‘The Alto Knights’ Review: A Double Helping of De Niro

Summary

Robert De Niro plays the crime lords Vito Genovese and Frank Costello in this film about midcentury Mafia moves.

Key Takeaways

1. The movie 'The Alto Knights' stars Robert De Niro playing both Vito Genovese and Frank Costello.
2. The film depicts the story of a gangster friendship that sours into deadly conflict in the mid-20th century Mafia.
3. The reviewer notes familiar elements from other mob movies, including 'The Godfather' and 'Goodfellas'.

Statement Breakdown

• Claimed Facts: 50% of statements the article presents as facts
• Opinions: 40% of statements classified as editorial or subjective
• Claims: 10% of statements surfaced for additional reader evaluation

Credibility & Bias Reasoning

Credibility assessment: The review appears in The New York Times, a reputable news source known for its journalistic standards. The author, Glenn Kenny, is credited and likely has experience in film criticism. The review provides specific details about the movie, its plot, and the actors' performances. It also references other well-known films and historical context, which adds to its credibility. The review balances description with opinion, which is appropriate for this type of content.

Bias assessment: Balanced. The review appears to be largely unbiased, focusing on the merits and potential drawbacks of the film. There's no apparent political or ideological agenda driving the review. The author's opinions are clearly presented as such, and the review seems to provide a fair assessment of the movie's strengths and weaknesses. The tone is professional and measured. Therefore, the bias is negligible.

Claimed Facts (6)

• This is a statement about the movie's initial impact.
• This is a temporal fact about the movie's setting.
• Describes the relationship and setting.
• Details Frank Costello's public image.
• Describes movie's violence and director.
• Movie rating and running time.

Opinions (5)

• This is a subjective assessment of the film's impact.
• Sets up the author's opinion on the film's originality.
• Assessment of De Niro's performance.
• Prediction on audience reaction.
• Author’s interpretation of camera setups.

Claims (3)

• This is a weak attempt at humor and doesn't add substance to the review.
• Exaggerated claim about the boldness of the casting decision.
• Subjective comparison of De Niro's performance to another actor, without concrete evidence.