Mafia Inc (2019) - An interesting alternative to The Irishman - 8/10 (22/03/21)

Mafia Inc is an epic gangster drama from Quebec that is partially based upon true events. It tells the story of a tailor's son who got rejected by his father and his dying mother and becomes a member of a mafia family in Montreal because he is friends with one of the godfather's sons. The protagonist is seen as an adoptive son and soon climbs the ranks. However, his ambitions quickly cause some tension and he ultimately becomes a liability. Things get even more complicated when his sister starts dating one of the godfather's sons. The tension reaches its height when the police gets involved.

This epic gangster drama convinces on many levels. The settings bring the early nineties in and around Montreal to life in a realistic way. Some scenes take place in Italy and Venezuela and add some diversity.

The characters in this film are quite intriguing even though they are very antipathic. The ambitious protagonist who is getting more relentless in every scene, his young sister that changes drastically throughout the story, his helpless father who finally decides to stand his ground and the charismatic godfather who can be gentle in one moment and pitiless in the next one are certainly outstanding. The acting performances go along with this as the performers become one with their roles.

The storytelling in this film is quite balanced. It introduces the characters properly, adds a few flashbacks here and there and finds the perfect balance between meaningful dialogues and quite violent scenes. The movie never idolizes criminal organizations and portrays how ruthless that kind of illegal business is.

There are very few things to criticize about this movie. The story is obviously not exactly new. Several scenes are therefore a little bit predictable.

However, fans of gangster films such as The Godfather, Once Upon a Time in America and The Untouchables should certainly appreciate this dynamic, profound and realistic movie. The characters, settings and stories are so interesting that one might soon expect one or two sequels. It's certainly an interesting alternative to the overlong The Irishman.