Jon Avnet’s “Righteous Kill” didn’t consolidate the images
of Al Pacino and Robert de Niro as movie legends, but rather sparked up talks
about the end of their glory days.
However, the two actors were in high spirits Wednesday night
as their fans cheered them at the premiere of their latest movie.
Everybody had excitedly anticipated the teaming of the two
actors, who appeared together in “The Godfather Part II.”
But the director who put them in this movie, Francis Ford Coppola,
declared last fall that he thought the two legendary actors had lost their
talent.
“I met both Pacino and De Niro when they were really on the
come,” Coppola told GQ. “They were young and insecure. Now Pacino is very rich,
maybe because he never spends any money; he just puts it in his mattress ... I
don't feel that kind of passion to do a role and be great coming from those
guys,” he added.
When requested to comment on Coppola’s words, Pacino and De
Niro declined to engage in a conflict.
“I'd really rather not talk about it,” Pacino said. “I'd
really rather not talk about anything.”
De Niro said he had nothing against Coppola, who helped him
produce his movie “The Good Shepherd.” “It’s okay, it’s okay,” he said.
Many have contradicted Coppola and defended their favorite
actors, including former mayor Rudy Giuliani, who said he loved the idea of
Pacino and De Niro playing New York City detectives, and “Inside the Actors
Studio” host James Lipton, who called them “two of the finest actors of their
generation.”
“Righteous Kill” director Jon Avnet didn’t hesitate to
praise both De Niro and Pacino, saying they had defied his expectations.
In the script written by Russell Gewirtz (“Inside Man”), the
two actors are to NYPD veteran partners, one of whom, De Niro’s character, is
getting ideas about evenging innocent victims to whom the court did not deliver
justice. Unfortunately, the plot is not too original, although Gewirtz gave the
actors a few good lines.
We have a bad guy who punishes other bad guys, by killing
them and writing silly poems on their bodies, such as: “The old man who the
children trust. Unable to control his lust. Ashes to ashes, dust to dust.”
And of course, the two veteran police officers must find the
killer, together with a team of younger detectives, formed of Riley (Donnie
Wahlberg) and Perez (John Leguizamo), who actually suspect that De Niro’s
character, Turk, is the murderer they’re looking for.
Turk also has a nymphomaniac girlfriend, who is also a forensics
detective, played quite well by Carla Gugino.
Curtis “50 Cent” Jackson appears as a menacing club owner
and drug dealer.
The movie is rated R for violence, pervasive language, some
sexuality and brief drug use.
