The Narrows (2008)

A different way of telling a story

Simple and well acted, it has tension enough to knot the stomach.

Story: It's very simple but honestly that is fine.

There are moments in this movie where the great movie it could've been peek out... They're fleeting, here, but they're worth savoring, and they happen often enough to make it worth your while.

This didn't sound too appealing to me and there are no big names in the cast, but I have to say it is a gripping and enjoyable story. The acting is superb and the relationships between the characters well thought out.It's not emotionally draining so to that extent perhaps it lacks a bit of depth, but even so you get to sympathize with the plight of people who don't really fit into the rapidly changing world. The brutality comes with morality albeit not in a conventional form, and there is a sense that everything will turn out OK if you live by that code.A regular college kid whose job is not waiting tables or flipping burgers, but following in the family tradition of gangland crime, is a fascinating take on a familiar theme, and it works really well.Not too demanding but very enjoyable with some fantastic performances.

Among the people who might enjoy this movie are those who like to read a novel, and then see the film made from it. THE NARROWS is based on a Tim McLoughlin novel entitled HEART OF THE OLD COUNTRY. McLoughlin himself is one of six cast and crew members interviewed for more than 90 minutes (!) on the DVD extras. Obviously, another group of folks who may appreciate the flick are those who like to see their entertainment dissected and talked to death (perhaps they do not have lives of their own?).In addition to the pair of movie-watching types described above, fans of local color may enjoy THE NARROWS. Though I did not find the cast wallowing in the Brooklynese dialect, perhaps the filmmakers decided not to force the rest of the U.S. to view this yarn with subtitles. Furthermore, people curious to find out was a New York City "car service" consists of might be well-advised to check out THE NARROWS.Finally, fans of Kevin Zegers, Sophia Bush, and Vincent D'Onofrio will find their approach to their craft fully explicated on the aforementioned DVD interview extras. Further, those who have watched Eddie Cahill as Det. Don Flack on CSI: NEW Y0RK the past few seasons will find Cahill's Nicky Shades character in THE NARROWS illuminating, in a kind of haunting way.

It would have been better had they casted a different lead in this movie. The story is way too soapish and too straight-to-DVD - everything is so typical and predictable that it's boring. It's a 6 because of the father's acting, and perhaps the mob boss as well. He's so much better than in "Law and Order", which really is insulting his talent as an actor. The son probably is the only actor that really fits this movie - a straight to DVD/soap opera type of role with matching talent for it - too obvious, too superficial, and too enthusiastically played out. I completely disagree with the other reviewer - I won't miss this guy's acting in the future at all.Try The Bronx Story by De Niro et al. Now that's a worthy movie with real interesting story to tell.

I am not sure if this movie is worth the 8.1 out of 10 it's currently rated at, but its definitely worth a 6 or 7.This movie takes a long time to get going and doesn't really hit its stride until the last third of the movie.Vincent D'Onofrio was brilliant in this, Titus Welliver also puts in a good performance, its worth watching this movie just for those two performances alone. Both of their characters add a little bit of an unexpected twist to the story which makes the payoff of sitting through the whole movie worthwhile.