Rockaway (2007)

One of the oldest subjects of a story is the man returning home after war. They are contained in the Bible, comprise some of the most ancient stories in Greek literature and have been with cinema since the start of the art form. After witnessing and participating in the horrors of war any man would be hard pressed to just go easily back into civilian life, there is naturally a period of readjustment expected. Being in situations where it was killl or be killed affects any human being. While it was a necessity in war back at home it may turn into violent behavior. Rambo was a set of films that dealt with this particular theme as the returning war hero does not come back to parades but rather a world of corruption and violence. The film ‘Rockaway’ by the sibling writing and directing team of Jeff and Josh Crook is a modernized variation on this story. Since this country is presently engaged in a war the story is current, relevant and powerfully presented. Although the DVD edit is not rated at the time of this writing the film is certain to garner an ‘R’. It is violent to the point of brutality. This is not a psychological piece of the difficulties in returning to normal life. This is a story of a man who returns from war to find that loss and grief have only begun in his life.

Jeff and Josh Crook have been film making partners, at least professionally, for a number of years now, well at least since 2003. In the handful of films they have collaborated on they have exploded several genres including comedy, drama and horror. This is their first pure action flick and they do very well in its execution. Considering the number of killings presented here that seemed like a very appropriate term to use. Unlike many fledgling directors they employed a cast with experience. Albeit most have resumes that are heavy with featured television roles and smaller film parts but they have actors who are familiar with the production process and that shows in the final work. It is more typical of young writers and directors to stick with one genre with the purpose of gaining a mastery of it. With this team they are willing to explore their options and find their niche and that is something that should be applauded. There are numerous flaws in this film but the underlying talent of all involved go a long way towards making the film work as a solid action revenge flick. The film is also set in my life long home town of New York City, especially Rockaway, Queens. This is a place I have been to many times and the use of this area for a setting was a fantastic choice. It is a different part of New York that is typically seen; one off the beaten track and somewhat isolated from the rest of the city.

The film begins with a shot of helicopters flying in formation over the bleak and barren terrain Afghanistan. A group of four men are playing a pick up game of football outside one of the counties many caves. They are smiling, happy despite the war nearby. One of the men is Trane (Nicholas Gonzalez) busy enjoying the game. An officer comes out of the cave and calls Trane over. They squat on the sand and it is obvious that the officer has some bad news for Trane. Another man tells Trane that he just received word from the major that he will be on the next transport out of Kabul. Trane’s only response is asking if it is wrong to pray for revenge. Back home his wife and young child where horribly murdered. Normally shipping back home is a cause for celebration. In this case it has erased all happiness and joy from the heart of this solider. All he can think about is getting the people responsible for taking his family away from him. Trane looks at the religious medal around his neck praying that God will give him the revenge he seeks. He mission in the army placed him in a country where he fought against people sure that God approves of their killing. Now he can think only of asking God help him to kill.

Trane returns to Rockaway, Queens; to the familiar sights of the elevated train and housing projects. His first sights of home should bring back good memories but revenge is all that is on his mind. Some of the editing choices used as Trane returns home are interesting initially but rapidly become overused. The Crooks use a slide show approach where one scene slips in pushing the current frame out. The failure in this method is the sound effects used during the slide. Perhaps a static cut would have worked better. Sitting on the beach this thoughts on his late wife but rapidly fade. Trane meets up with an old friend Dave (Desperate Housewives’ Ricardo Chavira) who tells him how badly the neighborhood has changed. Dave has moved on to the beach to avoid the troubles in the neighborhood. Dave is reluctant but Trane insist that he tells him what happened to his family. His wife was a righteous person who could not sit idly by as drug dealers took over the neighborhood. After their son was born she became proactive in trying to get them off their corners. The head of this drug ring, Juju (Mario Cimarro) did not take such interference in his business lightly and one night she and the baby were knifed to death in their beds. It was unsaid but the common understanding was someone in the police on Juju’s payroll informed on her. Dave tells Trane that the chain of people between the one holding the knife to Juju involves half the neighborhood and they are not the kind of people to mess with. Trane is a highly trained and decorated combat veteran and has other ideas. He will work his way up that chain killing everyone that had the slightest culpability in his family’s murder until he can take down Juju.

His first taste of home style action is when he stops off at a little store for a cup of coffee and to use the restroom. When he exits the bathroom the girl at the counter is being robbed. The thief takes out a gun an points it to Trane’s head. The solider doesn’t blink and the gunman takes the money and runs out. Trane finds out that he works for Juju; victim alpha has been targeted. This one scene demonstrates the restraint that the Crook brothers have in telling the story. Lesser writers and directors would use this first contact as an excuse to show some fancy fighting. Instead they build the character of Train as a man on a mission who knows how to wait for the right time and place. Trane knows how to reconnoiter an area and size up his adversary’s strengths and weaknesses. He is not usual headstrong killing machine; he is a calculating killing machine. He starts at the bottom of Juju’s criminal empire, a brothel, and works his way up the food chain until he has the final showdown with the boss.

The story takes some time to get going; not much but a lot longer than the usual action for action sake flick. This plot is one of my favorites; the reasonable man pushed beyond reason. In this case Trane just happened to be the wrong person for Juju and his minions to anger. If you are building a criminal empire you really don’t wanted a highly motivated special forces trained man after you. The way Trane works his way up to Juju offers a natural escalation to the action. Each time the criminals are more prepared and better armed forcing Trane to become increasingly innovating in his plan. The brothers Crooks are excellent as both writers and directors. The script is lean and mean. It allows for an emotionally satisfying reason for Tranes’ violence; one that the audience can be on board with. This is righteous vengeance and going to the authorities would be useless since they were in on the murder of his family. As directors there are a few missteps but over all this is one of the tightest productions to come around in ages. There is efficiency to the pacing of the film that grabs you and holds you.

This film is released on DVD by First Look Home Entertainment. The more I get to watch the films in their catalog the more impressed I am with them. They specialized in films that you most likely never heard of but are well worth having. This film is a prime example of this.

Posted 02/19/08