Most people get scared off when they hear the words ‘independent film’ (admittedly, I was like that once). But when my job became seeing movies of different lengths, genres and languages, I started to realise that big budgets don’t mean good stories in the same way small budgets don’t mean bad ones.
The Drop is James Gandolfini’s last movie and deserves to be seen. It is dark, thrilling and surprisingly swirling with mystery.
In summary, its a crime flick set in Brooklyn, probably the most famous suburb in the world- that keeps you hooked in for the long haul. Starring Tom Hardy, better known as Bane from Batman, he plays Bob, a softly-spoken and complicated character whose intentions and motivations are unclear from the opening scene. He is a bartender at his cousin’s (Gandolfini) local drinking hole. One Bob he stumbles upon a dog in a rubbish bin and encounters the mysterious Nadia (Noomi Rapace). Together they take in the scene-stealing pooch and begin a relationship, however nothing is ever that easy, especially in Hollywood-land.
The bar is owned by a Chechen gang who do ‘money drops’ across their various properties. In this setting, the bar becomes prevalent when a bunch of crooks rob the tills at gunpoint, prompting investigation from Hardy, the Chechen’s and law enforcement. What unravels from here delves deep into the psyche of our two protagonists and their own personal endeavours as the two storylines intertwine for a great climax ending.
The film takes its time to truly grab you in but once it does you won’t stop looking at the screen. There are plot twists and shock moments that come from almost nowhere. The dialogue is so good it feels real, like you a watching a conversation. So many times in films you think, “They wouldn’t say that,” but in this they do. It is refreshing to see, and kudos to the writers and the actors on that.
This is something you don’t get in a ‘mainstream’ film; to watch an independent film with a solid cast, an interesting setting and a well-constructed plot. The Drop is the perfect demonstration that sometimes the smaller stories are the best.
