Can Tom Hardy just finish season 2 of Taboo already? This is a waste of his time and talent.
522 Reviews
Seriously....
mjh8812 May 2020
misdeeds come back to haunt you
lee_eisenberg9 August 2020
Al Capone remains one of the most famous and iconic gangsters of all time. During the 1920s he practically owned Chicago (owing in part to prohibition). After spending several years in jail, he got released to his residence in Florida to live out the rest of his life. Suffering from neurosyphilis, Capone could only sit around reminiscing on his life of crime.
Josh Trank's "Capone" looks at this. Tom Hardy plays the moribund criminal. It's one intense performance. The rest of the characters didn't really stick in my mind. It's an OK movie, not great.
PS: Al Capone once said "Never trust a cop. You never know when he might go straight."
Josh Trank's "Capone" looks at this. Tom Hardy plays the moribund criminal. It's one intense performance. The rest of the characters didn't really stick in my mind. It's an OK movie, not great.
PS: Al Capone once said "Never trust a cop. You never know when he might go straight."
A Waste of a Great Hardy
Lefteris-Anagnostopoulos12 May 2020
I love gangster movies and I am a big fan of Tom Hardy, ok? So I had every reason in the universe to anticipate this movie. Aaand as you can see from my rating I didn't like it. Main reason? It was boring! It was aimless and boring!
I 'm only writing this review to praise Tom Hardy who (as per usual) gave his 100% and disappeared in the role of Capone. He's the brightest star in a pile of... well, you get it.
Check this movie for his performance if you have patience. If not... I don't know... go watch Boardwalk Empire? \_(0.0)_/
I 'm only writing this review to praise Tom Hardy who (as per usual) gave his 100% and disappeared in the role of Capone. He's the brightest star in a pile of... well, you get it.
Check this movie for his performance if you have patience. If not... I don't know... go watch Boardwalk Empire? \_(0.0)_/
Capone, childlike, in his last years.
TxMike1 October 2020
This movie has a very low IMDb rating mainly because many viewers wanted this to be a different movie, perhaps one of Al Capone's whole life. But it isn't, it focuses on the very last year or so when he was at his Florida mansion, his mind mostly childlike, his memory poor, his health failing, and his phobias in full display.
Al Capone's life of crime is pretty well known by anyone who pays attention, and his imprisonment was for tax evasion, that was the only easy way to get a conviction. But in prison his mental faculties were progressively eroded by neurosyphilis, something he never recovered from.
No one really knows what was going on in Capone's head during his last year or so but this script if nothing else shows the chaos that surely must have been present. Towards that goal, to show that this career criminal had a hell on Earth towards the end, it is a well-made movie. I watched it streaming on the Kanopy site via my public library's subscription.
Although set in Florida it was filmed in Louisiana, mostly Covington, New Orleans, and surrounding areas.
Al Capone's life of crime is pretty well known by anyone who pays attention, and his imprisonment was for tax evasion, that was the only easy way to get a conviction. But in prison his mental faculties were progressively eroded by neurosyphilis, something he never recovered from.
No one really knows what was going on in Capone's head during his last year or so but this script if nothing else shows the chaos that surely must have been present. Towards that goal, to show that this career criminal had a hell on Earth towards the end, it is a well-made movie. I watched it streaming on the Kanopy site via my public library's subscription.
Although set in Florida it was filmed in Louisiana, mostly Covington, New Orleans, and surrounding areas.
Absolute pile of nonsense
kerriedossett25 February 2021
Deserves the bad ratings
margarita_voul6 June 2020
Hardy's Brilliance
karamolegos_george17 May 2020
If you are expecting shootings and Godfather alike you are watching the wrong movie and unfortunately people don't even read what this movie was about hence the low rating.The movie is esoteric.Is about his entrapment in his own mind and about the straggling with his own demons of the past.Hardy once again is just ridiculously amazing.
Waste of Tom Hardy
allanclarke13 May 2020
Underrated: Not a Gangster Biopic, Not What People Expected
MackMonMay8716 May 2020
Warning: Spoilers
The biopic is a safe Hollywood bet that studios, producers, and filmmakers love. Take a historical figure and/or someone well known, cast a well-liked dramatic actor and fill the script with the typical beats of rising up from mediocrity or poverty, show their struggle and talent, their triumphs, the moments where they become who we know them to be, and then their downfall or their age.
This is a tried and true formula that the movie industry loves, and every year, there's at least one of these, usually about music artists, but also sometimes about athletes or other outstanding pop culture figures, and in some cases, criminals. "Capone" with Tom Hardy directed by Josh Trank follows none of these familiar beats and doesn't play to any of these well-worn expectations.
I think one of the reasons this movie has so many low ratings is due to viewers who love The Godfather, Scarface, Goodfellas, and the long line of classics in the gangster subgenre having their expectations subverted when they encountered a slower paced, methodical, sad, strangely comedic, offbeat portrayal of a feared member of America's criminal underworld at his lowest point: desperately trying to hang on to the man he used to be while suffering from the ravages of Syphilis.
A lot of people love to see gangsters get away with crime, rise to power, and to see a film that glamorizes a life of crime, and that's not what you get here. Maybe this was misadvertised, but I saw a performance from Tom Hardy that captured the pain and frustration of being trapped in a body that's betraying you, all the while surrounded by people you're not sure you can trust, with the memories of the past turning from pleasant to nightmarish in the space of a second.
The film is for the most part beautifully shot with sometimes an almost horror-movie level of suspense, and the idea of what is and isn't real is played with, bringing you into Capone's mindset in his last few months. It's not a perfect film, and is slow moving at points, but Hardy's performance always reels everything back in. The make-up on him is incredible, and you can't tell me that you see Hardy here. So often anymore, we see moviestars, but not an actor disappearing into a part.
One of the main flaws of the film for me was that it does expect the viewer to have a firm grasp on who Capone was, what he did, and how he rose to power, because none of that content that you'd see in a typical gangster film is there. It might have been nice to have more scenes of Hardy as Capone in his prime, but the idea that it only gives you a few memories brings you into the headspace he's in: he wants desperately to be that man again but can't.
Al Capone was a violent man and unforgiving to many, but this movie does a great job of painting him as sympathetic, that showing that even the worst people have family that can be agonized from watching someone they love deteriorate right in front of their eyes.
There could've been more of the other perspective explored, how the FBI or perhaps the families of his rivals and victims viewed him, to balance the perspective we see in the film, and a few questions the film poses, such as whether or not his dementia was an act the whole time or not could've been explored more deeply, but I feel that everything in this was made as an effort to defy the formula and try a different approach.
Go into this expecting to see some outstanding character-acting from Hardy, and not expecting a gangster movie. It's not a tribute to that, it's not a glorification, there's plenty of other movies that fetishize outlaws for that. I give this points for trying something new in exploring a dark chapter in the life an American public figure. This approach might not have been perfect, but I hope that it encourages more creativity and more of a boldness to move away from formula in the future.
This is a tried and true formula that the movie industry loves, and every year, there's at least one of these, usually about music artists, but also sometimes about athletes or other outstanding pop culture figures, and in some cases, criminals. "Capone" with Tom Hardy directed by Josh Trank follows none of these familiar beats and doesn't play to any of these well-worn expectations.
I think one of the reasons this movie has so many low ratings is due to viewers who love The Godfather, Scarface, Goodfellas, and the long line of classics in the gangster subgenre having their expectations subverted when they encountered a slower paced, methodical, sad, strangely comedic, offbeat portrayal of a feared member of America's criminal underworld at his lowest point: desperately trying to hang on to the man he used to be while suffering from the ravages of Syphilis.
A lot of people love to see gangsters get away with crime, rise to power, and to see a film that glamorizes a life of crime, and that's not what you get here. Maybe this was misadvertised, but I saw a performance from Tom Hardy that captured the pain and frustration of being trapped in a body that's betraying you, all the while surrounded by people you're not sure you can trust, with the memories of the past turning from pleasant to nightmarish in the space of a second.
The film is for the most part beautifully shot with sometimes an almost horror-movie level of suspense, and the idea of what is and isn't real is played with, bringing you into Capone's mindset in his last few months. It's not a perfect film, and is slow moving at points, but Hardy's performance always reels everything back in. The make-up on him is incredible, and you can't tell me that you see Hardy here. So often anymore, we see moviestars, but not an actor disappearing into a part.
One of the main flaws of the film for me was that it does expect the viewer to have a firm grasp on who Capone was, what he did, and how he rose to power, because none of that content that you'd see in a typical gangster film is there. It might have been nice to have more scenes of Hardy as Capone in his prime, but the idea that it only gives you a few memories brings you into the headspace he's in: he wants desperately to be that man again but can't.
Al Capone was a violent man and unforgiving to many, but this movie does a great job of painting him as sympathetic, that showing that even the worst people have family that can be agonized from watching someone they love deteriorate right in front of their eyes.
There could've been more of the other perspective explored, how the FBI or perhaps the families of his rivals and victims viewed him, to balance the perspective we see in the film, and a few questions the film poses, such as whether or not his dementia was an act the whole time or not could've been explored more deeply, but I feel that everything in this was made as an effort to defy the formula and try a different approach.
Go into this expecting to see some outstanding character-acting from Hardy, and not expecting a gangster movie. It's not a tribute to that, it's not a glorification, there's plenty of other movies that fetishize outlaws for that. I give this points for trying something new in exploring a dark chapter in the life an American public figure. This approach might not have been perfect, but I hope that it encourages more creativity and more of a boldness to move away from formula in the future.
Terrible 👎👎
Draysan-Jennings13 May 2020
Did this film really need to be made? All it consists of is Al Capone mumbling while sitting in a chair. Half the time I couldn't understand what he was saying. Don't get me wrong Tom Hardy was pretty good in this, I just think it was a boring and storyless film. Wouldn't recommend it. 5 stars
Not sure why there is so much negativity
JHeez1517 May 2020
If you watched the trailer, you knew going in that this film wasn't going to profile the heyday of Al Capone, but rather his cognitive decline at the end of this life. I am not sure if this is indicative of our times that people can't sit through a movie without all of the bells and whistles, but I thought this was a phenomenal portrayal of what dementia looks like. It just goes to show you that even the wealthy are just human and suffer like anyone else. I recommend this movie to everyone. It is not a gangster film but a portrayal of a violent criminal whose dementia haunts him.
dementia downer
ferguson-612 May 2020
Warning: Spoilers
Greetings again from the darkness. I was really hoping for a Josh Trank resurgence. When his FANTASTIC FOUR became one of the worst reviewed movies of 2015, he lost out on a chance to direct a Star Wars film. Given creative control as writer-director-editor, CAPONE was supposed to be his chance bounce back and re-capture the intrigue and promise of his first film, CHRONICLE (2011). And he even chose the fascinating notorious gangster Al Capone as the subject for his comeback. What could go wrong? Well ... most everything.
Tom Hardy usually adds enough interest to make any of his projects entertaining to watch, and sometimes he's downright brilliant. Going back to BRONSON (2008), and on through TINKER TAILOR SOLDIER SPY (2011), WARRIOR (2011), THE DARK KNIGHT RISES (2012), MAD MAX: FURY ROAD (2015), THE REVENANT (2015), and TV's "Peaky Blinders", Mr. Hardy has quite a resume of memorable characters - and the above list barely covers half. This time out he plays Al Capone ... "Fonse" ... don't dare call him Al "in this house." He has recently been released from Alcatraz where he was serving his sentence for tax evasion. Confined to his Florida mansion, Capone is only 47 years old, but looks twenty years older thanks to the effects of neurosyphillis-induced dementia. His mind is never clear and his visions take him back to his violent criminal past, or snapshots of his youth (with an ever-present gold balloon).
We can't really tell if filmmaker Trank meant this as a parody or not. Capone is seen as a mumbling near-zombie, almost always wearing a bathrobe. His eyes are bloodshot, and the once menacing gangster is now a paranoid, saggy diaper-wearing shell who noisily chomps on a cigar (or carrot), fires off his gold-plated Tommy Gun, and has constant issues with vomit-bladder-bowels. Typically a parody offers either slapstick or black comedy, but I only recall a single chuckle ... one that occurs when Capone pulls out a shotgun while on a fishing boat with his old mob buddy Johnny (Matt Dillon). Other than that, it's mostly a bleak look at dementia and the lost power of a man who follows his visions into closets and basements, and jumps up during a movie to sing-a-long with the Cowardly Lion's "If I Were the King of the Forest."
The supporting players are given little to work with. The great Linda Cardellini plays Mae, Capone's supportive wife, while Kyle MacLachlan is his crooked doctor, Noel Fisher is Al junior, Al Sapienza is Capone's brother Ralphie, and Kathrine Narducci is Ralphie's wife. There is a secondary plot point involving government surveillance as they attempt to discover the whereabouts of the $10 million Capone supposedly stashed years ago. Of course, Capone doesn't remember, and when and FBI agent (Jack Lowden, with director Trank in a cameo) interrogates him, he's unsure whether Capone is acting or actually that far gone. There is also a bit about phone calls from "Tony", possibly a long-lost Capone son borne from an affair.
The film covers Capone's final year, and mostly it comes across as a sad and depressing view of dementia. The most obvious statement on Capone's loss of power, comes in the form of a metaphor, as his beloved "Lady Atlas" garden statue is removed to be sold off. There is also a recurring moment where Capone tunes the radio to a broadcast of the Saint Valentines' Day Massacre, and family time at Thanksgiving is nothing short of painful to watch. Cinematographer Peter Deming (MULHOLLAND DRIVE, 2001) gives us a well shot film, but despite a couple of David Lynch-type moments, the film mostly lacks entertainment value. I can't figure out who might want to watch this. Trank seemed to go the deeply artistic route on a subject that's tough to watch. Maybe he'll get yet another shot.
Available on VOD beginning May 12, 2020
Tom Hardy usually adds enough interest to make any of his projects entertaining to watch, and sometimes he's downright brilliant. Going back to BRONSON (2008), and on through TINKER TAILOR SOLDIER SPY (2011), WARRIOR (2011), THE DARK KNIGHT RISES (2012), MAD MAX: FURY ROAD (2015), THE REVENANT (2015), and TV's "Peaky Blinders", Mr. Hardy has quite a resume of memorable characters - and the above list barely covers half. This time out he plays Al Capone ... "Fonse" ... don't dare call him Al "in this house." He has recently been released from Alcatraz where he was serving his sentence for tax evasion. Confined to his Florida mansion, Capone is only 47 years old, but looks twenty years older thanks to the effects of neurosyphillis-induced dementia. His mind is never clear and his visions take him back to his violent criminal past, or snapshots of his youth (with an ever-present gold balloon).
We can't really tell if filmmaker Trank meant this as a parody or not. Capone is seen as a mumbling near-zombie, almost always wearing a bathrobe. His eyes are bloodshot, and the once menacing gangster is now a paranoid, saggy diaper-wearing shell who noisily chomps on a cigar (or carrot), fires off his gold-plated Tommy Gun, and has constant issues with vomit-bladder-bowels. Typically a parody offers either slapstick or black comedy, but I only recall a single chuckle ... one that occurs when Capone pulls out a shotgun while on a fishing boat with his old mob buddy Johnny (Matt Dillon). Other than that, it's mostly a bleak look at dementia and the lost power of a man who follows his visions into closets and basements, and jumps up during a movie to sing-a-long with the Cowardly Lion's "If I Were the King of the Forest."
The supporting players are given little to work with. The great Linda Cardellini plays Mae, Capone's supportive wife, while Kyle MacLachlan is his crooked doctor, Noel Fisher is Al junior, Al Sapienza is Capone's brother Ralphie, and Kathrine Narducci is Ralphie's wife. There is a secondary plot point involving government surveillance as they attempt to discover the whereabouts of the $10 million Capone supposedly stashed years ago. Of course, Capone doesn't remember, and when and FBI agent (Jack Lowden, with director Trank in a cameo) interrogates him, he's unsure whether Capone is acting or actually that far gone. There is also a bit about phone calls from "Tony", possibly a long-lost Capone son borne from an affair.
The film covers Capone's final year, and mostly it comes across as a sad and depressing view of dementia. The most obvious statement on Capone's loss of power, comes in the form of a metaphor, as his beloved "Lady Atlas" garden statue is removed to be sold off. There is also a recurring moment where Capone tunes the radio to a broadcast of the Saint Valentines' Day Massacre, and family time at Thanksgiving is nothing short of painful to watch. Cinematographer Peter Deming (MULHOLLAND DRIVE, 2001) gives us a well shot film, but despite a couple of David Lynch-type moments, the film mostly lacks entertainment value. I can't figure out who might want to watch this. Trank seemed to go the deeply artistic route on a subject that's tough to watch. Maybe he'll get yet another shot.
Available on VOD beginning May 12, 2020
Don't Waste Your Time
dipipgt13 May 2020
There's hardly a reference for this kind of film; it's not a traditional narrative in any sense
ripleyspussy17 May 2020
I admired the film more than I enjoyed it, but it kept my interest throughout despite being a bit of slog at times. It's fascinating. The title 'Capone' invokes the expectation that this was a biopic of the famous gangster, but this isn't that at all. This is something very different, and very deliberately so, but due to the title it's going to confuse and disappoint most people (which is why Trank hated that he had to change it from the original title 'Fonzo' for marketing reasons). There's hardly a reference for this kind of film; it's not a traditional narrative in any sense.
What I keep thinking about is how even most gangster films who pretend to de-glamorize criminals and their lifestyle fail; it's the same problem with the "anti-" war movie that still depicts a rousing, exciting adventure next to the misery and the atrocities and thus defeats its own purpose. Rare is the war or gangster film that actually achieves to show the underlying emptiness; the ugly, banal, vulgar and sad reality that ultimately is what most lives of violence lead towards until the haunting memories are the only thing that remains.
The reason for that is obvious: nobody would watch that kind of film because it would be too bleak. But 'Capone' manages that rare feat: it's bleak - but not bleak enough to turn you off, and it's even often entertaining (in terms of its performances, the fantastic score, the beautiful cinematography). But even though this probably wasn't the film's intention, it still manages to be the ultimate deconstruction of the gangster as an "icon" - more so even than Scorsese's 'Irishman' (though it's nowhere near as good a film).
I liked Capone; it's weird (and I guess you shouldn't watch it unless you like profoundly weird little arthouse films) but this is definitely not a badly made film. I hope Trank continues on this path and makes more strange, personal films - although perhaps of the kind that are a little more accessible.
What I keep thinking about is how even most gangster films who pretend to de-glamorize criminals and their lifestyle fail; it's the same problem with the "anti-" war movie that still depicts a rousing, exciting adventure next to the misery and the atrocities and thus defeats its own purpose. Rare is the war or gangster film that actually achieves to show the underlying emptiness; the ugly, banal, vulgar and sad reality that ultimately is what most lives of violence lead towards until the haunting memories are the only thing that remains.
The reason for that is obvious: nobody would watch that kind of film because it would be too bleak. But 'Capone' manages that rare feat: it's bleak - but not bleak enough to turn you off, and it's even often entertaining (in terms of its performances, the fantastic score, the beautiful cinematography). But even though this probably wasn't the film's intention, it still manages to be the ultimate deconstruction of the gangster as an "icon" - more so even than Scorsese's 'Irishman' (though it's nowhere near as good a film).
I liked Capone; it's weird (and I guess you shouldn't watch it unless you like profoundly weird little arthouse films) but this is definitely not a badly made film. I hope Trank continues on this path and makes more strange, personal films - although perhaps of the kind that are a little more accessible.
Tom hardy needs to work only with the likes of Scorsese/Tarantino.
yhoha_200112 May 2020
We've seen many great performances put to screen by Hardy, beginning with Bronson, which gave him the attention he needed, and ending with this one.
But with Capone, it was really only Hardy, plus Linda Cardellini's (with little screen-time) usual great work. We've seen many great acting talents wasted on poor screenplays and directing, which we hope not to see in the likes of Tom Hardy.
His only Oscar nomination was while working with a great director in Alejandro Iñárritu, but that was only it. If he takes the Leonardo DiCaprio route and only work with great directors (e.g. Scorsese, Tarantino, Nolan, Spielberg and Cameron), we would most definitely see the best in him, and him getting the appreciation he deserves.
We don't know what was intended with this movie, but whatever they had planned, Hardy did just enough to make it work. It may seem as an unconventional parodying performance, or just absolute madness-portraying.
If you appreciate great acting, watch this movie. Otherwise, you might want to look out for better plot experiences.
But with Capone, it was really only Hardy, plus Linda Cardellini's (with little screen-time) usual great work. We've seen many great acting talents wasted on poor screenplays and directing, which we hope not to see in the likes of Tom Hardy.
His only Oscar nomination was while working with a great director in Alejandro Iñárritu, but that was only it. If he takes the Leonardo DiCaprio route and only work with great directors (e.g. Scorsese, Tarantino, Nolan, Spielberg and Cameron), we would most definitely see the best in him, and him getting the appreciation he deserves.
We don't know what was intended with this movie, but whatever they had planned, Hardy did just enough to make it work. It may seem as an unconventional parodying performance, or just absolute madness-portraying.
If you appreciate great acting, watch this movie. Otherwise, you might want to look out for better plot experiences.
A truly horrible mess of a film
latinfineart12 May 2020
Warning: Spoilers
I was absolutely astonished at how dreadful this film was. This movie was so convoluted. It was such a complete mess. The writing was terrible. The direction was like something that a first year film school student would put together. Although Tom Hardy is a great actor, he just didn't have much to work with as he was sort of bumbling through the entire movie. And bumbling is probably the best description for the entire production. There is no reason why this could could not have been an entertaining story. But the film makers appeared to have gone out of their way to sabotage everything that they touched. Other than the production, which was great. And the ending was one of the most ridiculous and also truly fictitious endings I've seen in a very, very long time. It was as if this director thought he was one of the Mexican magical realist director's. And fancied himself to be substantially above his pay grade. The producers should have invested in a qualified director. They definitely didn't. And this film was an epic failure on every level.
Overrated or underrated ?
tattoos-david27 September 2020
If you read the reviews it's either Super good or Horrible , when you watch the movie you'll think the same thing.
Is this Movie Genius or is it horrible?
I rated it as a six because I get both sides of the other reviews
Nothing happens
nevenahers12 May 2020
Apart from Tom's acting, which was good, there was nothing interesting about this movie. It was very slow and I couldn't connect with it at all. At times it felt like Matt Dillon was the main character. Sometimes slow movies are good. Like Agatha Christie books that are turned into movies. This one isn't, really. I was waiting for the story to unfold, but there was nothing. I love Tom Hardy and I am giving the movie 1 star only because he is in it. It deserves zero, otherwise. Such a disappointment.
Good movie, but I see why a lot of people didn't like it.
purpleepiphany9 January 2024
Summary: The movie centers on the final year before Al Capone's death. He suffers from dementia caused by advanced neurosyphilis.
While his wife, brother and sister in law, son, and old friends try to care for him, his mind wanders back and forth from his current state to haunting memories of his gangster past.
The setting, hair, makeup, costumes are fantastic. The movie takes place in a small universe - Capone's Florida estate. There are scenes outside of his estate, but largely it's focused on Capone and his family trying to care for his ailing health. This is because, in the final year of his life, his entire world IS the estate.
His hallucinations are largely due to dementia and a second stroke suffered during the movie. I think this is where audience members take issue with the movie. Some have criticized the movie as disjointed - but that's because the mind of a person with dementia is disjointed. Likewise, when the name Capone is mentioned, it almost always conjures up the image of Capone in his young years - a tough, shrewd, criminal that loved to indulge in parties, alcohol, and women, and was the genius mastermind behind numerous robberies and schemes.
Instead, what is presented to the audience is a disgusting, weak, demented old man who sh.ts the bed and pisses himself. His eyes are perpetually bloodshot, most of the time he's only capable of grunting or growling a few words, he walks with a doddering stumble, and his skin looks like death warmed over. These are actually symptoms of a person suffering from a neurodegenerative disease. Tom Hardy does an excellent job at portraying Capone in this manner. If you're familiar with caring for a person with dementia or mental decline, you would find his look and behavior eerily realistic. This also makes his hallucination/flashback scenes more realistic - and thus, why they have an element of "horror" to them.
It is also a very slow movie. It's anticlimactic. That is a valid criticism. It was a good watch, but I'll never watch it again. I got the main take away that Al Capone had a miserable few years at the end of his life.
While his wife, brother and sister in law, son, and old friends try to care for him, his mind wanders back and forth from his current state to haunting memories of his gangster past.
The setting, hair, makeup, costumes are fantastic. The movie takes place in a small universe - Capone's Florida estate. There are scenes outside of his estate, but largely it's focused on Capone and his family trying to care for his ailing health. This is because, in the final year of his life, his entire world IS the estate.
His hallucinations are largely due to dementia and a second stroke suffered during the movie. I think this is where audience members take issue with the movie. Some have criticized the movie as disjointed - but that's because the mind of a person with dementia is disjointed. Likewise, when the name Capone is mentioned, it almost always conjures up the image of Capone in his young years - a tough, shrewd, criminal that loved to indulge in parties, alcohol, and women, and was the genius mastermind behind numerous robberies and schemes.
Instead, what is presented to the audience is a disgusting, weak, demented old man who sh.ts the bed and pisses himself. His eyes are perpetually bloodshot, most of the time he's only capable of grunting or growling a few words, he walks with a doddering stumble, and his skin looks like death warmed over. These are actually symptoms of a person suffering from a neurodegenerative disease. Tom Hardy does an excellent job at portraying Capone in this manner. If you're familiar with caring for a person with dementia or mental decline, you would find his look and behavior eerily realistic. This also makes his hallucination/flashback scenes more realistic - and thus, why they have an element of "horror" to them.
It is also a very slow movie. It's anticlimactic. That is a valid criticism. It was a good watch, but I'll never watch it again. I got the main take away that Al Capone had a miserable few years at the end of his life.
Apalling
ptiernanhome28 February 2021
A grim and unapologetic film
arranwilburt13 May 2020
Those of you expecting a violent gangster flick or The Untouchables 2 don't bother you will be disappointed, if you want to see a dark grim tale about the last 12 months in Capone's life that doesn't pull any punches then this is a very rewarding film. Incredible performance from Hardy in a film that is more about declining mental health that gangster shoot outs.
"I'm grateful for Grandpa Fonse".
classicsoncall10 September 2020
Warning: Spoilers
Don't be misled by the title, the picture isn't about the glory days of America's most famous gangster. Instead, it takes a look at the final year of Al Capone's life in what is most likely conjecture, since much of the story involves his visions and imaginary conversations with people from his present and past, including a young, pre-teen version of himself. That's the thing, once it's over, you have no idea what might have been real or what Capone might have dreamt up in his dementia addled state of mind. A perfect example being the gold plated machine gun sequence in which he mows down a handful of his associates fearing they're the enemy. The first to go down is bodyguard Gino (Gino Cafarelli), but immediately after, we see Gino at Capone's side along with members of his family trying to console the deranged criminal. As a backdrop, we see the crime kingpin's possessions being hauled off for failure to keep up payments, while the Feds unsuccessfully attempt to interrogate Capone over an alleged ten million dollar stash that he can't remember hiding. With what he has to work with, Tom Hardy does an exemplary job of depicting a Capone who's lost all his marbles, but it's often a slog to get through with the long, brooding shots of the gangster facing the camera, never knowing if there's a coherent thought behind the facade. The sight of Hardy's Capone whaling away in a diaper is one of the more depressing sequences in the picture, and even more disgusting is the one scene in which he gives new meaning to the colloquial expression, he ---- the bed. And you thought the horse's head in "The Godfather" was scary!
Truly dreadful
stevenremmington13 March 2021
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