Announced for many months, Sons of Philadelphia presented itself as the most anticipated film of the end of 2020 with a release set for December 30. Alas, the health crisis has postponed its theatrical release… But suddenly, this dark thriller is already becoming the most anticipated film of the beginning of 2021!
And for good reason, the feature film by young prodigy Jérémie Guez, carried by the excellent Matthias Schoenaerts, presents undeniable qualities.
A classic but solid story
To make his second feature film, the French Jeremie Guez was inspired by the novel “Brotherly Love“, published in 1991. Investigative journalist, Pete Dexter, the author of the book was very good at transcribing the atmosphere so particularly of American organized crime.
The story takes place in Philadelphia… as the title of the film suggests! On the death of his father, Peter was welcomed into the family of Michael, his cousin. 30 years later, the two young men have become thugs with very different characters. But Michael begins to irritate the local mafia.
Note that Jérémie Guez does not take an ill-considered risk with the framework of his scenario. The story is fairly conventional for a thriller, with the underworld as a backdrop.
A film about the mafia but not only
American cinema already contains films on the Mafia, including works that will remain in our memory such as The Godfather, Once Upon a Time in America, Scarface or even Goodfellas.
So necessarily a question arises: can the film of the young French director compete with such masterpieces? Probably not, but Sons of Philadelphia has some real inherent qualities.
First of all, even though Jérémie Guez is only 32 years old, he has a perfect mastery of directing, the dialogues are punchy and he directs his actors with a masterful hand. Speaking of actor, we must underline the beautiful performance of actor Matthias Schoenaerts, who lends his features to Peter. More than a film on the mafia, this film paints us a very beautiful portrait of two brothers that everything seems to oppose (a bit like in the sublime The night belongs to us).
Why should you go see Sons of Philadelphia?
Even if the programming of dark rooms is currently very uncertain due to the health crisis, Sons of Philadelphia should not be seen as a simple consolation prize. Of course, films like Dune, Wonder Woman 1984, Fast & Furious 9 or No Time To Die, already postponed many times, are more expected … but will they be better for all that?
Obviously, if you like romantic comedies, it is advisable to go your way by consoling yourself with the multiple reruns of Christmas TV movies that the terrestrial channels will not fail to program at the end of the year. But if you are a fan of black films with charismatic characters, a gripping plot and a neat staging, do not hesitate to go see sons of Phildelphia.
Finally, it should be noted that the film was nominated at the Deauville American Film Festival in the “Premieres – Out of competition” category. Promising in more than one way, we can’t wait to discover this thriller in the cinema… as before! It remains to be seen when theaters can reopen and when the film will be released here.
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