It took a mob to run the city -- and one man to put them away.
1989-10-28
N/A
103 min
An innocent man is thrust into a political power struggle in this drama. After witnessing a mob killing, New York restaurant owner Sam Paxton (Aidan Quinn) reports the crime. Overzealous attorneys (Brian Dennehy and Stockard Channing) put pressure on Paxton to testify in court, but Paxton is in a tough spot when the mob starts threatening his family. Paxton now faces an impossible choice: testify and put his family at risk … or go to jail.
There's little cheer to be found here. It's a story that attempts to throw light on the average Joe six-pack's run-in with organised crime, as well as the daily toll it has on a working-class neighborhood.
The acting is good all-round and the subject matter is not stylised or glamorized as is ordinarily the case. For a TV movie, it's of an unusual caliber and the narrative is intense as it is compelling. We're shown different character prerogatives and this as a whole amounts to a thoughtful piece.
