We Own the Night

Name: We Own the Night
Genre: Drama, Thriller, Crime
Released: October 12, 2007
Duration: 117 min
Rating: 59
Cast: Eva Mendes, Joaquin Phoenix, Mark Wahlberg

2007

METASCORE

Mixed or average reviews based on 33 Critic Reviews

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USER SCORE

Generally favorable reviews based on 83 Ratings

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6.2

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6.2	User Score Generally favorable reviews based on 83 Ratings

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We Own The Night

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Movie Details & Credits

Columbia Pictures | Release Date: October 12, 2007 | R

Starring: Eva Mendes, Joaquin Phoenix, Mark Wahlberg

Summary: Bobby Green has turned his back on the family business. The popular manager of El Caribe, the legendary Russian-owned nightclub in Brooklyn's Brighton Beach, he has changed his last name and concealed his connection to a long line of distinguished New York cops. For Bobby, every night is a party; he greets friends and customers or dancesBobby Green has turned his back on the family business. The popular manager of El Caribe, the legendary Russian-owned nightclub in Brooklyn's Brighton Beach, he has changed his last name and concealed his connection to a long line of distinguished New York cops. For Bobby, every night is a party; he greets friends and customers or dances with his beautiful Puerto Rican girlfriend, Amada, in a haze of cigarette smoke and disco music. But it's 1988, and New York City's drug trade is escalating. Bobby tries to keep a friendly distance from the Russian gangster who is operating out of the nightclub--a gangster who is being targeted by his brother, Joseph, an up-and-coming NYPD officer, as well as his father, Burt, the legendary deputy chief of police. (Columbia Pictures)… Expand

Director: James Gray

Genre(s): Drama, Thriller, Crime

Rating: R

Runtime: 117 min

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Metascore

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Critic Reviews

Peter Rainer

It's awfully difficult at this point in film history to come up with a car chase that's startlingly new, but Gray pulls it off. It's the best of its kind since "The French Connection." Read full review

Scott Tobias

Whatever the case, We Own The Night plays like a masterpiece because it skillfully appropriates actual masterpieces, not because it earns the label on its own merits. Read full review

James Berardinelli

With a cast like this, one has a right to expect something amazing, so the fact that We Own the Night is merely "entertaining" might cause disappointment in some quarters. Read full review

Ken Fox

Phoenix gives a nice performance as a man caught between loyalties but blind to the realities all around him, but Gray's screenplay is filled with clunky, Dr. Phil-sounding aphorisms that stop the movie cold. Read full review

Kevin Crust

It's a bare-knuckled crime drama set in 1988 that stylistically could have been made that year and emphasizes Gray's strengths as a director while drawing attention to his limitations as a writer. Read full review

A.O. Scott

The problem with We Own the Night is that it mistakes sentiment for profundity, and takes its ideas about character and fate more seriously than it takes its characters and their particular fates. “I feel light as a feather,” Bobby says in a crucial scene, at which point the movie starts to sink like a stone. Read full review

Don R. Lewis

Falls into the category of the contrived and forgettable cop drama. Read full review

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User Reviews

birdmannavy

Aug 8, 2014

It is difficult to see a movie this great and made so recently get so little love on the internet. James Gray is a superb filmmaker, though I don't really like, at all, his "Two Lovers", also with Joaquin. Anyway, he and the whole crew of Night don't deserve less than the highest plaudits.It is difficult to see a movie this great and made so recently get so little love on the internet. James Gray is a superb filmmaker, though I don't really like, at all, his "Two Lovers", also with Joaquin. Anyway, he and the whole crew of Night don't deserve less than the highest plaudits.

I don't feel that I can carry the only positive user review on metacritic. At this writing only one other person has bothered to write a review with the dismal score of a 4/10. I haven't got the words because I am utterly bummed. Easily this could have been in the running for the Academy Awards had the critics made it their darling. This is proof that when they don't want you to like something, you--not me--won't like it. If they want you to love it, you'll love it. I have to wonder how they got pissed off, were they not invited to an advanced viewing? I wanted to see a whole row of 100's, but the top score is an 83!

To humor you, I liked this movie more than Cronenberg's Eastern Promises, also a Perfect Ten to me, also out in 2007. There is cop/crime/russians in Night and Promises both, and a familial connection as far as crime fathers are concerned and loyalty to them; but Night is far more personal and human with a literal blood family carrying the majority of the drama. If you like Promises you'll see that there are plenty of differences between the two films, and the similarities are only skin deep, so no slurs should be made about either one being the copy of the other. Also see the less similar but not less superb End of Watch.… Expand

1 of 1 users found this helpful10

JettN.

Oct 19, 2007

Anyone who did'nt love this movie doesn't know what a good movie is. It is one of the most emotionally moving films i have seen i n a long time. Stellar performances by the whole cast, ignore these guys, go see it now.

0 of 0 users found this helpful

LoRevisor

Jan 5, 2015

Um filme recheado de brilhantes atuações Joaquin Phoenix,Robert Duvall,Eva Mendes e Mark Wahlberg.
Um super filme,a ovelha negra da família (Joaquin Phoenix) se coloca nos eixos entra para polícia depois que seu irmão é quase morto por aqueles que eram seus amigos.
Agora junto com o irmãoUm filme recheado de brilhantes atuações Joaquin Phoenix,Robert Duvall,Eva Mendes e Mark Wahlberg.
Um super filme,a ovelha negra da família (Joaquin Phoenix) se coloca nos eixos entra para polícia depois que seu irmão é quase morto por aqueles que eram seus amigos.
Agora junto com o irmão (Mark Wahlberg) e o pai (Robert Duvall) ambos da polícia combatem traficantes que enfestam a Nova York dos anos 80.… Expand

0 of 0 users found this helpful00

HurQlez

Jul 25, 2019

A bland cop movie that doesn't really stand out as much as I remember. The acting was as bland as the blue filter they placed in the movie.

0 of 0 users found this helpful00

JayH.

Feb 7, 2008

Imagine, a story about two brothers on opposite sides of the law..like that hasn't been done a million times before! Besides it's lack of originality, it has a negativity that leaves the viewer with a foul taste. It has one great car chase, the rest is predictable and slow moving. Imagine, a story about two brothers on opposite sides of the law..like that hasn't been done a million times before! Besides it's lack of originality, it has a negativity that leaves the viewer with a foul taste. It has one great car chase, the rest is predictable and slow moving. The characters are poorly developed. It is well produced however, and the actors do indeed try.… Expand

0 of 0 users found this helpful

fatsmiley

Oct 16, 2007

Calling this film unoriginal would be a serious understatement. I had hoped these were going to be dark and complex characters, but they weren't, they were whiney and annoying. And you couldn't care less about the problems of these 2 brothers or what happens to them, since all we Calling this film unoriginal would be a serious understatement. I had hoped these were going to be dark and complex characters, but they weren't, they were whiney and annoying. And you couldn't care less about the problems of these 2 brothers or what happens to them, since all we know about them is that ones a cop and one is a night club manager - and dad favors one over the other. It's almost like you're dropped into the middle of this film, like you missed the first hour. Also, I thought this film would have strongly benefited from more camera angles, sharper editing and most importantly, heavier mood music ....something, ANYTHING to bring you into this bland story.… Expand

0 of 0 users found this helpful

JoyceC.

Oct 30, 2007

We Own the Night is a movie about how Martin Scorseses still does, don't expect a crime/drama, this is more of an action/adventure, wow was I sure wrong. Mark Walhberg is the most failing actor recorded in by book, his character is boring, and Joaquin Phoenix, did he ever copy leo in We Own the Night is a movie about how Martin Scorseses still does, don't expect a crime/drama, this is more of an action/adventure, wow was I sure wrong. Mark Walhberg is the most failing actor recorded in by book, his character is boring, and Joaquin Phoenix, did he ever copy leo in the departed. A total waste, the dumbest film of the year, James Gray wrote a story about the war upon night, and many clubs and characters. Sound like prohibition, but guess what, we don't have prohibition any more, it hasn't happened.… Expand

0 of 1 users found this helpful

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