Movie Review: “The Wannabe”, a mafia action thriller

Starring Vincent Piazza, Patricia Arquette, Michael Imperioli

Set in Bronx, NY during the infamous John Gotti trial, The Wannabe stars Vincent Piazza as Thomas, a troubled young man that wants desperately to be accepted into mob family life, but can’t seemed to find an “in.” In an effort to get the mob’s attention, Thomas makes it his life’s mission to help John Gotti walk and hopefully go from a “wannabe” to an actual member of the mafia. Patricia Arquette stars as Rose, Thomas’ girlfriend who thoroughly supports his efforts and even provides Thomas with a few leads from her own mob connections to help make his dream a reality.

When a bribe to get John Gotti a “Not Guilty” verdict that was being brokered by Thomas between a supposed corrupt juror and the mob goes bad, Thomas is shunned even more by the mafia, which becomes the tipping point where worlds collide. Rose and Thomas decide to start robbing known mob hangouts to not only get rich but to humiliate the mob as deeply as Thomas was by their constant rejection. The couple goes on a robbing spree that is fueled by rejection, drugs, and an emotional addiction to each other that ends in the most fatalistic of ways. Both Vincent and Patricia shine as deeply flawed outsiders trying to make sense out of life, love, and rejection in a world they want to be a part of, but will never fit in. The storyline is fluid, the cast is solid, and the attention to detail is great. Scorsese fans will not be disappointed by The Wannabe.

https://screen.yahoo.com/wannabe-trailer-160000654.html

The Wannabe

In Theaters and VOD December 4, 2015

Based on true events and Executive Produced by Martin Scorsese and Dean Devlin, comes The Wannabe, a story about Thomas (Piazza), a man obsessed with Mafia culture during the 1990s in New York City. When Thomas’s failed attempts to fix the trial of infamous mobster John Gotti gets him rejected by the people he idolizes most, he sets off on a drug infused crime spree with his girlfriend and longtime mob groupie, Rose (Arquette), by brazenly robbing the local Mafia hangouts.

Executive Producer Martin Scorsese had this to say:

When I read the script for The Wannabe, I wanted to see it made into a movie. I admired the work that Nick Sandow and Vincent Piazza and Patricia Arquette did on Boardwalk Empire, and I knew that Nick wanted to make something fresh with this special story. The Wannabe covers a fascinating phenomena, it’s a surprising and sometimes touching character study. I’m very proud to have worked with Vincent and his team on this picture.

Principal Cast:

Vincent Piazza

Patricia Arquette

Vincenzo Amato

David Zayas

Doug E. Doug

Domenick Lombardozzi

Michael Imperioli

Joseph Siravo

John Ventimiglia

Adriana Demeo

Neal Huff Daniel

Sauli Slaine

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt3059816/?ref_=metallife