Pride and Glory

What it's about:

After a botched raid claims the lives of the policemen involved, investigator Ray Tierney (Edward Norton) stumbles upon evidence of police corruption involving his brother-in-law, Jimmy Eagan (Colin Farrell) and brother, Francis Tierney Jnr (Noah Emmerich). Unsure of how to proceed, he seeks advice from his retired police chief father (Jon Voight) who preaches loyalty to the badge, even above the truth. Ray is torn between his family and his duty, until finally events push him into a corner and his life is in danger.

What we thought of it:


A new year, and another macho cop drama with a stellar cast, dealing with the macho issues of honour, violence, life on the streets, and the question - can one man really make a difference? It’s all been so done to death that your immediate reaction would probably be one of total indifference. So it’s rather a shock that Pride and Glory is a quality movie and a totally gripping two hours of entertainment.

Pride and Glory’s strength lies in its cast, its edgy pacing, and the strained relationship between retired chief Tierney and his two sons serve as the uneasy backdrop to the unfolding events. Jon Voigt does well as the crusty old patriarch, more father figure than father, always placing his duty as cop before his family. His relationship with his two sons is detached and professional, even in the face of family tragedy, setting the two-faced template for how these men live the façade of family life while dealing with brutal violence every day.

It’s the balance between family and duty that keeps the movie so engaging. Edward Norton is suitably tortured as the central figure of Ray, being something of a prodigy, but also an outcast, unable to keep his own home life together. Again and again he is forced to choose between his loyalty to his vision of the police, his father’s vision, and his extended family. It’s good to see him display some acting chops in a multidimensional role again after his lacklustre performance in the brainless The Incredible Hulk.

Opposite to Ray in every way is his step-brother, Jimmy. Outwardly he is a success with everything that eludes Ray and Francis Jnr, but at a terrible price. Colin Farrell really lays on the Irish charm with an undercurrent of menace never lurking far from the surface. It’s a complex role, yet he keeps Jimmy believable, and even sympathetic in some scenes, while totally brutal in others.

Pride and Glory is much more than a simple cop movie – it’s high family melodrama with guns, drugs and murder, so really, there is something for everyone. Despite being close to cliché for much of the running time, it never gets corny, and always keeps your attention, unlike recent disappointment Righteous Kill. Even if you aren’t a fan of this genre, I would highly recommend it.