Another film that never fully comes to life, but it does come a lot closer. “The Drop” is a slow-boiling crime film that doesn’t grab you but won’t fully put you to sleep either.
What Works: James Gandolfini’s final performance is required viewing for cineastes, and he owns every scene he’s in. His “Cousin Marv” is a bitter, pushed-aside gangster who had his turf stolen by newer immigrants, and a seething, resentful Gandolfini is a great Gandolfini. [It’s a little fun to picture the real-life actor’s frustrations at a movie business that never let him shine like TV did as motivation for his character.] The film itself sneaks up on you in several unexpected moments…
What Doesn’t: …But even those never become full-throttle involving. The mounting dread at the core of “The Drop” never really comes to a full boil. And Tom Hardy’s very mannered performance doesn’t fit the downbeat, ultra-authenticity the film is going for. Plus, the entire subplot with him taking care of a dog and a damaged woman is the main reason this movie feels so padded-out and stifled.
What I Would Have Done Differently: Either shortened some of the unnecessary subplots or made them more compelling, and maybe just tried to reign in Hardy’s “interpretation” of a blue collar loser who radiates noble depression so strongly it no longer feels realistic.