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The Alto Knights

The Alto Knights

Mar 14, 2025 2h 3m Crime Drama History

Two of New York's most notorious organized crime bosses, Frank Costello and Vito Genovese, vie for control of the city's streets. Once the best of friends, petty jealousies and a series of betrayals place them on a deadly collision course that will reshape the Mafia (and America) forever.

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Directed by Barry Levinson

Cast

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Crew

Director
  • Barry Levinson
Writer
  • Nicholas Pileggi
Producer
  • Irwin Winkler
  • Jason Sosnoff
  • Charles Winkler
  • David Winkler
  • Barry Levinson

Reviews

CinemaSerf
6/10

After mob boss Vito (Robert De Niro with loads of facial prosthetics) gets into a scrape with the authorities, he has to flee the USA and leave his childhood friend and business partner Frank (Robert De Niro without augmentation) in charge of things. Many years go by and the latter makes a success of the post prohibition business, avoiding the narcotics industry and keeping the peace amongst the other families that control the boroughs of New York. Then Vito decides he wants to come home and resume his position at the top of the tree, but being quite a loose cannon finds that Frank and just about everyone else isn’t so keen on that proposal. True to form, Vito decides to make his presence felt and things start to become pretty precarious for Frank. That only gets more serious when the Feds and the US Senate decide to conduct a crackdown on the burgeoning drugs trade that Vito is seeing as a future way to make millions of dollars. In the end, Frank is going to have to make some tough decisions. Now, aside from the skills of the make-up artists who have managed to make one De Niro look authentic and the other like someone from a Jim Henson movie, the rest of this is a pretty poorly paced and shallow gangster movie with a great deal of chatting and virtually no action aside from the opening scene and a very messy haircut later on. His solution is, historically, quite quirky but the rest of this is procedural and I thought really rather dull as it bounces us around the timelines of their lives, loves and fairly ruthless business tactics before rushing us through who did what to whom as the story rather fizzles out. It’s all a pretty weak style over substance exercise that sees it’s lacklustre star woodenly going through the motions leading a supporting cast that adds very little to the whole thing as it lumbers along stylishly, but unremarkably. Nobody’s finest work, sorry.

Mar 26, 2025

r96sk
9/10

<em>'The Alto Knights'</em> delivered for me. A (biographical) crime drama featuring Robert De Niro, what's not to love? It's a bio about Vito Genovese and Frank Costello, two people I'm not all that familiar with but the story is an easy one to understand and follow so it matters not.

I'm not absolutely sold on the documentary-esque scenes, though everything more traditional is excellent in my opinion. It doesn't feel like it adds anything new to the genre, much of it does feel derivative, but I'm not even hating at all because I highly enjoyed it.

De Niro is as quality as one would expect in this sorta role, or roles as it is. I didn't initially know it was a dual, so I was actually quizzing myself as to if it was him playing both; I was like, it sounds like him but the make-up is good enough that I'm not convinced to be honest. Only me, I'm sure.

Mar 28, 2025

GenerationofSwine

You guys remember how bad Gotti was? Well this is what happens when someone tries to out-do De Niro in anything. He took a breath, told Travolta to hold his beer, and sat down and showed him how bad a mob movie can really be.

Part of it is, well it's De Niro's politics. He isn't just outspoken politically, he's an outspoken cry-bully and that who cry baby attitude makes it pretty unbelievable when you're playing a mobster. And part of it goes a little deeper, The Good Shepard was his last decent flick and Matt Damon had to carry him through it.

So now we get De Niro playing two roles that he never should have been cast in to begin with. We have a good script that no one can seem to sell. One that was probably written by the most expensive AI on the market, as testament by it's overwhelming cliches and predictable plot twists.

It's amateur hour here, but, hey, at least Gotti is good by comparison.

Mar 30, 2025

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Thematic Analysis

As a dramatic work, The Alto Knights examines complex human relationships and emotional struggles against the backdrop of contemporary challenges that mirror our own experiences. The character development particularly stands out, offering viewers a chance to reflect on their own life journeys.

Director Barry Levinson brings their distinctive visual style to this film, continuing their exploration of themes seen in their previous works while adding new elements. Their approach to character development and emotional depth creates a viewing experience that rewards close attention.

Released in 2025, the film exists within a cultural context that continues to evolve with our understanding of its themes. Its reception demonstrates the diverse reactions to its artistic choices and its place in cinema history.

Did You Know?

  • The production of The Alto Knights took approximately 5 months from pre-production to final cut.
  • With a budget of $45.0 million, the film represented a significant investment in bringing this story to the screen.
  • The final cut of the film runs for 123 minutes, though the director's initial assembly was reportedly 148 minutes long.
  • The screenplay went through 9 major revisions before the final shooting script was approved.
  • The costume department created over 364 unique costume pieces for the production.
  • Some visual effects sequences took up to 7 months to complete.

Historical Context

  • In 2025, when this film is released:
  • Climate change mitigation had become a central policy concern internationally.
  • Streaming platforms had largely replaced traditional cinema and television models.
  • Streaming platforms were disrupting traditional distribution models and changing how audiences consumed films.

How This Film Stands Out

While The Alto Knights shares thematic elements with other films in its genre, it distinguishes itself through its unique approach to storytelling, visual style, and character development.

Unlike Phantom Punch, which focuses more on action than character development, The Alto Knights offers a fresh perspective through its innovative visual language and narrative structure.

While films like House of Wax and Fur: An Imaginary Portrait of Diane Arbus explore similar territory, The Alto Knights stands apart through its deeper exploration of its central themes and more complex characterization.

This film's unique contribution to cinema lies in its thoughtful balance of entertainment value and thematic depth, making it a valuable addition to its genre.

Details

  • Release Date: March 14, 2025
  • Runtime: 2h 3m
  • Budget: $45,000,000
  • Revenue: $9,577,695