I recently 'discovered' Tom Hardy as an amazing actor, so I searched other movies and found this unassuming gem. I hesitated because "The Drop" didn't seem to be that exciting.
I an happy to report that I was very wrong. I will say that if you're looking for a non stop action-thriller-car chase-fighting-shoot-em-up , this is NOT it. This is a slow burn to the action.
Hardy portrays an unassuming bartender, Bob, at a mob owned local bar in Brooklyn. He's from the neighborhood. Some reviewers say they thought Bob was 'slow' , borderline mentally challenged. He seems to be unaware of the violence all around him, and this film does a great job of conveying a steady undercurrent of danger. The bar was once owned by Bob's cousin Marv ( James Gandalfini), but was taken over by the mob over a decade earlier. The bar is used a drop,a bank for illegal money for the mob.
A robbery at the bar, an abused puppy, and uncontrolled greed are woven into the story. There's also a story of a young man who disappeared from the bar, and the thug who claims to have killed him.
While Bob seems to be just a nice guy who 'just tends bar', and rescues abused puppies, there are glimpses of a darker side. When a bag of cash and a severed arm are found at the bar, Bob takes the arm in the back and very matter of factly wraps it in butcher paper and plastic wrap . Cousin Marv remarks that it looks like Bob has done that a thousand times.
Bob also goes to mass every day, but never takes communion, as we discover from Detective Torres (John Ortiz) who also attends mass regularly, and responds to the robbery call at the bar. Torres asks why he never takes communion, but never gets and answer.
When the bar is chosen as The Drop spot on Superbowl Sunday, a crescendo of violence erupts. I realized I was on the edge of my seat, mouth open...whaat the what?
There are some great lines delivered in this movie, but one of the best is from Detective Torres, who after weeks of investigating is asking Bob a few questions about a murder, which Bob calls a carjacking gone horribly wrong. Torres replies incredulously "It was an execution!" He leans over and says " No one ever sees you coming, do they Bob?"
I tried not to give too much away. This is a violent movie, you are warned. If you like more cerebral movies, you will love The Drop. It's one of my favs now!