Friends and Romans (2014) User Reviews

A nice surprise!

[jaycece · 8/10 · 26 April 2020]

This was actually a pretty good movie. I am a big fan of gangster/mob movies. I have seen a few mob movies where they attempt to play it for laughs but they typically come off as clowns or overly stereotypical characters and sometimes even insulting. And although this movie is intended to be a comedy, the acting is so good that they don't have to go overboard and try to force the humor. The script is so well written that it is funny on its own. I think Shakespeare himself would laugh too; (You will get my joke if you watch the movie).

Well done to all....

Charming despite a few obvious flaws

[lu_lou_belle · 8/10 · 24 May 2021]

All the wiseguy partime movie extras from nj fight being stereotyped as mafiosi . Meanwhile one of the guys gets the idea to put on a shakespeare play, julius ceasar to proved to himself that he's got some chops beyond used car commercials, and to maybe connect with his teenage daughter who's trying out for the school play.

Things take a farcical turn with mistaken identities, secret mob bosses, informants and an undercover agent all getting parts in the play, meanwhile the daughter gets the role of her dreams at school because the drama teacher thinks italian daddy is the wiseguy he plays as an extra.

There's mayhem, and in the performance of ceasar, no one at the community theater notices the guys with radio earpieces and track suits, but the friends romans soliloquy gets a a new interpretation that saves the day and the movie.

It teeters on the edge of corniness but through the strength of the cast- several major or minor characters from The Sopranos and annabella scorria it exceeds expectations.

Original, charming, and funny

[professorjeffreypbrown · 8/10 · 26 September 2020]

I have to say that i really enjoyed the film. It was funny, light hearted, and charming, and, should i say, original. Real gangsters and gangster wanna-bes who love acting to play the "original gangster" Ceasar. With so many films that simply repeat themes over and over again, great to see an original idea.

A Very Artistic Theatrical Take On The Mafia Niche - Must See For Mafia Film Buffs

[isantistao · 10/10 · 14 October 2019]

This movie is a very artistic independent satire-type film that is very interesting look at the mafia film genre and the underestimated value of small mafia character actors and extras. It is a movie about the theater and takes a theatrical perspective on the mafia film niche and these small actors, as they try to do their own production of the Shakespearean classic "Caesar". The movie is incredibly well written, well acted, well directed, and is a very great film with a great story, a work of art in its own right.

This movie is not only very artistic but it is incredibly humorous. The humor is extremely clever and intelligent humor that is also laugh out loud funny. There are some parts in which I would laugh so hard I would have to pause the movie until I stopped. And the writing is just so smart I found myself asking several times "how do they come up with this stuff?!" A lot of the humor plays off of Italian-American stereotypes and the Mafia Film genre, so if you will understand and appreciate that sort of nuanced humor you will really enjoy it.

This film may be part satire, or satire-like, but it also has some seriousness to it, as it has a very good story and some important and meaningful moments. And it's not just about a bunch of mob movie actors putting on a play, but actual mobsters inadvertently getting involved with the play, and then the FBI sending in an undercover officer to be an actor in it as well. So as I said it is a very intelligent and well written story with multiple different facets, including one about the main characters daughter being involved in her own play at school and being given the lead role because her teacher mistakenly thinks her father is in the mafia when he sees him. This movie is just so good, and as with any good story, it has a really incredible ending when they finally put on their play Caesar which is a very interesting take on the classic and very fun to watch, and then the different pieces of the movie all come together into one big climactic finish that you will love.

So if you are a lover of Independent film or theater, Italian-american arts & culture, intelligent satire, and most of all anything having to do with the Mafia, then this film will be a joy to watch and I would consider it a must see. It is such a tragedy that it is such a small film and has reached such a small audience. So if you are reading this please do yourself a favor and look it up. you can find it on TubiTV or on Amazon Videos easily. And you will be very glad that you saw it. I just watched it a 3rd time in a row and I am not the type of person to watch movies more than once, I hardly ever do. But this movie is so good that I am going to keep watching it again and again and again because it keeps getting better every time!

*Spoiler* Question

[goodcmail · 7/10 · 1 June 2020]

Did anybody else think they missed a big opportunity.....

*Spoiler ahead*

When the undercover cop gets discovered that he's not Italian, but Jewish, and he goes into a monologue about how Jews also get typecast, why on Earth didn't he incorporate some of the speech from Merchant of Venice? "If you prick us, do we not bleed?" I was chuckling in anticipation of him doing that, but it never came. Or was this scene a big, silent wink?

Very funny and sometimes serious

[vchimpanzee · 26 February 2023]

This is mostly a comedy, but that doesn't mean it doesn't get serious sometimes. Much of the humor comes from misinterpretation of what was seen when not all the facts are known. And a lot of the humor comes from the mobster stereotypes, which of course describes most of the actors. But the leading actors do more than come across as mobsters, and they show they are capable of more. Some actors do a very good job of not being good actors, or anything more than mobster types in their real lives.

And there are serious scenes. Not everything is funny, and some of the Shakespeare lines are quite realistic.

I don't know anything about Michael Rispoli but he is very good in this role, wanting to be taken seriously as an actor but nearly always seeming like the Italian mobster type, or at least the typical Italian resident of New York City. Still, he has one scene where he does a wonderful job. He is trying to do Shakespeare, after all, and he does that quite well.

Paul Ben-Victor also does a great job as the play's director. He seems to know so much and he is the least like a mobster of the entire group.

Katie Stevens is great as the pretty daughter who aspires to play the female lead in a high school production of "Guys and Dolls". However, Salena Qureshi nearly outshines her as the slightly naughty best friend with an attitude.

Of all the Shakespearean acting, Anthony DeSando is the best. He could really do Shakespeare on stage and get rave reviews. And there is more to his role than just acting in Nick's play.

Charlie Semine is also very good as an actor, and even in his scenes where he is merely doing his day job.

Annabella Sciorra doesn't have a lot of lines but she is good as the wife and mother.

Mandy Bruno Bogue is a stereotypical New York City mistress and tough girl, and quite good looking. She is paired with Donna Marie Recco in some scenes and they are quite good together.

I didn't mention a lot of the actors, but they are good too.

And one thing about Italians, mobsters or not. They do like good music, and this movie has a lot of that.

Is this family friendly? It was cleaned up for TV when I saw it, but really, that's to be expected from men like these. It's not too bad.

I had a great time.