We'll See Who the Real Tough Guy Is: On "A Bronx Tale" | Far Flungers

As reflected by Palminteri’s real name, Calogero Lorenzo Palminteri, Calogero in the movie is the fictional counterpart of his younger self. Palminteri’s father Lorenzo was really a bus driver. Sonny is based on a local mafia boss who was close to young Palminteri. Some other characters in his story are also based on local figures he knew during his early years. 

Palminteri’s nuanced performance in the film presents Sonny as a compelling human character to watch. Like his real-life counterpart, he is an intelligent man who could be a more productive member of society if he had grown up in a better environment. While he can open his heart a little to the boy he probably loves more than he admits, Sonny is still a creature of crime who chose a tough, lonely life on his mean streets, and, as he flatly admits later in the story, has accepted and lived with the price for that in the name of survival.  

In addition to giving a performance as warm and thoughtful as his recent appearance in “The Intern” (2015), Robert De Niro also directed and co-produced "A Bronx Tale," which was dedicated to his father who passed away not long before it was released. This was his first attempt at directing, and, considering what he accomplished here, it is a shame that he has made only one feature film since then. 

De Niro also makes a good use of various popular songs from the 1950-60s. I enjoyed a couple of nice doo-wop scenes which reminded me of what I saw from Clint Eastwood’s passable musical film “Jersey Boys” (2014). I also liked how the Beatles' "Come Together" was used as the prelude for a violent payoff during a sequence involving a bunch of biker gangs who unwisely mess with Sonny. As a matter of fact, De Niro and Palminteri recently worked together with composer Alan Menken for the stage musical version, which had its premiere in New Jersey early in this year.  

Between De Niro and Palminteri, Francis Capra and Lillo Brancato Jr. function as the heart of the film. Their performances are seamlessly connected, and what happened to each of them during subsequent years ironically mirrors its story. In contrast to Capra, who has been steady with his acting career while looking a lot different now (he played that biker character in TV series “Veronica Mars," by the way), Brancato tumbled down into serious troubles including addiction and murder, and was on parole in 2014.