In the last decade Denis Lehane has consolidated himself as the go-to writer when American directors look for superior crime stories. Clint Eastwood took his Mystic River to the big screen, so did Scorsese with Shutter Island and Ben Affleck with Gone, Baby, Gone. This time Lehane adapts his own short story for Michaël R. Roskam’s first English language film, the follow-up to his Oscar nominated debut ‘Bullhead’. The Belgian director successfully changes the illegal hormone trade in his country’s underworld for mean Brooklyn streets populated by small time crooks under the rule of Eastern European mafia.
Bob is the bartender in the pub managed by his cousin Marv, a place regularly used for money laundering. One night on his way home he finds a badly hurt puppy left on a rubbish bin. Asking for help in the closest house he meets Nadia who convinces him to take care of the dog. The two will find themselves involved in a series of events after the pub gets robbed by two gunmen and Nadia’s convicted ex-boyfriends reappears, claiming ownership of the puppy and blackmailing Bob for 10.000 dollars if he wants to keep it.
This deceptively simple story of three people looking for a way to overcome mistakes from their past slowly unfolds into an accomplished thriller, leaving its cast plenty of room to build their characters up and offer a top acting showcase. First and foremost The Drop’s was James Gandolfini’s last role. The sorely missed star of The Sopranos and many other crime-related stories grabbed a fitting vehicle in the role of Marv, a man desperate to escape the dismal place life has cornered him in.
Next to him, Tom Hardy keeps his winning string of astonishing performances (Locke; The Dark Knight Rises; Warrior) with this rich portrait of a solitary, quiet, yet strong-willed man toughened by life, but not avoiding responsibility for his actions; looking in religion for a redemption he has lost hope to get and still in touch with his most humane, vulnerable side. His relationship with the elusively cold Nadia (Noomi Rapace) becomes the heart of the movie, beginning with the found pet and developing through her bullying ex’s (Matthias Schoenaerts who repeats with the director in a smaller, but also terrific role) comeback. It adds an old-fashioned, understated romantic touch to the grim realities depicted in this fine piece of work, unlikely to disappoint any fan of the genre. ★★★★
