REVIEWS

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Directed by ROBERT L BUTLER JR/ Reviewed by Biplab Das To put it simply, The Alliance is an epic gangster flick. The amount of violence in the film is unprecedented. With violence, sex, drugs, and prostitutes give the film a gory look.  The Alliance is a crime thriller. The story is weaved in such a way that it binds all the facets of a crime thriller. The film is also a study of criminal minds and how they operate. Interestingly, the film shows how deep-seated crime in our society. But the film also comes with thrill. There is a mystery present throughout the film which also strengthens the film. If you like gangster movies then this is your poison. An audience that is mature enough to see goriness on-screen is ideal for this film. However, the film is not only about gun battles and killings. The film has a story which I don’t intend to reveal here and I will not. The film has multiple subplots that keep the audience attracted and astonished. There are many ‘I didn’t expect this’ moments in the film. The spin at the end makes the film appealing and interesting. Robert Butler Jr, the director-writer-producer-lead actor, gives a stellar performance. His performance makes the second half of the film really interesting. The film runs seamlessly, thanks to his writing and directing ability. He pulled off the film almost on his own. Barring him, Michael E. Bell, Ben Leiatua, and S Joe Downing played important characters in the film. The girls in the film are riveting. I mean their characters. The machismo in their characters makes them truly unique and equal to the men present in the film. The director didn’t try to portray women as weak. Rather he showed them as the part of the gangster group. The cinematography of the film is stunning like the editing. The cinematic language is perfectly captured. I’ve seen many other gangster films that don’t bear the cinematic language that this film bears. The story of the film is simple. 4 drug dealers call a truce and ally. However, after 20 years of peace, one member is forced to kill others. Now, there is a catch. Who is that one member? What forced him to kill other members? And finally, what happens to the one member who kills the other members? All these make the movie worth watching. The film has a central plot but it also has many subplots that culminate into something extra-ordinary at the end. The sex and prostitution come in the film naturally as violence. The violence is gruesome in the film. From its very beginning to its end- the film is drenched with violence. Barring violence, the film also deals with the psychology of the criminal mind. It is a great study of criminology. With that, there is debauchery. The film is a fantastic study of the life of a gangster who once in a gang. The film gives minute details of how a gang operates. Any psychology student would love to watch the film just to under the mindset of the criminals. The director understood the mindset and operational style of the gangsters. The hierarchy of a drug gang with inherent jealousy against each other has perfectly portrayed in the film. However, if you just like a movie with action and fight scenes then this is your bet. I like to highly recommend this nearly 2-hour long feature film to everyone who loves movies. Though it’s a movie on gangsters, the real strength of the film is the unpredictability of the story. I give 4 stars out of 5 to The Alliance. The Alliance is truly a movie that tells the story of the underworld.