Brief Thoughts: The Drop

Rated R

106 minutes

Directed by Michael R. Roskam

Tom Hardy is the man.

Seriously, though, he is. He can blend from one movie to another. He went from Bane in TDKR, this hulking beast of a man, to the title character of Locke, who's this mild-mannered man who doesn't mean any harm, to Bob Saginowski, the character in this movie, who's a reserved man with pure anger brimming underneath the surface. This man is just the greatest.

Hardy is part of what makes The Drop really above average. This movie isn't actually about Tom Hardy vs. Armenian Gangsters, but rather about Tom Hardy and a dog. The dog story is actually the propelling force for the gangster stuff with Matthias Schoenaerts, and it's really great. It helps that the dog is actually a really cute pitbull, and is obviously really well trained. James Gandolfini is really good in his last role, as he's really understated in the movie.

The cinematography is actually really above average for a movie like this. There's this one really striking shot where the entire screen is tinted in red, and Tom Hardy is shrouded in red. It's symmetrical and rather beautiful. It symbolizes the fact that Bob does have blood on his hands, and that he isn't as innocent as once seemed. It's a shot of rage and subtlety, and has a hint of greatness to it. It shows all the anger waiting to bubble over with this quiet man, and it's just really striking, and a perfect way to sum up the film.

3.5/5

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