Gotti opens with infamous
mobster, John Gotti, portrayed by Academy Award nominee John Travolta, standing
in front of the George Washington Bridge, breaking that fourth wall and
speaking to the audience to begin his narrative on the life he lived as the
crime boss of the Gambino family and his son that succeeded him. It is directed
by Entourage actor Kevin Connolly,
and also stars Spencer LoFranco as John Gotti Jr, and Kelly Preston as Gotti’s
wife, Victoria Gotti.
Connolly’s directing style is different but
refreshing. The budget on the film was small, and although that was somewhat noticeable it also set the tone for the movie to be a bit more gritty and
interesting. He skipped around a lot as far as the chronological timeline of
Gotti’s life, but he did it in a way that it was easy to follow, easy to
understand and able to keep the audience completely engaged throughout the
entire film. There were snippets of important events in his life, such as the
death of his 12 year old son Frankie, that showed who Gotti really was, not
only was he one of the most intimidating men probably in the country, but he
was a family man, a loving father that only wanted to protect his children. Grammy
award winner Pitbull composed the soundtrack for the film and each song flowed
perfectly throughout the movie. Some may argue that it was out of place, but
personally I feel as though it created the film to be even more riveting and different than all
the rest of the typical mafia films.
The acting in the film was decent, but John
Travolta’s performance was astounding. He completely transformed both
physically and emotionally into one of the most infamous mobsters of our time. His screen presence was perfect as he was daunting and at times rather frightening. Some critics may argue that he was over the
top, but honestly, I feel like the man John Gotti himself had to be a little
over the top, especially to have the nickname Dapper Don or Teflon Don,
he seemed like he would need to be a bit larger than life in order to run a
family in organized crime.
In conclusion, this film is highly
recommended for anyone that enjoys biographical crime dramas, great acting by
John Travolta and a new take on an old tale under the direction of Kevin
Connolly. You cannot walk into this film thinking you will see the next Godfather or Goodfellas or Bronx Tale,
it is an indie drama showcasing the rise and fall of family man crime boss John
Gotti. It is thrilling, expressive and informative and goes against the grain compared to the cliche mobster films.
