Complete Fiction, But a Fun Movie

Rating: 7/10 (21 January 2013)

Federal Agent Eliot Ness (Kevin Costner) sets out to stop Al Capone (Robert DeNiro); because of rampant corruption, he assembles a small, hand-picked team.
The film starts with a beautiful opening shot, showing why Brian DePalma is a legendary director who knows colors and angles and how to make things seem larger than life. He continues this throughout the film, making everything look golden.
Historically, I think the movie fails. This is really more a film version of the television series than a film version of any real events. Some things, like the ledger and the jury switch, are based on reality. But the Frank Nitti here is nothing like the real Nitti, and to present Ness and Capone as bitter enemies is not particularly accurate -- the men never met.