It’s almost as if Dennis Lehane novels are becoming more famous for their film adaptations rather than the books themselves. Not that I think he’s complaining; his books have become modern film classics such “Gone Baby Gone,” “Mystic River,” and “Shutter Island.” His provocative and complex narrative style makes for great screenplay material and now his latest adaptation, “The Drop,” is more than ready to join the ranks.
The drop is a term that refers to a business that the mob will use as a bank to launder all of their dirty cash. The location of the titular drop is a bar run by Bob Saginowski (Tom Hardy, Locke, The Dark Knight Rises) and Cousin Marv portrayed by the late James Gandolfini (The Sopranos, Killing Them Softly). Marv had once owned the bar, but when it was taken over by the Chechen mafia he has been charged with the task of laundering the mob’s money. Everything is business as usual until a pair of robbers steal the mob’s money from the bar, pulling both Marv and Bob deeper into the seedy criminal world.
Much like his other adaptations, “The Drop” is predicated on a tightly coiled narrative over any sort of flash. With a relatively small budget, there aren’t any set pieces in the film, but engrossing regardless largely thanks to a methodically layered narrative. The movie is certainly a slow burn, but there is never a dull moment as each scene slowly pieces together a much greater whole.
The most compelling part of the film lies in the interesting characterization of each person that passes through bar. There is nothing much that sets some of these characters apart from your traditional stock characters, but each character appears to be withholding information. It’s this subtle secrecy that hangs over each seen that piques are intrigue and makes for a well composed thriller.
This sentiment is well portrayed in the three headliners Hardy, Gandolfini, and very underused Noomi Rapace (Prometheus, The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo), but there definitely has to be some credit doled out to the supporting performances of Matthias Schoenaerts (Bullhead, Rust and Bone) as the unstable Eric Leeds and John Ortiz (Silver Linings Playbook, Fast and Furious 6) as the tough as nails Detective Torres. Although the three leads definitely provide the framework for the film, it’s the performances by Schoenaers and Ortiz that provide the little details that really makes this thriller tick.
Fresh off his Oscar Nomination for his 2011 “Bullhead,” Belgian director Michaël R. Roskam has definitely demonstrated he is not a one-hit wonder and has legitimate staying power. His gritty aesthetic and intricately planned narratives make him an exciting up-and-comer and leaves me eager for his works to come.
Certainly, the fall thriller market will be dominated by “Gone Girl,” but it is certainly not the only thriller to see out there. “The Drop” has a mysterious and mesmerizing quality that has a simply irresistible pull. You’re just going to have to drop in to see for yourself.
Pulp Diction 