ViewGuide

Created May 25, 2013 04:33PM PST • Edited May 25, 2013 04:33PM PST

1. Quality

2. Summary

   Great 4.0

   LA gangsters in 1949 are just like you’d imagine — totally Hollywood. I wonder what would happen if you pitted Mikey Cohen and crew against Al Capone in Chicago or the Gambino clan in NY? They might have a fair chance, but I’d give the edge to Capone. That said, Sean Penn is perfect for a Hollywood gangster. He’s no Al Pacino, but he pulls off some notable mean-ass antics. But the meanest of them all were the gangster squad members themselves, who crossed the gray line frequently to get their man. As you’d expect, there is plenty of engaging action – lots of bullets flying and enough bad behavior to make it all great entertainment.

4. Acting

   Great 4.0

   Gangster had a really great crew. A great bad-guy performance from Sean Penn is well placed against the tough-guy/good-guy Mick Betancourt and his notable crew with Ryan Gosling, Josh Brolin, and Chief hot-air producer Nick Nolte. Oh, and Emma Stone does a bang-up job bouncing from Penn to Brolin.

5. Male Stars Great 4.0

6. Female Stars Great 4.0

7. Female Costars Great 4.0

8. Male Costars Great 4.0

10. Film

    Very Good 3.5

11. Direction Very Good 3.5

12. Play Very Good 3.5

13. Music Very Good 3.5

14. Visuals Very Good 3.5
15. Content

16. Edge

    Risqué 2.0

17. Sex Titillating 2.0

18. Violence Fierce 2.0

19. Rudeness Salty 2.0

21. Reality

    Glib 1.6

22. Circumstantial Glib 1.6

23. Biological Glib 1.6

24. Physical Glib 1.6