dark corridors.
Brian Dennehy is a plus to this picture, from his gravitas and clean cut look
in the FBI role, who admittedly, has to cross the line, into a grey area, to get
his job done, through the use of confidential informants, threats and more.
"You're up the creek, but maybe I've got a paddle for you!" he says.
The stigma of snitches, widely discussed among the encarcerated, is amply given
prominence, by Ribisi's torment in his own Father having been one, etc
Perhaps a weakness of this picture, is the suggestion that an individual having been shot
1 or 2 times, can still retain consciousness for 10 or 15 minutes longer, with no help,
and keep walking along, climbing stairs, moving - perhaps not quite rooted in reality,
or even, recovering from a blast to the stomach from a pistol, and other shots, in
separate events, with no repercussions.
Next, some eye candy is offered to the public, dancing girls manning the poles, bar
maids, drunks, bar fights, bouncers, the weakness in face of the need for sex,
plenty of inner city outdoor scenes, is shown.
further
The soundtrack is exactly as required, from its minimal role in the movie, further
emphasizing the subtlety of the picture, necessary to give meaning to other moments,
in terms of underlying feelings, emotions, human relationships, etc.
The filming is no-nonsense, excellent wide-screen and consistent high quality.
The acting, filming, the drawing of the audience into the action makes this DVD remarkable
and worth seeing, although James Marsden's acting might be an acquired taste, yet reminiscent
of the late Brad Davis.
2 out of 2 people found this helpful.
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The old neighborhood in..Pittsburgh?!
Added 11/27/2007
This is a moderately entertaining and acceptably acted film that, as mentioned before, has some credibility holes, both small ( a real Marine would laugh at the way the main character holds his gun ), and large ( if it was that easy to assault a mob boss's mansion, we'd ALL be kingpins ). Dennis Hopper fans should be warned that he appears for all of 10 seconds. As an honorary Philly boy, though, I should point out that, in order to 'capture the spirit' of a city, it helps if you actually shoot the film there..aside from the vocal accents being wrong, the exteriors were obviously done in Pittsburgh, Boston, or some other old NE city..I don't usually see foothills when I look north on Broad Street(!), and they could have at least painted the "SEPTA" bus white, even if they didn't have a copy of the logo..all in all, you'll have more fun watching a few episodes of "The Sopranos"..( exept the "Pine Barrens" episode; obviously shot at Delaware Water Gap! It's like real estate, people - location, location,..etc.! )
4 out of 4 people found this helpful.
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10th and Wolf not filmed there!
Added 9/18/2007
Being a native of South Philly, where 10th & Wolf is located, it would have been nice if the movie was filmed there. The movie wasn't filmed in the neighborhood, in South Philly in general, not in Philadelphia on the whole or even ANYWERE in the state. Pass this cheapy over!
4 out of 6 people found this helpful.
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A Movie About the South Philly Mob ... Filmed In Pittsburgh!
Added 5/20/2007
The title of my review alone should tell you what a bad movie we have here.
How this movie stinks... let me count the ways:
1. The name of the movie itself is ridiculous. 10th & Wolf is a quiet, lower-middle class residential corner in South Philly. It is certainly not the gritty, gray hub of underworld crime.
2. At the beginning of the film, the lead character, Tommy (James Marsden), is a Marine in the brig, facing a life sentence. What for? For hitting an MP and stealing an officer's jeep!
3. When he arrives "home to Philadelphia," Tommy jumps off a Pittsburgh Transit bus!
4. Also take notice of all those hilly streets, which scream "Hey! Look at me in wonderful, downtown Pittsburgh!" (Philly is as flat as an ironing board).
5. The only true Philly street actually used here is the corner of 9th & South; which, by the way, is 20 blocks away from the true 10th & Wolf, and looks nothing like that neighborhood.
6. The 1984 flashback scene has the young Tommy & Joey, sitting in the (non-existent) 10th & Wolf Diner listening to the J. Geils Band and the Stray Cats. As anyone growing up in South Philly at that time knows, the problem with this scene lies in the simple fact that no self-respecting Italian cornerboy back then was listening to this or much of any other Rock music. The soundtrack to South Philly corner life for Italian kids in the '80s was Dance/Club music and what we now call "Old School" Hip Hop. Saturday night was usually Oldies night, when everybody tried to show off just how much Doo-Wop or Motown they knew.
7. Giovanni Ribisi playing the role of Joey, the head of a mob outfit, is simply laughable.
8. Mob leaders do not often do their own hits and dirty work, they have other guys to do it for them.
9. What did the makers of this movie hope to accomplish by having so much well-known talent walking in and out of scenes, wasting their talents?
Brian Dennehy, Dennis Hopper, and Leo Rossi contribute nothing to this film - and it's certainly not their fault. Worst of all, it was was quite sad to see a veteran actress like the still-beautiful Leslie Ann Warren kept in a dingy rowhome, dancing to old Disco songs in tacky MILF outfits throughtout this sorry hackjob of a mob flick.
10. Speaking of actors and actresses: Where are those who actually come from South Philly (geez... or at least from Jersey or New York even)? Only the minor character of Rocco is played by a true South Philly Joey. This happens to be Tony Luke, Jr. (the real-life cheese steak and sandwich honcho who, by the way, happened to have attended the same grade school that I did: St. Nicholas of Tolentine) Perhaps such an absence of locally born talent helps to explain why the actors mispronounce the derogatory term for Sicilians (it is pronounced "sidge-ee," not "see-jee") and fail to mention the correct local parish for this so-called famous corner of "10th & Wolf," - that would be Epiphany of Our Lord, not Sacred Heart (which is all the way down on 3rd & Reed Streets).
I can go on with a couple of dozen more errors, discrepencies, and things I've observed to be amateurish, fake, or just simply goofy; however, I'll consider your valuable time and just finish this out by saying that this is a bad movie. A piece of moviemaking that attempted to take some of the best bits of mob movie classics and, stuffing itself full of gory violence and over-acting, hope we'll buy the botched finished product as intense urban drama.
That it only has 10 other reviews posted here should also help confirm my condemnation.
12 out of 15 people found this helpful.
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Reality based and worth seeing
Added 7/10/2008
10th and Wolf (2006) promises thrills and a story told in the first person,
concerning the ultra-dangerous living environment of those taking part in
the underworld, tempted by the millions of dollars in earnings from the import
of cocaine, and its distribution in night clubs; yet resolved in accepting the fate
reserved for those taking part in it: often a fast trip to the morgue, through gang
rivalry and jealousies.
One strength of this picture, is its consistent, calm, subtle, moody,
and nostalgic approach in laying out the point of view of the story teller,
concerning past life events. Although pigeon-holed mentally, as
a Marine veteran in terms of job skills, this might also stem somewhat from PTSD after
being released from service, from being user the pressure of being a paid
confidential informant for the government, based on an ease in approaching
childhood friends from the past, and capturing their dialog on tape, and relaying
news, plans, tactics from the underworld to the FBI, as hard evidence for use
in the courts against the gangs. As such, the realism is extreme, taking the
movie to the next level for viewers, who "buy into" the action.
Giovanni Ribisi, once again, (as in past films) does an outstanding job in
relaying to the audience, the psychological landscape of the gang leader,
who, as a third generation American, doesn't buy into the European - Sicilian
mob rules of his forefathers and rival in the city - not only culturally,
linguistically, - but also in not seeing past his own limitations. In fact, Ribisi
shows a leader fully conscious of his limited shelf life, so to speak,
in that operating environment, yet paradoxically is comforted and satisfied
with his modest ability to think things through, or the implications of certain
murders that are spontaneously and irrationally done, for trivial motives.
The film also builds a rapport with the audience, by recalling recent events (Desert
Storm deployment in the Middle East) as well as the mental conditioning that
is learned and stays with a person after they completed military training and also
after they have left active service. The "quid pro quo" as a survival mechanism is another
interesting theme in the work.
Brian Dennehy is a plus to this picture, from his gravitas and clean cut look
in the FBI role, who admittedly, has to cross the line, into a grey area, to get
his job done, through the use of confidential informants, threats and more.
"You're up the creek, but maybe I've got a paddle for you!" he says.
further
The soundtrack is exactly as required, from its minimal role in the movie, further
emphasizing the subtlety of the picture, necessary to give meaning to other moments,
in terms of underlying feelings, emotions, human relationships, etc.
The filming is no-nonsense, excellent wide-screen and consistent high quality.
The acting, filming, the drawing of the audience into the action makes this DVD remarkable
and worth seeing, although James Marsden's acting might be an acquired taste, yet reminiscent
of the late Brad Davis.
0 out of 0 people found this helpful.
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ALL-IN-ALL NOT BAD, BUT WITH SOME APPARENT FLAWS
Added 8/11/2006
Although "10th and Wolf" is not a bad movie I was a bit disappointed. Since it's based on the same story as "Donnie Brasco" I was expecting something as intense and breathtaking as Mike Newell's film. And I have to say "Donnie Brasco" was more thorough and more thought-provoking than "10th and Wolf".
It starts as Tommy (James Marsden) returns to Philadelphia from the army and he's having a deal with FBI to be an inside man in his cousin Joey's (Giovanni Ribisi) gang which has some business with mafia. Federals will be able to catch some bigger fish and Tommy will get a chance to save his younger brother Vince (Brad Renfro) and Joey from going to jail. So Tommy who never wanted to join the local gang starts having business with his friends and wears a wire.
That's the basic story-line, but what I liked here was not this "undercover agent" plot but relationships between the main characters. Tommy who hasn't been home for some years begins to build his relations with his cousin, his brother, old friends and aunt - and all that looks rather interesting and vivid mostly due to the good actors taking part in the feature. The cast in "10th and Wolf" is indeed very nice. Marsden is surprisingly good, I never expected such a credible performance from him. Ribisi is awesome as always, he's full of energy, he's vigorous and a little bit mad. Renfro is also very good, he's almost always authentic albeit overacting sometimes. Piper Perabo is quite believable as a single mother and Tommy's love interest although we never get to see any love scenes in the movie. I can also mention Lesley Ann Warren whom I adore, actually I can't remember a role she was bad at. And Brian Dennehy with Leo Rossi were OK as two federal agents. What I disliked or rather was distracted with were the cameos of Val Kilmer, Dennis Hopper and Tommy Lee. Hopper was the only one to get a sort of a real part in "10th and Wolf", but generally it looked like big names were used just to attract attention to the movie although they appeared on screen for 10 minutes altogether.
Robert Moresco whose latest achievement was a screenplay for "Crash" did a nice writing and directing job here, but throughout the whole film I've felt something's missing. First it seemed to me "10th and Wolf" happened to be smaller than I thought it would be. It lacked some calibre. Or maybe some things seemed strange to me. Or maybe I had some doubts. Here they are:
1. I doubt the gangs are usually consist of 5-6 persons. I thought of some bigger number. But in "10th and Wolf" it looks like the local gang really IS 5 people.
2. I doubt a leader of the gang can be that young. Well, Giovanni Ribisi looks rather young especially after Dennis Hopper who was the head before.
3. I doubt top mob members participate in everything their crew does, from negotiating to killing someone, they must have some apprentices.
4. I doubt just two feds are handling the case of undercover agent and some mafia family. Obviously there's some other people, but here it sometimes seems that FBI is two persons only.
5. I doubt a person who messed with a mob boss and then blackmailed two back-alley feds can walk away from this easily instead of being whacked by mobsters or corrupted feds.
6. I doubt a mob boss would torture and kill someone in HIS OWN house where he lives, where his wife is waiting for him in an upstairs' bedroom.
7. I doubt two persons, even armed, can easily intrude the mafia's boss house (who knows they can attempt to do it) killing all the resistance.
I had some other doubts but I guess you got the idea. I read people from Philadelphia saying the film really captured the city's spirit. I don't live there so it's not up to me to judge, but if to sum it all up I've seen better: from "A Bronx Tale" to "The Sopranos". But with all my doubts there clearly are some positive things about "10th and Wolf". Nice story, directing and acting - I think that's quite enough, and as for several flaws - I sincerely think there are no movies without them. Maybe here they just stick out too evidently.
4 out of 5 people found this helpful.
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