Genre: Gangster/Noir
Director: Quentin Tarantino
Writer: Chad Taylor
Cast: Margot Robbie, Bradley Cooper, Michael B. Jordan, Will Poulter, Adam Sandler, Vin Diesel, Josh Hartnett, Rihanna, Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Anya Taylor-Joy, Danny DeVito, Al Pacino
Plot: In 1929, Salvatore Maldini (Bradley Cooper) is on top of the world. He has worked his way up through the Italian-American mafia to now head the most proficient bootlegging operation New York City. He’s married to Trixie (Margot Robbie), a former Broadway showgirl who has settled into domestic life. Sal sets up a meeting with one of his top associates: Moe “Big Head” Kravitz (Adam Sandler), a kingpin in the Jewish mafia. Unlike most mobsters of his time, Moe is a businessman first and foremost and sees the mafia as a corporation through which he can make money. Despite their different backgrounds, Sal keeps a cordial relationship with Moe because he’s the primary financial backer behind the operation.
Moe is telling Sal that he needs to start setting his sights beyond alcohol as Prohibition won’t last forever. While passing by, Trixie overhears this conversation and decides to chime in. She mentions that there have been murmurs of a successful lottery numbers game being undertaken in Harlem. Sal grows annoyed and orders her out of the room, pointing out that Harlem isn’t their turf. He complains to Moe that she has been growing more ambitious over the last year or two and thinks she has what he takes to be a gangster. They share a laugh before pointing out that she kind of has a point. Moe has heard the same murmurs she has. Moe talks of the woman they call “Madame”, who legend has it that she off’d her old man. Sal strokes his chin upon hearing this before cracking a curious smile.
Loud gunshots are heard as we enter a shootout involving two groups of men. One side starts to widdle away until finally it gets down to a four-on-one scenario. Eddie Capra (Will Poulter), a boxer and low-level goon in the Maldini operation, steps forward and confronts the survivor from the other side. He kneels down and tells the man that “Mr. Maldini sends his best wishes” before shooting the man in both kneecaps. Upon arriving back to the Maldini base of operations, Eddie and the rest of the crew are updated on where things currently stand. Upon hearing about the Harlem operation, Eddie says that he has a connection there and can volunteer to do some groundwork. This works its way up to Sal who gives him the go-ahead.
In Harlem, Julian King (Michael B. Jordan) works from time to time as a jazz trumpeter. He is really struggling to get by, as he also takes small side work as a peddler for the club owner that employs his band. Julian is at his apartment when there’s a loud knock on his door. He opens it to find Eddie and they both smile. Through conversation, we learn that the two of them “met” when they were amateur boxers and faced each other in a match. It is not immediately clear who won that fight but they seemingly left on good terms. Eddie asks Julian what he knows about the Madame’s numbers game. Julian says she is a hero around these parts: providing jobs for the community as numbers runners, using her platform to fight against police brutality, and reinvesting some of her earnings into the community. Eddie asks if there is any way they can meet with her. Julian admits that he and her may have had a thing once upon a time so he should be able to pull some strings.
Unbeknownst to Sal, Trixie takes a meeting with famed Broadway choreographer Jack Jerrigan (Danny DeVito). Jerrigan is setting up his next production and wants to convince Trixie to come out of “retirement” to be a part of the show. On the outside, she is resistant because she is committed to being a loyal wife. However, it is clear that she is facing an internal struggle about this decision. She politely declines the offer. He gives her a hug and says there are no hard feelings. As she walks away, her decision is already weighing on her.
Moe goes to an apartment, but it is not his home. Instead, it belongs to his mistress Rhea (Anya Taylor-Joy) who kisses him upon entry. In bed, she brings up the topic of cornea surgery. Rhea has been legally blind since an accident when she was 10. He looks at the time and tells her he must be going. She thinks he is trying to evade the question but he tells her that he has a big meeting to go to. He tells her that he loves her and that he will pay for it but he’s really gotta go.
Moe goes to his meeting with who is revealed to be the Mayor of New York City, Dan Rinaldi (Joseph Gordon-Levitt). Rinaldi is a young clean-cut politician who has had some rumors persist that he is in bed with the mob. This meeting, however, is about Moe’s ambitions to get out of organized crime, go straight and start fresh with his life. He explains that he is getting older, dissatisfied with his marriage, and needs to slow down. He and the Mayor have always been on good terms and so Rinaldi is willing to help Moe transition into the hotel industry with some protection and assistance from the city government. They shake hands and Moe says that he is sincerely thankful.
In Harlem, Julian takes Eddie to meet the notorious Madame St. Felix (Rihanna). When they enter, it immediately feels like she has some of sort of grip on the atmosphere of the room that they must negotiate with – in part because of Julian’s supposed past with her. Eddie tries to explain why they’ve come but is fumbling his words so Julian steps in and explains that they’d like to expand the numbers game beyond Harlem and the type of profit they would make. She is very hesitant about this and, instead, asks more about how they know each other. Eddie says it is funny how they met (as boxing opponents) and she asks which one of them won. There is lingering silence before they both smile and agree to let that be in the past. Madame St. Felix takes a liking to their chemistry and ambitions and says she would be willing to start feeling out expanding her ground. She clarifies that they both will be spearheading this process and Eddie is hesitant to answer but Julian, sensing that she wants to hear yes, gives her the affirmative. She shakes their hands and says she looks forward to doing business with them.
Julian and Eddie find early success in bringing the Madame’s numbers game to Manhattan. For his work, Eddie is given a healthy cut of the profits from the Maldini but he then must split that with Julian on the down-low. Julian asks why this is, as they are both making less than they should. Eddie explains that Sal doesn’t like… Julian shakes his head and says he understands before Eddie can finish that sentence. His eyes then light up as he has the idea to pull in another income flow to their business model. He explains that he peddles erotic films for his boss and that there is surely a market for that to tap into in Manhattan. Eddie likes that idea and they agree that it is something that Sal wouldn’t need to know about.
As the months go by, Sal grows suspicious of Moe’s relationship with the city government. He vents to Trixie his suspicions that Moe is going to try to sell him out. But he has a plan. Sal hosts a poker game that Moe and other important mafioso members attend. However, Sal wants to rig the game so that Moe will owe a debt to him. He can then send in an enforcer to scare Moe straight. Trixie is shaking her head no, saying that will be a mistake. What if he’s wrong about Moe? He could lose a valuable ally for the whole operation. Sal verbally berates her for questioning him, prompting her to storm out.
A cross-cutting montage ensues of Moe attending the poker game and Trixie going to meet with Jerrigan again. This time she tells him that she will accept the gig and return to the stage. He is so happy to hear this. This is in contrast to how Moe is upset at the losses he accrues at the game. Meanwhile, Sal meets with a man known only as The Beast (Vin Diesel), a notorious hitman-for-hire who works independent of the Commission, the organizing body that mediates between the various families in the United States. He is considered incredibly proficient and reliable at his job. Sal seals a deal for him to recoup the fabricated losses from Moe. The Beast tells him that he is quitting the business after this payday and Sal thanks him for the years of help.
The next day, Moe is making his morning commute as we see The Beast tailing him. Moe, however, is not new to this game and has the suspicion that someone is following him. He makes a detour through a busy train station that makes it more difficult for The Beast to spot him. He then circles back and hurries to his apartment building. He makes his way up the staircase but his slightly hobbled walks allow The Beast to nearly catch up. The Beast says he is just here to collect but Moe promises that he doesn’t owe anything. Moe reaches his apartment runs to his bathroom and attempts to shut the door but The Beast reaches it before it closes. He gives a hard thrust, causing Moe to fall backwards and hit his head on his toilet. The Beast slowly checks on him and finds that his neck is broken and he has died. He lets out a heavy sigh.
Elevator muzak plays as we see a montage of The Beast holing up in Moe’s apartment, dicing him into pieces, and disposing of him in the Atlantic Ocean.
And that’s where I enter the picture.
Private detective Doc Olleander (Josh Hartnett) sits in his blinds-drawn office smoking a cigarette. He receives a telephone call from a frantic Rhea. She tells him that her lover has went missing and she needs someone to find him. “Find him?” he asks curiously. “Finding him alive!” she responds. Doc cracks a smile. He tells her his fee and she says she can’t pay until Moe is found. He lets out a sigh but tells her he will take it on anyway. She says that he is an important hotel mogul and is probably important to a lot of people.
A success montage begins as we see Julian and Eddie make their way up through New York’s criminal underworld. They integrate both the lottery and peddling into well-oiled operations as newspaper headlines signal that Prohibition is ending. Eddie is now a high-ranking member of the Maldini outfit while Julian is living comfortably as well.
Trixie decides to tell Sal about her new show and he seems a little annoyed about it. He says he’s happy for her, but this just means more time that she’ll be out of the house and they’ll be without children. She rolls her eyes and he holds her hand, telling her that he loves her but just wishes she would fully commit to him. After some thought, she reveals to him that she will not be able to have children and this makes him mad. He punches her angrily, asking how long she has been holding this information. He then decides he doesn’t want to know and leaves her bruised and in tears.
Under his breathe, in a seemingly calm manner, he warns her not to continue disrespecting him.
At his new home, Julian wonders to himself why Eddie doesn’t want him to meet Sal. Why would Sal be willing to work with Harlem if he doesn’t like Africa-Americans? He decides to take things into his own hands and go meet Sal himself. When he arrives at Sal’s home, it is Trixie who answers the door. Julian notices the bruise on Trixie’s face but decides not to comment on it. She tells him that Sal is not home and asks why Julian has visited. He explains that he has helped expand Sal’s outfit into the numbers game and wanted to personally thank him for the job opportunity. This obviously piques her curiosity as she didn’t know Sal listened to her initial suggestion. She invites him in to talk about it more. It is clear to Julian right away that Trixie is more intelligent about the business than Sal gives her credit for. She recommends they keep in touch, leaving him with a warm smile.
Afterwards, she cleans up and goes to her first rehearsal for the big show, finding that she clearly has some rust she needs to shake off. Meanwhile, after Eddie’s latest boxing match, his manager tells him that he has been offered a bout on the undercard of a big championship fight. Eddie grows excited, as if his journeyman career has led to this moment.
The Beast meets with Sal and gives him an update on what happened. He gives Sal back the money that he paid him because the job did not go as planned. Sal lets out an angered scream upon hearing that Moe is now dead but then calms himself down. He thanks The Beast for disposing of the body the way he did and says that this will hopefully end up as a missing person cold case.
Doc meets up with Rhea, who asks for any updates on Moe’s disappearance. He informs her, seemingly for the first time, that her lover is involved in the mafia – which makes this tricky. She asks if that means his money is illegitimate and he tries to respectfully ask why she cares so much about his money. She prefaces by saying that she really does like Moe – but she also needs cornea surgery to correct her vision and he has promised to pay for it for her. Doc says he will continue to try his best to help. Rhea senses that Doc has a gun on him and asks how often he uses it. He tells her she is correct but downplays it. He says he carries it on him because “you never know” but he’s not a fighter by trade.
At least not anymore. I haven’t been able to pull a trigger since the war. What has happened to me?
Meanwhile, Eddie is surprised that Sal has requested a meeting with him. In the meeting, Sal congratulates him on setting up his next fight and says that he is proud of him. But. He then says that he needs Eddie to take a dive. Eddie is frustrated to hear this and says that this could be his big break but Sal ensures him that he will see a significant cut of the winnings from that result. Sal takes Eddie by the back of the neck and says that he is family, giving him a kiss on the forehead.
Julian meets with Eddie and tells him of his encounter with Trixie. Eddie is annoyed that Julian went and did this without him but hides it visibly. Eddie tells Julian about how Sal wants him to take a dive and how much that makes him feel disrespected. Julian suggests they set up a meeting with Trixie and see if there is a way they can expand their horizons beyond Sal. Eddie thinks about it and then decides they should do it.
A high-class joint in Harlem, Julian, Eddie, and Trixie meet up with Madame St. Felix and discuss their various grievances with Sal and how he is actively preventing the success of all of them. After discussing their issues, Eddie wonders what they can do to usurp him. After some silence, the Madame leans forward and suggests they have him killed – immediately drawing looks from the two men. However, Trixie seems surprisingly receptive to the idea. Eddie asks if that is truly what she wants and she explains that she’s currently in a damaged marriage with no way out. She reveals that she found out recently that she could not bear children and he seems to resent her for that. Julian takes her hand to comfort her and says he is sorry to hear that, something that catches the brief eye of Eddie. Julian says that the hit is unlikely to be approved by the commission, a statement that surprises Eddie as he has clearly been doing his research. Trixie says she has a piece of information that she thinks could gain that approval. They all agree that they’ll need to offer Eddie as the new boss but will secretly control together.
Eddie and Trixie go together to meet with the chairman of the Commission. The two of them are taken into a room where they meet the legendary Francesco Infantino (Al Pacino), who Trixie has met before. He asks them for their reason for coming and they seek the Commission’s approval of a hit on Sal. As with before, Francesco is surprised that Trixie wants to take out her own husband but she explains his abuse of her. And then she drops the bombshell: Sal is the one who ordered the hit on the now-missing Moe Kravitz (without the Commission’s approval). Even if this is a bit of a lie, she uses this as proof that her husband has become reckless and unhinged. After some deliberation, Francesco accepts their proposal and says that they will need to contract one of the Commission’s approved hitmen – which they agree to.
As Doc does his detective work, he sets his sights on the hitman known as The Beast. He gets a secondhand account that puts him in the area of Moe’s disappearance on the day of the disappearance.
Sal goes to his usual barber to get his haircut and a shave. He is talkative, as usual, but then the conversation turns to the disappearance of Moe Kravitz. This makes him frustrated and nervous, especially with a blade in the hands of someone else pressing against his neck. Even though he has known his barber for a long time, he soon becomes suspicious of everyone in the room and leaves prematurely.
Trixie meets with Julian and Eddie once again as they plot out Sal’s assassination. The opening of Trixie’s new Broadway show is the same night as Eddie’s big fight, which might be the best place to strike. Trixie says that Sal doesn’t like that she is returning to the stage in the first place so he will likely go to the fight and that is where they should have the hitman ready. They all seem nervously excited, as they can envision themselves on top soon enough. As Eddie leaves, he spots Julian talking with Trixie and them both seemingly being flirtatious with one another.
After he goes home, Eddie sets up a meeting with The Beast. He reveals that he knows that Sal used an independent hitman to kill Moe and that The Beast is Sal’s go-to guy in that regard. He says that he will not turn him in…if he can do a job for him that will bring in even more money than the Moe hit. Enough to get out of town and away from this style of life. The Beast denies that he was involved in the Moe ordeal but says that he is interested. Eddie smiles.
The big night arrives as the opening of Trixie’s big new show and Eddie’s boxing match are scheduled to take place in the same evening. Trixie nervously looks out on the audience from backstage as she takes her warm-up breaths. Surprisingly, Sal arrives at the theater and not the boxing match. While taking his seat, he glances up to the balcony to see Mayor Rinaldi watching the show from a private booth. Trixie and her castmates begin a kaleidoscopic dance sequence and she is shocked to see Sal actually came to the show.
At the boxing match, a nervous Julian approaches the hired hitman and tells him that Sal must have gone to Trixie’s show. He instructs him to go to the theater and wait outside until Sal is leaving to take their shot. Meanwhile, The Beast arrives at the arena and begins tracking Julian’s location. In the ring, Eddie is in a tough fight but his mind is clearly elsewhere. The crowd is hot as Doc makes his way in, himself keeping an eye on The Beast. Julian is too nervous about what is going on Broadway that he goes into a quiet corridor to collect his thoughts. Upon seeing this, The Beast follows him there – ready to do the job.
Rapturous applause at the theater as the show closes and Jerrigan and the cast take a bow on stage. Trixie makes eye contact with Sal as he mouths “I love you” and she fake a smile. In the lobby of the theater, Sal runs into the Mayor and they exchange courteous greetings. The Mayor whispers to Sal to say that it’s a shame about Moe’s disappearance. Sal fakes a frown and agrees. As they make their way outside, paparazzi swarm them as the hitman makes his approach. However, before he can shoot Sal, he is spotted by the Mayor’s bodyguards who subdue him. The hitman’s gun goes off, causing pandemonium amongst the theater-goers and paparazzi alike.
In the boxing ring, it is clear that Eddie has decided not to take the dive as he is bloody and bruised but still fighting. Julian makes his way down the dark corridor as he practices slow breathing. The Beast enters the frame from behind as he raises his silenced gun to aim at Julian walking in a straight line. We hear a loud heartbeat as Doc turns a corner and nears the corridor. He is profusely sweating.
You don't want to do this. You don't want to do this. You don't want to do this.
In the ring, Eddie takes a haymaker to the temple, sending him out cold down to the mat and prompting the audience to erupt in cheers for the upset. Doc screams out “wait!”, prompting Julian to turn around and see The Beast’s pistol fire at him. Despite some hesitation, Doc pulls out his own gun for the first time in years.
The Beast is shot in the chest and falls to the ground. Doc makes his way over and grabs on to The Beast’s bloodied shirt, asking where Moe Kravitz is. The Beast informs him with his last breaths that he killed him. Doc lets go as The Beast dies. Doc then goes over to Julian on the ground and finds him in a pool of blood. In a panic, Doc screams for help.
Sal makes it to his car in safety and heads back home. He is happy to hear that Eddie lost the fight and thus yielding him a big payday. He pleads innocence to the Commission, saying that he only asked The Beast to intimidate Moe – not kill him. They do not believe him.
Eddie is banished from the mafia for commissioning a hit outside the purview of the Commission.
The photos of The Mayor with Sal prompt a closer investigation of his mob ties and he is arrested for corruption.
Doc is found to have shot The Beast in self-defense and avoids any penalty. He tells the police about what The Beast told him about Moe.
After some searching, Moe’s remains are discovered. Meanwhile, Rhea finds a package of cash at her doorstep – enough to pay for her surgery.
Trixie goes out for drinks with Madame St. Felix and they seem to be waiting for someone else. Footsteps are heard as Julian hobbles in, injured but healed and smiling. The three of them make a toast to new beginnings.
The film rewinds to see Julian being taken to the hospital and receiving emergency surgery. After recovering, he meets with Doc and offers to pay him for helping save his life. Doc takes that money and then leaves it at Rhea’s doorstep before knocking and leaving.
At the Maldini household, Sal is laying in bed while Trixie says she plans to go out for drinks with friends. “Whatever” he seems to mutter as he goes to sleep. She rolls her eyes and lets out a chuckle. After a beat, she walks over to the bed and smothers him with her pillow. She sits down on the bed and seems a bit exhausted but lets out a sigh of relief, smiles, and then heads out the door.
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