Director: Michaël R. Roskam

Film summary:  Bob Saginowski (Tom Hardy) tends the bar at his cousin Marv’s (James Gandolfini) previously owned business, occasionally handles drops of dirty cash. He soon finds himself caught in the middle of a murder investigation which gets deeper and embroils into involving eventually everyone.

I went to see this film at my favorite cinema in New York, Kew Gardens Cinema. It was not my first choice, but I sort of agreed to declare it as a tribute to the late and great James Gandolfini. I’m not really your crime- drama kind of girl, but I ended up enjoying it. I thought Tom Hardy was great! He was playing the slow Brooklyn accent guy who simply follows orders and innocently tending the bar. Even when things get really awry he doesn’t seem to lose his cool… maybe a little when a woman’s involved, but I’m not spoiling. After RocknRolla (Handsome Bob) and Locke (Ivan Locke) I say kudos to Mr. Hardy for yet another originally executed role. Defiantly not the typical guy behind the counter.

James Gandolfini, best known for his role as Tony Soprano, has topped my all time gangster list (needless to say!). Cousin Marv could not be a better fit, as Gandolfini is not unfamiliar with the manipulative, dirty handling of the mafia scene. Looking older but wiser, the guy who used to be respected and feared around the neighborhood, has to face his relegation by selling his bar to a stronger party, the Chechens, and now needs to gain it back. I kept remembering during the film that Mr. Gandolfini is no longer with us, which made me constantly sad. He was such a great actor, and would be greatly missed on the big screen.

Another character is the one of Nadia played by the tough and rough Noomi Rapace, also known for her unforgettable role as Lisbeth Salander in the Swedish Millennium trilogy. In this one she angled a different female perspective by playing a waitress (kind of leaving her badassary behind) with a past brought back all over again, starting with a strange encounter with Bob. I could still detect a shred of Salander in her, though. It’s stuck. She’s the dragon tattoo girl.

So, after all this, I do declare The Drop watchable and enjoyable, especially to those who have a flare for crime and sense of humor… and Tom Hardy.