Gangster Land (also titled In the Absence of Good Men)[1] is a 2017 American action crime drama film directed by Timothy Woodward Jr. and starring Sean Faris, Milo Gibson, Jason Patric, Jamie-Lynn Sigler and Peter Facinelli.
| Gangster Land | |
|---|---|
| Directed by | Timothy Woodward Jr. |
| Written by | Ian Patrick Williams |
| Produced by |
|
| Starring | |
| Cinematography | Pablo Diez |
| Edited by | Paul Covington |
| Music by | Samuel Joseph Smythe |
Production company | Status Media & Entertainment |
| Distributed by | Cinedigm |
Release date |
|
Running time | 113 minutes |
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
Plot
editThe film tells the story of Al Capone's rise in the Chicago underworld from the perspective of Jack McGurn. McGurn, the successful amateur boxer, joins the Italian Mafia after the murder of his father and rises within the organization together with his friend Al Capone. Business flourishes, but the Italians and the Irish mafia around Dean "Dion" O'Banion and George "Bugs" Moran begin a fierce battle for criminal supremacy in the Chicago underworld, culminating in the so-called Saint Valentine's Day Massacre.
Cast
edit- Milo Gibson as Al Capone[2]
- Sean Faris as Jack "Machine Gun" McGurn
- Jason Patric as Detective Reed
- Jamie-Lynn Sigler as Lulu Rolfe
- Peter Facinelli as George "Bugs" Moran
- Mark Rolston as Dean "Dion" O'Bannion
- Michael Paré as O'Connor
- Sean Kanan as Detective Boyle
- Al Sapienza as Giovanni "Johnny" Torrio
- Tom Noga as Angelo Demory
- Don Harvey as Detective Landa
- Jean Kauffman as Josephine Demory
- Jason Brooks as Agent Wilson
- Ronnie Kerr as Franklin "Frank" Rio
- Drake Andrew as John Scalise
- Ryan Kiser as Peter Gusenberg
- Louis Fasanaro as Albert Anselmi
- Danny Hansen as Frank Gusenberg
- Kevin Donovan as Ben Feldman
Production
editIn June 14, 2017, it was announced that Jason Patric joined the cast of the film.[3]
Release
editThe film was released in theaters and on VOD on December 1, 2017.[4]
Reception
editThe film has a 0% rating on Rotten Tomatoes, based on 5 reviews.[5]
Dennis Harvey of Variety gave the film a negative review and wrote, "Given the gradually upticking arc of his opuses’ IMDb ratings to date, Woodward should finally score a 6 out of 10 sometime next year. He’s got the perspiration part down; surely inspiration can’t hold out much longer."[6]
The Hollywood Reporter also gave the film a negative review and wrote, "Respectable period production values and some recognizable castmembers are no substitute for imagination in this flat crime flick, which steals freely from its predecessors but offers none of their guilty-pleasure thrills."[7]
Noel Murray of the Los Angeles Times gave a negative review and wrote, "The ideal audience for Gangster Land would be someone who’s never seen The Untouchables or Boardwalk Empire … or, heck, even Guys and Dolls or Bugsy Malone."[8]
References
edit- ^ Couch, Aaron (9 June 2017). "Milo Gibson Playing Al Capone in 'In the Absence of Good Men' (Exclusive)". The Hollywood Reporter. Archived from the original on 14 February 2021. Retrieved 25 October 2020.
- ^ Ritman, Alex (5 November 2017). "First Look: Milo Gibson Is Al Capone in 'Gangster Land' (Exclusive Image)". The Hollywood Reporter. Archived from the original on 11 February 2021. Retrieved 25 October 2020.
- ^ Couch, Aaron (14 June 2017). "Jason Patric Joins 1920s Mobster Movie 'In the Absence of Good Men'". The Hollywood Reporter. Archived from the original on 28 October 2020. Retrieved 25 October 2020.
- ^ Boone, Matt (31 October 2017). "Mel Gibson's Son, Milo, Makes Leading Man Debut as Al Capone in 'Gangster Land' Trailer (Exclusive)". Entertainment Tonight. Archived from the original on 28 October 2020. Retrieved 25 October 2020.
- ^ "Gangster Land/In the Absence of Good Men". Rotten Tomatoes. Archived from the original on 9 April 2020. Retrieved 25 October 2020.
- ^ Harvey, Dennis (1 December 2017). "Film Review: 'Gangster Land'". Variety. Archived from the original on 28 October 2020. Retrieved 25 October 2020.
- ^ THR Staff (30 November 2017). "'Gangster Land': Film Review". The Hollywood Reporter. Archived from the original on 28 October 2020. Retrieved 25 October 2020.
- ^ Murray, Noel (30 November 2017). "'Gangster Land' goes soft on crime (and authenticity)". Orlando Sentinel. Archived from the original on 28 October 2020. Retrieved 25 October 2020.