Unspectacular

Rating: 5/10 (11 June 2006)

There's nothing tragically wrong with Brian De Palma's THE UNTOUCHABLES. Yet as the credits roll, I'm left with the undeniable feeling that this wasn't so great.
When you see a great movie, it hits you fast and sure. There's no doubt. Kevin Costner's performance on the other hand left me with a lot of doubt. I'm left wondering if the real Eliot Ness could have possibly been as one-dimensional in his pursuit of honourable justice. Even more disappointing is Robert De Niro as Al Capone. We are given no insight into the brilliant criminal mind of Capone. What we see is an articulate gangster who throws an abundance of hissy fits. Still, the sheer energy that De Niro brings is refreshing to watch.
Arriving to rescue the film are Sean Connery and Andy Garcia. Connery is decidedly not an Irishman, but who's paying attention? In Malone we see a man beyond the basic notions of justice, and we are genuinely touched by his death. I could hardly say the same if Ness had bit the bullet. Garcia's character is convincingly mysterious. He wants to be a cop, and I'm eager to know the reason.
There's no shortage of cringe-worthy scenes, reminding us of the supersaturated and clichéd state of the gangster movie genre. One example can be found in Costner's refusal of a bribe from the mob early on in the film. Another can be found in the stupidly heroic shotguns-blazing liquor convoy raid at a bridge in Canada. To compensate, there are some great moments like the train station arrest of Capone's bookkeeper.
It should be mentioned that the whole movie strikes with a less than serious surreal attitude, which was pivotal to SCARFACE, but incompatible with the very real story of Al Capone.
In the end, the movie works. I enjoyed it, and that's more important than anything else.