Gangster Squad
Los Angeles, 1949. Ruthless, Brooklyn-born mob king Mickey Cohen (Sean Penn)
runs the show in this town, reaping the ill-gotten gains from the drugs, the
guns, the prostitutes and, if he has his way, every wire bet placed west of
Chicago. And he does it all with the protection
of not only his own paid goons, but also the police and the politicians who are
under his control. It’s enough to intimidate even the bravest,
street-hardened cop… except, perhaps, for the small, secret crew of LAPD
outsiders led by Sgt. John O’Mara (Josh Brolin) and Jerry Wooters (Ryan
Gosling), who come together to try to tear Cohen’s world apart.
Critic Reviews:
- " This is an exceptionally well-acted and–for the most part–entertaining film. " – Debbie Baldwin
- " Those who are calling it shallow and cartoony and clichéd are missing the point. It is all of those things, purposefully – gleefully, even. " – Jason Bailey
- " Sean Penn's performance alone makes the film worth seeing. " – Nick Nunziata