REVIEW: Capone (2020)
After the critical and commercial disaster of “Fant4stic” half a decade ago, writer/director Josh Trank has returned with the biographical film “Capone” starring Tom Hardy.
The story focuses primarily on the final days of the titular crime boss’ life as neurosyphilis has taken over his brain and his body, leaving him mostly confined to a chair, prone to both the ramblings of an old man. Things are only further complicated when it’s revealed that the fading Fonzo (as he’s known by his friends and family) has hidden $10 million on his Miami estate, and everyone wants a piece.
Trank is a director who showed some great promise right out the gate with the found footage superhero film “Chronicle” in 2012. However, he soon found himself becoming another young director screwed over by the big studio system with the misfire of the superhero reboot “Fant4stic” in 2015. I’m not here to dwell on the ensuing drama that led to nor am I here to judge Trank as a person (especially since I don’t know him), but it is interesting to note that “Capone” was shot almost entirely independently from any studio and Trank has even gone on to say (even brag) that the film is indeed 100% his vision.
If that’s truly the case, then I can safely say that while I can certainly respect many of the choices Trank has made in telling this specific chapter of Al Capone’s life, the rest is unfortunately a misfire. That being said, it’s an admirable misfire. Trank (who also wrote the script) takes advantage of Capone’s distorted reality and at times even distorts the audience’s perception of what’s real and what’s not, flipping back and forth between scenes of Capone going out on a job and him running around his own house literally quacking like a madman (more on that later). The problem, however, is the scenes themselves are tonally inconsistent, with many of the fantasies coming off like diet-David Lynch in their utter absurdity and strangeness while the interpersonal drama itself isn’t as fully explored or as developed as it should be, particularly in the scenes between Capone and his wife, played by the wonderful but once again underused Linda Cardellini.
Speaking of performances, there’s no way to properly discuss this film without discussing Tom Hardy’s performance. Many have declared Hardy one of the greatest actors of his generation, but hand in hand with that also comes his reputation of being difficult and even critiques from some that he “mumbles and grumbles out his words,” so to say. Well, anyone who complained about his grumbly voice in “The Dark Knight Rises,” “Lawless” or even his East Coast-based West Coast accent in “Venom” will have perfect cannon fodder with his portrayal of Capone. Hardy is so over-the-top and almost out of place amongst the more nuanced performances around him and his make-up is somehow minimalist and yet distracting. He gets every word out as though his vocal quality sat somewhere between Burgess Meredith’s Micky from “Rocky” or even his Penguin from the Adam West Batman show. Despite this, you can’t take your eyes off him. There’s a particular scene where Capone is watching “The Wizard of Oz” and proceeds to get up and sing the Cowardly Lion’s “I am King of the Forrest” in his own gravelly voice. It’s a tour-de-force of crazy choices this side of Marlon Brando’s Dr. Moreau. You’ll either love it or hate it, but you may still come out with some form of mild appreciation.
To be honest, that’s a perfect summation of the film. Trank makes many bizarre choices that only add to the tonal inconsistency of the film. At times you get a sense that what Capone and his family are going through is meant to be heartbreaking but often times it comes off as though it’s being played for laughs. This is more than apparent in the instances where the ailing Capone, for lack of a better word, has an almost “Trainspotting”-level accident in bed or changing out his trademark cigar for a carrot that he nearly chokes on. Much of it reminds me of Hardy’s dual performance as Ronnie and Reggie Cray in the gangster drama “Legend.” However whereas that film’s tone and objectives were clear, with Capone there are moments you can almost see where Trank and Hardy are going with their respective choices, but neither quite stick the landing. In telling the story of Capone’s final days and attempting to put the audience inside his deteriorating mind, “Capone” unfortunately only succeeds in alienating them further.
C
