Simply A Masterpiece

Let's be realistic.

It is an exhilarating, distressing, funny and profound film, with one of the more memorable film scores in years,

Watching it is like watching the spectacle of a class clown at their best: you laugh at their jokes, instigate their defiance, and "ooooh" when they get in trouble.

I watched this movie recently and I really liked it. First of all, I watch movies for entertainment. So if you are also expecting a movie to be entertaining, then you will not regret this movie.The plot is quite straightforward and has been treated very well. A hot shot wall street banker has his roots in Brooklyn's Italian mafia. When he steps into the don's shoes, he has to take the business legit according to a promise he made to his uncle. How he takes them legit forms the rest of the movie. Adding to the fun is that the mob is under FBI surveillance with of course a pretty FBI agent. How the two of them get together without crossing the line is nice to watch.Wholesome fun. Go for it.

I happened on this movie while surfing the cable movie channels and became intrigued because of the location. My son lives in Clinton Hills and much of the film is located near his apartment. After getting over being able to recognize many of the locations I settled into the body of the movie itself. It turns out this quirky mob vs. mob vs. FBI/ fated love story was pretty good. It covers all the permutations and combinations of Cosa Nostra territorial tensions, FBI related RICO investigations, young generation - older generation lifestyles and love between diverse cultures. It turns out it was certainly worth watching with credible acting performances by a relatively unknown cast. It just shows you what you can get for $1 million if you put your mind to it. I would be happy to watch it again.

Under New Management, a wonderful take on the Mafia genre, concerns a socially conscious Wall Street Yuppie named Robert Monte (played superbly by Chris Diamantopoulos) with ties to the mob. Raised by his uncle, a capo, because his own father was whacked, he honors said uncle's dying wish to reform his crew by helping them go legit and generate enough revenue to pay a mob debt, lest they all meet their demise. Robert forms a real-estate company and the wise guys turn into real-estate agents. On their road to legitimacy, they find it helpful to occasionally return to their mob roots when they need a little extra boost to pull something off. All this happens under the watchful eyes of a couple of FBI agents, one of whom is a beautiful, Irish woman played by Kelly Overton; her relationship with Monte forms a major subplot that keeps you wondering whether she wants to put Monte away for life or have his baby. The movie is a drama mostly played for laughs, and I found it brilliant and hysterical, with Monte continually comparing the Mafia to Wall Street: "Bernie Madoff made you guys look like shoplifters." What's so funny is how true his opinions are. When the gang grumbles about paying taxes, he points out to them, would you rather pay taxes or lawyers? Pay FICA or do prison time? A rich cast of pros (many you will recognize from forays on The Sopranos), supported by an intelligent script by Denis Hamill made this a winner for me. I don't plan on erasing it from my DVR anytime soon.

To be honest, I don't watch a lot of movies…but when I find one that appeals to me…I'm like a kid and have to watch it again and again…this is one of those films. It's an Independent film without the standard "glam". The script has some wicked twists and turns…but it never becomes silly or overly romantic. Everything is great, from the acting to the writing, not to mention that it truly shows off New York's beauty. The music was perfect and very different from other films. I enjoyed its simplicity and the actors were incredible. Under New Management is a sweet, charming very well made movie…too bad more movies aren't as wonderful as this one. I cannot recommend it highly enough. Makes paying for cable well worth it!