Taking Down Al Capone

Rating: 7/10 (16 February 2015)

Chicago in the 1930's. Prohibition. Crime. Corruption. Gangsters. And standing over it all was the biggest gangster of all: Al Capone, ruthless, heartless and vicious. And taking on Al Capone, devoting himself to the task, was Treasury man Elliott Ness and his team, known as "The Untouchables." This movie is very loosely based on those historical events, and is also in lineage with an old TV series of the same name. It's no history lesson, but it does give a bit of a taste of the era and - most important for a movie - it's entertaining. It's pretty graphic at times, and at other times it manages to be humorous. From time to time it even brings out an emotional reaction in the viewer.
I give credit to the cast. The movie featured strong performances all round. As Ness and Capone, Kevin Costner and Robert de Niro were excellent, and Sean Connery (in an Oscar winning turn) shone as Ness's associate Malone.
The atmosphere of the movie was excellent, especially in portraying the extent of the corruption in the city at the time: from police to the judiciary and all the way to the mayor. It was actually pretty sobering in that sense. As well done as it was, my only criticism would be that it seems to only barely scratch the surface of Capone's criminal empire, and his trial seems anti-climactic. Otherwise, it's very well done. (7/10)