The Drop, based on the short story Animal Rescue by Dennis Lehane - 8 out of 10

The Drop, based on the short story Animal Rescue by Dennis Lehane
8 out of 10


Tom Hardy has reached the stage where he is no longer a talented, promising, rising star, but an established, accomplished major artist and his performance in the leading role of this film is another proof.

He plays the part of Bob Saginowski, a bar tender who works for his cousin Marv aka the regretted James Gandolfini, who used to own the place ten years ago,but had to sell it to the mob...the Cetchen Mafia in particular.
In the opening scene, the audience learns about The Drop, how the gangsters use various locations to gather the money they extort, steal or obtain from other illegal activities.

One night, after the customers leave, two men with masks enter the bar - Marv's Bar is still called, even if the Cetchens own it now - and they rob it at gun point, leaving with ten grand - was it?
When the police ask questions, Bob says that he noticed the clock on the hand of one of the criminals had stopped and this upsets his cousin:

'Why did you have to tell them that?
I don't know'

The  vicious patrons of the bar come with threatening attitudes and they state that they want their money back.
And they mean it, for soon, the hand with the bad watch is found with money dripped in blood.

Meanwhile, Bob finds a puppy of a fighting breed thrown in the garbage, near the place of Nadia aka Naomi Rapace.
A strange romance would grow between her and the man who would adopt Rocco - was that the name?

Eric Deeds aka the solid, effective Matthias Schoenaerts - he has had a recent release, The Mustang, reviewed at realini.blogspot.com - would have something to say about that.
He comes from jail, with the reputation of a killer, albeit the murder he claims to have committed had another, shocking author.

Deeds shows some papers which would prove in court that he owns the puppy and he wants 10,000 dollars to give it to Bob.
The latter understands that this would just be a first downpayment, for this type of man would never go away.

Therefore, he would take decisive action.
And his act would leave the viewers perplexed.

Notwithstanding the fact that this is no Goodfellas, the motion picture is good.