I'm a little unhappy that it took me so long to hear of this movie. It is truly a movie drama. Some people when they hear about this probably relate it to the Godfather before even seeing it, and they are wrong for doing this. It is dark and gritty which makes it overall realistic. There is a very dark feel to the entire thing and there is basically no comedy, but the character development and emotion make up for it. The performances in this movie are also very good and add to the gritty atmosphere. Christopher Walken gives an unusually serious performance as the head brother of the family. I did not think that he could pull of such a part due to his naturally funny demeanor, but he did, and he did it very well. I also feel that Benicio Del Toro, as always, did a very good part in his role. I did not think that he could do the role of a gangster either, but he was extremely realistic and made the viewer hate him and feel bad for him at the same time. But, I think of all the people in this movie, Chris Penn stole this movie acting wise. To me, he was utterly spectacular in his part as the hot head brother out for revenge. The movie does get slow at some points and does seem choppy, but all in all this is a very good film and if you like gangster dramas and character development, it's for you.