Formulaic, but entertaining

Pride and Glory
Cast: Edward Norton, Jon Voight
Director: Gavin O’Connor
Rating: ** 1/2

This  generic good cop-bad cop movie from Gavin O’Connor uses formula in a self-righteous preachy tone to bring its point across. The film starts off well: Four policemen are killed in a subversive operation, and the NYPD precinct begins to feel the heat of corruption within its ranks.

Here, the cops and robbers both wear uniforms, and for a while it’s quite trying to decide who is corrupt and who is not. That’s just the way O’Connor wants us to feel. For a while, you are immersed and deeply interested.

The dark tone is enhancing to the narrative, and the camerawork blends the blues and blacks beautifully enough. Once the story develops to full-blown internal strife, the plot points begin to fall into place quite easily and the tension begins to slacken.

Ray (Edward Norton) is the righteous incorruptible, and Francis Jr (Noah Emmerich) is the one who loses control over his boys, preoccupied as he is by his wife’s slow death from cancer. Their father Francis Sr (Jon Voight) is the ex-police chief who would rather hide the blemishes under a bushel than let the press have a free-for-all. Jimmy (Colin Farrell) is the one who falls prey to the influences; he also happens to be brother-in-law to Ray and Francis.

The scenario after half-time is centred around family strife, and the manner in which the climax is plotted reeks of ineptitude and a desire to overwhelm with sentiment.

The performances for the first 80-odd minutes are solid. Jennifer Ehle as Francis’ cancer-stricken wife is heart-wrenchingly sincere; Norton downplays as usual; Emmerich , Voight and Farrell are also good.

Once the script begins to falter, even the acting seems to lose its edge, and then it all just falls flat.

In fact, the concluding part of the film appears stage-managed, more to provide some cheap thrills than to facilitate logical flow. And that makes it all the more disappointing.