Wahlberg, Phoenix, Theron and Caan all fume with admirable passion and disciplined angst yet the muttering plot never gives them a chance to satisfyingly blow their lids. His emotional rawness in some scenes is so explosive, such a surprise, that it derails the film entirely and turns it into a one-man show. And The Godfather veteran Caan is just great at playing a scene as if it's documentary-spontaneous. In brief support, Burstyn deserves better than her stock worried-mum role. But here, she is nicely disciplined as Erica's knowing mother.
Any interest comes from the actors and their characters.
James Gray directed a similarly brooding tale of family sins in Little Odessa . Again, he has delivered a film which feels like a mumble, not a roar of rage. Luckily for Gray, he has fine actors who almost carry the thin story for him - almost.