Cast: Colin Farrell, Edward Norton, Jon Voight, Noah Emmerich, Jennifer Ehle; Director: Gavin O'Connor; Producer: Greg O’Connor; Screenwriters: Joe Carnahan & Gavin O'Connor; Music: Mark Isham; Editors: Lisa Zeno Churgin, John Gilroy; Genre: Drama/ Action; Cinematography: Declan Quinn; Distributor: New Line Cinema; Location: USA; Running Time: 125 min.;Technical Assessment: 3
Moral Assessment: 2.5
CINEMA Rating: For mature viewers 18 and above
NYPD Det. Ray Tierney (Edward Norton) hails from a family of cops. His father, Francis Sr. (Jon Voight) is the chief of police of Manhattan, and his brother, Francis, Jr. (Noah Emmerich) and brother-in-law Jimmy (Collin Farrel) are also on the force. Ray, who has been on semi-exile, goes back to the service upon the request of his father to investigate the murder of the four policemen who are all his Francis Jr.’s men. Ray’s investigation leads him to suspect Jimmy as the murder’s culprit that further reveals more secrets complicating their family’s name and intertwined blood relationships.
The first part of the movie is quite impressive with various new elements put into an otherwise familiar cop story. However, as the movie reaches its climax, it resorted to a contrived plot that jeopardizes the entire movie and makes it a letdown. There are even some subplots that are quite irrelevant to the story like the dying wife of Francis Jr. that neither moved the story forward nor added tension to the plot. The ensemble of topnotch actors led by Norton and Farrell saved the day. Although they are predictably good actors, they still never fail to surprise their audience with the kind of depth and sensitivity they bring into their characters.
Perhaps it is expected of the genre to have more than a hundred times mention of the “F” word with sometimes sexual implications and racial discrimination, but the same reason makes the movie distasteful and not fit for viewers younger than 18. The violence in the movie, although in context, may still result in a desensitizing effect on audiences who are susceptible to media influence. One particular scene where Jimmy threatens to burn a baby with flat iron is offensive and emotionally stressful. The policemen’s integrity is once again put into question in the movie. In Pride and Glory, the men in uniform could be drug dealers, money launderers, robbers, or liars. Is it right to conceal the truth in the name of pride and glory? Does the end justify the means? These are some of the moral questions in the movie that are left for the audience to answer. But then again, in the end, those who have sinned are punished and the least evil ends up to be the last man standing.
