One of my favorite genres of movies is the crime drama. Sadly, this is one of the hardest types of movies to get right. While there is an emphasis on getting the correct mix of action and drama, perhaps one of the greatest components of the crime drama is the emphasis on realism. It is this focus on authenticity that I find most appealing.
Pride and Glory is a story about a tight knit group of cops whose way of life is turned upside down when four of their own are killed in a drug raid gone bad. The story centers around a multi-generational family of police headed by Jon Voight. His oldest son, Francis, played by Noah Emmerich, is the sergeant in charge of the four dead cops. Francis’ younger brother, Ray, played by Edward Norton, is the detective brought in to find the cops’ killer. Francis and Ray’s brother in law, Jimmy, a well cast Colin Farrell, is another cop under Francis’ command who is also on a hunt of his own to find the killers, albeit for different reasons than what everyone may think.
From the beginning of the movie, it is immediately clear just how close the officers are and one genuinely gets the impression that they would willingly die for one another. While the direction is decent, what really rings most authentic are the performances from both the stars and supporting cast. Jon Voight is excellent as the father. It’s great to see him in a role where he can really flex his acting ability and he shines through. The other major standout for me was the performance of Colin Farrell. This film is an excellent example of how good of an actor he is when not bogged down by his own hype.
The supporting cast is fantastic. The actors playing the other officers in the precinct really did a good job of conveying genuine camaraderie. You get a real sense of the bond between them and it makes the events that unfold all the more powerful. As far as crime dramas go, this one is excellent. What it lacks in big bang action sequences it makes up for with rich character development and an engaging storyline. I highly recommend checking it out.
