Edward Norton and Colin Farrell in Pride and Glory

Early 2008 has brought us Pride and Glory, or was meant to but New Line held back the release numerous times, much to the dismay of the director Gavin O’Connor and its star Edward Norton. Now, it has finally arrived amidst the golden season of cinema.

Pride and Glory centres on a family of rozzers whom abiding by the law is in their blood, or so it should be: it has been handed down from father Francis Sr. (Jon Voight) who was a former police chief. He has two sons: Ray (Ed Norton) who is on a leave of absence but is soon persuaded back by his father to investigate a multiple cop homicide and ‘Franny’ (Noah Emmerich) who is in charge of his precinct and plays by the rules, mainly to look after his terminally ill wife. Son in law Jimmy (Colin Farrell) however is less restrained seeing his badge as a permission slip to do whatever he wants. The trio soon become embroiled in the case which leads to a scandal that could end all their careers.

The film features many familiar elements but instead of featuring a blistering pace and emphasis on dramatic irony like its big brother The Departed. It opts to focus on character motivations and how personal feelings often obstruct the line of duty. The construction of its setting is convincingly crafted, with grimy alleys and winter wastelands full of sleazebags permeating the surroundings. The film feels gritty and atmospheric which is potent for a film with such a downbeat ending.

At times quite captivating, the director keeps a controlled pace and manages to incorporate moral dilemmas and family honour into the dirty dealings and double crossings to provide an assured film, even if it does feel rather familiar. Therefore, praise should be given to director O’Connor who refuses to paint cops in black and blue and instead gives Pride and Glory a humanist back bone which counteracts the sometimes predictable plot points.

Pride and Glory’s main strength is in its performances. Edward Norton gives the best performance brimming with integrity and an intense screen presence; he hasn’t been this good in years. Colin Farrell is also on form bristling with anger and passion - it is his performance that paints a startling picture of what cops could be capable of. However, the two performances do not always gel because Norton’s minimalist gestures can conflict with Farrell’s performance which occasionally goes into over acting territory (can you ever see Edward Norton demolishing a bathroom in anger?). Jon Voight is also terrific; he plays a man whose career seems to have taken its toll on him.

There are several flaws that really stop the film from coming out of its shell. The final act is not as taut as the first two: a certain scene towards the end credits feels out of place, it disrupts the film’s gritty feel and injects the film with a macho bravado that isn’t needed or wanted. It is also not quite as impactful as the filmmakers intended but enjoyable nonetheless. Several powerful moments in the film let us know it has values that are serious but the overall feel never goes beyond semi-thought provoking entertainment.

The Departed is still the cornerstone of modern cop dramas but Pride and Glory departs (sorry) from the other recent companions by daring to do something more. We may have seen it all before but as Pride and Glory shows we don’t mind seeing it again.

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