The Yards

From director James Gray comes this slow-moving tale about the chaos that ensues after a business shakedown goes horribly wrong, as rookie Leo Handler (Mark Wahlberg) finds himself the focus of a city-wide manhunt by both the cops and his former associates. Joaquin Phoenix costars as a childhood-friend-turned-pursuer, while James Caan plays Leo’s increasingly frazzled boss. Gray – along with cinematographer Harris Savides – has infused The Yards with a palpable sense of style that ultimately proves impossible to resist, and there’s little doubt that the filmmaker’s use of dark visuals effectively matches the moody, almost operatic tone of the script. This vibe is also reflected in the uniformly somber performances, with Wahlberg and company effectively bringing their respectively complex characters to life. There’s little doubt, however, that the increasingly uneventful vibe ultimately ensures that The Yards feels about a half-hour longer than it needs to be – although, admittedly, the whole thing does recover nicely for an expectedly explosive finale.

**1/2 out of ****