Movie: Rob the Mob
Director: Raymond De Felitta
Cast: Michael Pitt, Nina Arianda, Andy Garcia, Ray Romano, Burt Young
Rating: ***
“Rob the Mob” may be about two misfit crooks who rob the mob like nobody cares. But it’s actually a bizarre love story of two dopey characters incompetent to understand the danger they’ve put themselves in. It’s a film where you root for the stupidity of the lead characters, their innocent love and the bravado with which they rob mafia clubs. It’s a gem of a film when it’s not pitted against similar films in the same genre, especially those A-listed gangster flicks featuring top actors. In my opinion, the film is a touching (because it’s based on a true story) yet funny story of ill-fated lovers.
When Tommy (Pitt) gets arrested for attempting to rob a florist and is sentenced to jail time, his girlfriend Rosie takes control of her life by earning a job at a debt collection agency. She even manages to convince her boss to give Tommy a job when he’s released from prison. Tommy is out and joins Rosie in the new job. They both (at least Rosie does) dream of starting life anew, away from the bitter past and in hope of a better future. But it doesn’t take much time for Tommy to hate his job as soon as he realizes he isn’t cut out for it. He is more interested in the ongoing trial of mob boss John Gotti. He regularly attends the trial and takes notes. When names of popular mob joints are mentioned during the trial, Tommy notes down the addresses, and then robs them. He convinces Rosie to be the getaway car driver.
You laugh your ass off at the impotence of Tommy and Rosie. He can’t even handle his Uzi properly and she can’t unlock the stuck door of the car or even reverse smoothly when in a hurry. After he robs, he makes mobsters strip and lie on each other as if they are butt-fucking (he actually tells one guy to act as though he’s doing it). In another scene, he evens robs Italian shoes of a mobster. Most of it looks like an episode of Punked. At least, the pranks in Punked are preplanned but Tommy and Rosie have no plans whatsoever whenever they decide to rob a mob joint. They do it for fun because who cares when you rob the mob? When they’re called Bonnie and Clyde by the local newspaper, they decide to cash in on the popularity and get themselves interviewed with their real identities. That’s how crazy there are but all this doesn’t change the fact how much they love each other.
As the film reaches its end, you easily predict what’s about to unfold. Tommy and Rosie were prepared for everything when they decided to break bad and mess with the mob. Therefore, the inevitable end is justified. Pitt and Nina add grace to the film in their respective roles. You love them knowing they’re just amateurs because of their pleasant demeanor. Pitt was good and it’s absolutely fine even if we don’t talk about him, but the star of the film for me was Nina. You’re pulled in by her sincere performance of a hapless lover. Andy Garcia chips in with a fine performance as the mob lord and his relationship with his grandson is heartwarming.
