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The Many Saints of Newark (Sopranos prequel) Spoiler talk.
- Thread starter It’s Time To Go
- Start date
I'm not super sharp on the lore, but I'm surprised we got Silvio and Pauline and pussy shoved down our throats but no Richie Aprile, Feech, or Jackie's dad?
im also not clear on who was the "don" as that time
im also not clear on who was the "don" as that time
I enjoyed the film primarily because of the great acting and getting to see these characters again. Dickie, Harold, Giuseppina, and Livia in particular were so good.
But imo the story left a lot to be desired. Dickie's arc . . . he was a dick and then he died? Ok. I don't really understand Tony's arc. Dickie makes him pinky swear to avoid criminal activity, he is adamant he wants nothing to do with Mafia life by throwing speakers out the window, then Dickie is murdered and now he makes a pinky swear promising to be a gangster? I just didn't understand that character's jump, maybe I missed something.
I also didn't like how Harold's plot just fell off a cliff, and how Christopher provides narration from beyond the grave without ever really saying anything meaningful. This is a guy who was murdered by Tony, self aware about his own death, narrating a story about his father and Tony. But he never comes to terms with anything, or provide any commentary on what happened to him or what happened to his father. He's just a disembodied ghost voice. Is his only purpose to be self referential for fans? I don't really understand the choice to have him narrate.
Basically I guess I feel that several plot lines were half baked. Maybe the film tried to do too much.
It was still enjoyable though and I'll watch anything Sopranos related.
But imo the story left a lot to be desired. Dickie's arc . . . he was a dick and then he died? Ok. I don't really understand Tony's arc. Dickie makes him pinky swear to avoid criminal activity, he is adamant he wants nothing to do with Mafia life by throwing speakers out the window, then Dickie is murdered and now he makes a pinky swear promising to be a gangster? I just didn't understand that character's jump, maybe I missed something.
I also didn't like how Harold's plot just fell off a cliff, and how Christopher provides narration from beyond the grave without ever really saying anything meaningful. This is a guy who was murdered by Tony, self aware about his own death, narrating a story about his father and Tony. But he never comes to terms with anything, or provide any commentary on what happened to him or what happened to his father. He's just a disembodied ghost voice. Is his only purpose to be self referential for fans? I don't really understand the choice to have him narrate.
Basically I guess I feel that several plot lines were half baked. Maybe the film tried to do too much.
It was still enjoyable though and I'll watch anything Sopranos related.
As per his last conversation with Silvio he has him call Tony to discuss becoming involved at the restaurant we see him waiting at in the end.
This. The idea is that perhaps if Dickie lived he would've been able to successfully steer Tony away from that life. However, his death ensured Tony would become a gangster.
I agree with this though.
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Overall I enjoy it, but it has its shortcomings.
Wish there was more narration from Christopher and a bit more humor throughout the film.
The blind baseball scene was unnecessary and just out of place.
The film does end abruptly and felt rushed.
The marketing of the film leads heavily into Michael as Tony, but in actuality, Michael is only in less than half of the film. From a marketing viewpoint, makes total sense, given the popularity of the character, but was pleasantly surprised to see less of him.
Alessandro, Leslie, Vera, Michael, and Michela all do wonderful work with their characters.
Corey Stoll does an amazing job and is the surprise performance of the film.
Liotta is fine, but wish they didn't introduce the twin brother unless that's something mentioned in the show, I don't remember hearing about it.
As for Bernthal, no.
Wish there was more narration from Christopher and a bit more humor throughout the film.
The blind baseball scene was unnecessary and just out of place.
The film does end abruptly and felt rushed.
The marketing of the film leads heavily into Michael as Tony, but in actuality, Michael is only in less than half of the film. From a marketing viewpoint, makes total sense, given the popularity of the character, but was pleasantly surprised to see less of him.
Alessandro, Leslie, Vera, Michael, and Michela all do wonderful work with their characters.
Corey Stoll does an amazing job and is the surprise performance of the film.
Liotta is fine, but wish they didn't introduce the twin brother unless that's something mentioned in the show, I don't remember hearing about it.
As for Bernthal, no.
Nah he gave up on trying to not have him get involved when he set up the meeting. If he didn't want him to get in he would have kept ignoring him. Silvio convinced him to change his mind because he felt he would be a good addition. So in essence his death was deserved because he ignored his uncle's advice and his own desire to do a good dead by deciding to let Tony into the "family".
I have a few thoughts, but those last 20 seconds, and the theme kicks in, WHEW! I did a rewind and watched the ending twice. Felt good, damn..But holy shit Uncle Junior what a godawful piece of shit.
I dunno if focusing on Dickie was such a great idea tbh. I think the actor knocked it out of the park. I felt like everyone did a fantastic fucking job, and probably Ray Liotta's career best performance (yes, better than Goodfellas!). Essentially a double role, and playing two wildly different, polar opposite characters. I dont know if Tony Soprano Jr did a knockout job though. Felt he was alright. So yeah Dickie's story was a bit over the place. He's a racist and an all around piece of shit, but he was good to Tony soo...? I dont know what that makes him. He killed his own dad, made his step-mom his mistress and then kills her.
I felt the narration was forced though. Did studio mandate it, because it felt people were too alienated? I think it works perfectly fine without Christopher narrating it. I think overall it is an 8/10 movie. I dont think it really "defined" Tony Soprano. It was just...a slice of life in Newark Mafia. Maybe could have worked as a special Sopranros extended episode or something.
I dunno if focusing on Dickie was such a great idea tbh. I think the actor knocked it out of the park. I felt like everyone did a fantastic fucking job, and probably Ray Liotta's career best performance (yes, better than Goodfellas!). Essentially a double role, and playing two wildly different, polar opposite characters. I dont know if Tony Soprano Jr did a knockout job though. Felt he was alright. So yeah Dickie's story was a bit over the place. He's a racist and an all around piece of shit, but he was good to Tony soo...? I dont know what that makes him. He killed his own dad, made his step-mom his mistress and then kills her.
I felt the narration was forced though. Did studio mandate it, because it felt people were too alienated? I think it works perfectly fine without Christopher narrating it. I think overall it is an 8/10 movie. I dont think it really "defined" Tony Soprano. It was just...a slice of life in Newark Mafia. Maybe could have worked as a special Sopranros extended episode or something.
I looked it up and you're right – and there's no character with that last name in movie. Somehow the don never shows up; Incredible
not like they're very important. in the show the DiMeos are never shown and barely mentioned.
In the show the Dimeo's had been supplanted by the Aprile's. You know, the Don in the first episode, and his dumbass son with delusions of grandeur in the following seasons. Plus, the widow is Carmella's best friend.
David Chase plays Eckley DiMeo at Buddha's funeral - and Junior says "Eckley, how's the boy?" I believe he is mentioned in season 1 as being in prison with a life sentence.
Wow. Not surprised Chase went uncredited.David Chase plays Eckley DiMeo at Buddha's funeral - and Junior says "Eckley, how's the boy?" I believe he is mentioned in season 1 as being in prison with a life sentence.
Thanks
I might be wrong on this, but I'm pretty sure the narration was added last minute, after test screenings, because viewers couldn't work out who certain characters were.
OP
OP
The original framing of the movie was going to involve Edie Falco returning as Carmela, but they changed direction and those scenes were cut for Chris's narration.
One little touch that I enjoyed was that Christopher's whole "The Great Dickie Moltisanti was nothing more than an alcoholic and a junkie" speech was a result of Livia passing it around for 30 years.
Could be wrong though, with the beep baseball and disappearing uncle scene.
Could be wrong though, with the beep baseball and disappearing uncle scene.
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Sepinwall mentioned they shot several different intros that were scrapped, including the Carmella stuff.
I felt like this prequel was totally useless and added nothing to the whole Sopranos franchise apart from showing how insecure Junior was and has always been. Maybe it could have worked as a series so each character got fleshed out properly but here everything goes by too fast. I just finished the sopranos for the first time last month and it doesn't even come close.
I enjoyed it, it's a little mixed and the Sopranos isn't a show that really needs a prequel, but spending more time with the characters and world is worth it. Some good performances, and I really enjoyed the Newark riots and Harold's character. I think this would have worked so much better as a mini series, and if Chase does produce more, which is likely, I'd prefer there to be mini series going forward
Yeah it's pretty ambiguous in the show but it's pretty much confirmed now that Tony was just manipulating Chris. Or maybe even killing two birds with one stone and needed to get rid of that cop who as Tony says "outlived his usefulness"
I watched this with no prior knowledge of the Sopranos with my Dad and all I took away from it was how much Vera absolutely killed it in this movie.
He was playing him gay, it was bizarre. The face and deliveries seemed passable but the head and body language was so over the top
I was into this up until the ending. It just felt really, really rushed. Junior's motivation for having Dickie whacked was so half-baked.
I felt like we should have had more scenes between teenage Tony and Dickie too.
Yeah, my girlfriend and I had been speculating during the movie that Tony would observe Dickie's death or somehow learn about it. I've always had the impression that he knew more than he let on.
There's still potential that they are waiting to tell the story about how Tony learned about Dickie's death but I hate it when movies hold back for a potential sequel.
I felt like we should have had more scenes between teenage Tony and Dickie too.
Yeah, my girlfriend and I had been speculating during the movie that Tony would observe Dickie's death or somehow learn about it. I've always had the impression that he knew more than he let on.
There's still potential that they are waiting to tell the story about how Tony learned about Dickie's death but I hate it when movies hold back for a potential sequel.
Like in his last scene with Dickie, he overdid it with his neck tilt, made him look like he scoliosis or something lol
For real. Nobody acts like that in real life. He was already ridiculous in the show.
Just watched it after finishing a rewatch of Sopranos and...I was very underwhelmed. It wasn't bad though there was a lot of caricatures running around and it felt really unnecessary? I expected to see Tony grow into what we knew him as but it just..ended. Can't say I'll remember much about it or even think back to it when I think about the Sopranos.
Should have been a limited series. Moved too fast. Could have easily been 8 episodes split 4 and 4. Then again more length doesn't always fix pacing, as seen with The Irishman.
Other than that it was fine. A few laughs, some good scenes. Enjoyable, forgettable.
Other than that it was fine. A few laughs, some good scenes. Enjoyable, forgettable.
Agree with this mostly.
And yeah, the shoe-horned show references were a bit much.
Should have been a short series. It felt like 2 episodes of the show, which is fine, but definitely felt unfulfilling.
One of the saddest parts of this movie is that it shows that Livia did love her children and maybe if Dickie lived a little longer she might have gotten the help she needed with those meds he was going to try to get her to take.
It didn't take long for them to show the audience how much of a piece of shit all these people were though.
It didn't take long for them to show the audience how much of a piece of shit all these people were though.
So is Paulie and yet Paulie's actor wasn't so over-the-top with the impersonation. Chase even said he found Paulie the most difficult to cast for as he's the most cartoonish character in the show.
Did she? She's insane. Perhaps if she had gotten medicated this would've changed things, but without she didn't show much compassion.
from the movie i gather that after johnny's prison sentence broke livia, she was alot more normal before the timeskip. after the timeskip to when johnny is released, she showed her issues alot more.
There's one scene where the counselor tells her about one of Tony's most favorite memories of his life and it's about her reading a story to him in bed and just hugging him. She gets all emotional then tries to cook Tony breakfast and have a good conversation with him but it quickly goes bad because she's fucking nuts by that point and her mind is twisting her all over the place.
It's probably a sub-plot that would've been way better if the movie was a new series instead.
Yeah, that's the scene I was thinking of though. She initially tries to be nice but quickly deteriorates.
The movie was good for what it is. Sopranos got 6 seasons to tell their story and here we have a 2 hour movie trying to fill in a rich backstory that we only saw flashbacks of in the original series. They should of at least given this a limited series of 13 episodes to flesh everything out. I do hope that if this movie does okay in what HBO and Warner are looking at numbers, maybe they do give this movie a few TV seasons to fully tell their story.
Well, that is actually a legit complaint there. Du fuq writers.
It's definitely overstuffed and I think it gets muddled as a result, but it was still entertaining. I think a miniseries would have been a better format here, but even just another 20-30 minutes would have given them a lot more breathing room to make all of the threads work.
Coming off watching some bits and pieces of the show again recently you definitely see the budget on screen. The riot stuff, the shootout at the bar, the beach scene, I appreciated the visual boost. The guy who plays Dickie, where has he been all this time? I know he's been a working actor forever, but he really pops here and should be in more stuff.
Coming off watching some bits and pieces of the show again recently you definitely see the budget on screen. The riot stuff, the shootout at the bar, the beach scene, I appreciated the visual boost. The guy who plays Dickie, where has he been all this time? I know he's been a working actor forever, but he really pops here and should be in more stuff.