KATIE PICKRELL

“The Drop,” directed by Michael Roskam, provides a pleasant detour from the average, everyday New York based crime film.

Instead of taking a mediocre approach to the movie, Roskam engineered his techniques throughout the film in such a way that made it constantly compelling for the audience.

The film follows a seemingly austere, solitary bartender by the name of Bob Saginowski (Tom Hardy). He works at a drop bar in Brooklyn previously ran by his cousin, Marv (James Gandolfini). The Mafia took over Marv’s bar eight years ago, so now they both work for the Chechens.

Walking home from work one night, Saginowski comes across a crying pit bull that has been dumped in a trash can. Overcome with sympathy, he picks it up and reluctantly takes it as his own. This simple act unknowingly drags him even further into the local world of gang activity.

Not too long after, the bar Saginowski tends at is robbed by two men who take everything, including the money from the drop. To Saginowski’s dismay, he’ll soon realize that this is not the most of his troubles.

Like most other action films, “The Drop” is filled with twists that hit the audience every other minute. But unlike a typical action film, the twists are actually far from expected.

No doubt, the plot is enough to keep you on the edge of your seat from start to end. Dennis Lehane’s writing itself could have been enough to carry the film, but Roskam’s ability to transform the film into something so lively is truly amazing.

If the storyline “The Drop” had incorporated wasn’t enough to put it over the top, the astounding cast and powerful dialogue (despite its profane use of profanity) definitely were.

Hardy provides an astonishing performance as a cool, stern yet somewhat sweet guy. His character develops immensely throughout the course of the film in such a way that helps the audience to distinguish what is right, what is wrong and what is necessary.

Of course, no movie is complete without a slight intervention of romance, which is where Nadia (Noomi Rapace) played perfectly into the film.

Still, Gandolfini was potentially the star of the show as he proved to play his part perfectly. “The Drop” now serves as his last feature film following his death in June of last year.

In general, “The Drop” is deserving of five out of five stars. Its originality is enough to make it a classic.