Many moviegoers presumed that James Gandolfini’s sweet natured role in Enough Said, which was released last September and earned him a Screen Actors Guild nomination, was his last film. However, Gandolfini’s final big screen appearance is actually in The Drop, a new thriller from Bullhead director Michaël R. Roskam with a screenplay from crime author Dennis Lehane (novelist of Gone Baby Gone and Shutter Island), based on his short story.
Although Enough Said was a lighthearted venture for the actor best known for playing Tony Soprano on HBO, The Drop feels like a more appropriate legacy for him, given his omnipresence in crime dramas over the years in both film and television.
In The Drop, Gandolfini plays Marv, the cousin of a New York bartender named Bob Saginowski (played by Tom Hardy). The film’s title comes from how the “drop bar” that Saginowski manages is a place where criminals drop their dirty money. However, when his bar is robbed, both men start dealing with some shadier types, drawing them back into a life of crime, violence and retribution.
Gandolfini looks well in his element here and this could merit similar awards buzz to his Enough Said role. From what’s shown here, the film looks like a mix of A History of Violence and The Place Beyond the Pines and in my eyes, that’s definitely a good thing.
Roskan’s film boasts a terrific ensemble of international stars as well, including Noomi Rapace, Animal Kingdom‘s James Frecheville and Rust and Bone‘s Matthias Schoenaertes (who rejoins his Bullhead director). With a gritty aesthetic, a quality cast and a fall release date set for September 19th, The Drop could be a serious awards contender or festival favourite later in the year.
Perhaps the Academy can mend one of their biggest snubs if Gandolfini manages to deliver a deep, riveting performance here?