Righteous Kill

Starring  Robert De Niro, Al Pacino, Carla Gugino

Directed by Jon Avnet

Please allow them to introduce themselves – although they need no introduction, surely, among film buffs that have been paying attention to American cinema for the past 40 years. With fourteen Oscar nominations between the two thespians, Robert De Niro and Al Pacino are indisputably the finest actors of their generation, and in this critic’s opinion, the finest American actors, period.

And for all of their outstanding work – from De Niro’s incredible Raging Bull (1980) to Pacino’s extraordinary Dog Day Afternoon (1975) – the two actors have only appeared in two films together: Francis Ford Coppola’s The Godfather Part II (1974), in which they did not share a scene; and Michael Mann’s Heat (1995), a brilliant crime epic in which they shared two scenes. I’m not complaining – both films rank among my personal favorites of all time. But Righteous Kill, the new cop-thriller from director Jon Avnet, boasts the privilege of De Niro and Pacino onscreen together for the entire running-length of the film.

In the seven-year period between 1973 and 1980 alone, De Niro shook the film world with his performances in Mean Streets (1973), The Godfather Part II (1974), Taxi Driver (1976), The Deer Hunter (1978), and Raging Bull (1980). He won the Best Supporting Actor Oscar in 1975 for The Godfather Part II and the Best Actor Oscar in 1981 for Raging Bull. This, of course, does not include his outstanding work in The King of Comedy (1983), Goodfellas (1990), Awakenings (1990), Cape Fear (1991), Heat (1995), Casino (1995), and Wag the Dog (1997).

Pacino has an equally impressive line-up, starting in the early 1970s with The Panic in Needle Park (1971), The Godfather (1972), Scarecrow (1973), Serpico (1973), The Godfather Part II (1974), Dog Day Afternoon (1975), Scarface (1983), Glengarry Glen Ross (1992), Scent of a Woman (1992), and The Insider (1999). He won the Best Actor Oscar in 1993 for Scent of a Woman.

Why do I remind readers of this film history before I even reveal my opinion of Righteous Kill? Far too many young people without any knowledge of film history will likely say, “Hey, want to go see the old guy from Meet the Fockers and the yelling actor from Ocean’s Thirteen in that new cop movie?” Blasphemy. Anybody who hasn’t seen The Deer Hunter or Dog Day Afternoon, quite frankly, probably won’t enjoy Righteous Kill in the manner in which it was meant to be enjoyed – as a throwback to two legends who, while certainly past their glory days, can still rock the house.

No, Righteous Kill isn’t anywhere near as good as Heat. In fact, without De Niro and Pacino, the whole film would probably sink. But I enjoyed it immensely, and I suspect mainstream audiences will like the film, too, even if they’re not familiar with the powerhouse performances of De Niro and Pacino.

Turk (De Niro) and Rooster (Pacino) are longtime New York Police Department officers tracking a serial killer who is murdering acquitted criminals. When the possibility arises that the murderer may, in fact, be a disgruntled police officer, suspicions abound in the department. The ethical question arises – are these murders righteous?

An interesting premise is there, sure. But beyond that, don’t expect great filmmaking – Jon Avnet is not Michael Mann – or even great supporting performances, aside from a surprisingly non-annoying John Leguizamo. Ideally, Martin Scorsese would have directed Righteous Kill, Paul Schrader would have written the script, and Mark Wahlberg and Ray Winstone would costar. But what we have instead is a standard cop thriller elevated by two great performances by the towering lead actors.

Are De Niro and Pacino still capable of great performances? Yes – Pacino has excelled in recent years in projects as varied as Insomnia (2002), Angels in America (2003), and The Merchant of Venice (2004). And De Niro scored a major dramatic turn in directing and costarring in The Good Shepherd (2006).

I liken their performances in Righteous Kill to the recent concert tours of The Rolling Stones - no, their recent work doesn’t match up to their unequaled brilliance in the 1960s, 1970s, 1980s, and 1990s – but who in the world would pass up the chance to see them together? De Niro and Pacino are the film equivalent of Mick Jagger and Keith Richards, still rocking the house better than any of the younglings. And you’d be a fool to pass up the chance to see them play their game.

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