Search - Monument Ave. on DVD

Denis Leary shines!

mystic80 | 06/15/1999

(4 out of 5 stars)

"This movie is one of these small gems that manage to slip by everybody in the theatres. But fortunately, it's now available on DVD and for rental. Monument Ave. is pretty cliched in terms of it's story line about a criminal who must choose between his loyalty to his friends or that of his boss. However, the true ingenuity of the film is the dialogue. It flows off the screen in a current of truth and harsh realities that rivals that of Tarantino. Listen to it carefully. The performances are very good, especially that of Denis Leary. The way he balances comedy, which is his forte, and drama is very good. I was truly impressed with this breakout performance by him and hope to see him in more dramatic roles. Colm Meany, who plays the Irish crime boss is equally effective as a character who will be your best friend and stab you in the back at the same time. This film was directed by Ted Demme, yonger brother of Jonathan Demme, the dude that directed the Silence of the Lambs. With this film, Ted Demme again proves that he is a distinct talent, seperate from his brother."

One of the Great Gangster Movie Performances

Tony Mastrogiorgio | Pleasant Hill, CA USA | 02/05/2003

(5 out of 5 stars)

"This is an unjustly neglected film. Director Ted Demme died far too young, leaving behind a solid list of films that suggested great possiblities from the mature filmmaker we will never get to see. One of the significant things about his work is that he is the only person who really understood how to use Dennis Leary. In a word, Leary is great here. His conflicted emotions about escaping the narrow confines of his violent world and the actions he takes that only ensure his failure power a character that rivals Micheal Corleone (without the operatic granduer) or John Garfield in Force of Evil. The harsh locations, the sub-culture within a subculture, the suddenness of the violence, the twadriness of the criminal enterprise are all vividly captured in a film justly called "the Irish Mean Streets"."

An underrated gem that should've gotten more notice

mystic80 | Massachusetts | 04/24/2000

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Monument Ave. is probably one of the best films I have ever seen. Instead of the Hollywood happy ending, we have a dark and grim tale of family morals and the loyalty between being a stand up guy and a family man. Denis Leary proves he doesn't always have to play piss and moan roles and he's at his best as the reluctant Bobby. The cast is excellent with Colm Meaney as a remorseless crime boss, Ian Hart as Bobby's energetic friend, Famke Janssen as Bobby's girlfriend, and the rest of the cast are in top form. Director Ted Demme manages to get down to the bare nub of the script with the Boston accents and attitudes. This film definitely should've gotten more notice. Grade: A-"

Irish gangster activity served up all nice and steamy for ya

Ken Jensen | Kingston, NY | 04/01/2008

(4 out of 5 stars)

"Gritty, funny, buddies, drugs, drinkin', crime, and Denis Leary = pretty good movie. Denis is one of those guys who doesn't ever seem to be acting. He's always some version of himself, which happens to be something I like. I suppose, due to my past life I never tire of watching guys sitting around partying and discussing pointless, banal topics with fervor and passion fueled by drugs and camaraderie. I'm getting to relive my youth vicariously sans the bad health and police issues. The plot was basic enough. Vaguely gang related but in the old school way of the Irish. People going along to get along even if it hurts them and their community until the head bad guy goes too far and the hero is forced to more closely examine his life and goals. The end was predictable enough but who cares? Pretty good flick for what it is."