A portrayal of Al Capone’s later years of life, after he has left prison, deemed safe to live in exile. His mental capacity is diminishing daily; suffering from dementia. His wife, Mae, cares for him as he tries to find peace, but he is haunted by his violent past.
The look of the film is beautiful, with scenes of Al Capone’s big and flamboyant home in Florida, as well as intricate make up and costume design, which is almost unnoticeable in the colourful film. The dream sequences are vibrant and theatrical, which add a sense of drama and extravagance to the film.
The beginning sees Capone (Tom Hardy) understand some of the changes happening around him, although this gradually declines, and he becomes more erratic and irate as time goes on. He dislikes the men working around the house, clearing it of his prized possessions in order to make money to feed his family and children, who are unable to work due to their tainted name. There is a statue that is the pinnacle of his attention, that he does not wish to be removed. The film does not indulge the audience in providing details of why this is, and is one of the many mysteries the film expects its audience to ask, but never resolves. The Statue is of a women holding a globe, at first we only see this statue from behind, the shape is like a phallus, and perhaps hints that as Capone possessions are removed, he is emasculated, removing the powerful, dominating man that he once was.
There are further plotlines that intrigue us as an audience, his son, the hidden $10m, and the dream scenes that leave us not sure what to believe. There are phone calls throughout the film from his estranged son, but no dialogue happens between them. There are hints that there is love there but also a complicated relationship. They are reunited at the end, but with no clear conclusion on this plot line. In addition there is also no proof that Al Capone ever had a bastard son, so this is a creative fiction to highlight that a man of his stance may have had many affairs.
The hidden $10m is mentioned regularly and hints to the audience to be a crucial storyline of the film. All of his relationships; family, friends (those real and unreal), as well as police officials seem to orientate around finding the hidden money. Yet again, there is no close to this subplot to satisfy the audiences’ appetite and we are left again wondering.
Capone’s mind is fragile and this is portrayed through the dream sequences, there is likeness in the dream imagery to that of his reality, making it hard to differentiate. We feel trapped, like Capone, unable to distinguish between what is fantasy, a memory or his reality. The camera follows Capone’s view, which is distorted and confused, a world in which his mind resides.
It should be noted there is a strong cast with many famous actors known for their success; Tom Hardy, Linda Cardellini, Matt Dillon, but their talent is wasted on a non-existent plot, with little truth to tell. The untruths that are told do no give the most realistic portrayal of Capone’s life or feel like an adventure or journey the audience are compelled to participate in. With little truth or enigmatic storyline, this is a film I would not watch again and almost do not understand why it was made. The hidden meanings, the story, the adventure, the truths that are normally told within a film were not there.
What visually begins as a captivating film, by the end is flat and dull; it feels as though the time watching has been wasted.
Rating: 4/10
Image: IMDB
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