Review: 'By The Gun' Is A Generic Gangster Film

Maddie Crichton ‘17 / Emertainment Monthly Staff Writer

Set in the North End of Boston, By the Gun tells the same mob story we have seen time and time again.
Nick (Ben Barnes) is a young, cunning Boston-Italian who has always had a fascination with the Italian mafia. Starting off low on the chain, he finally proves himself worthy to the men in charge (including Harvey Keitel) and swears his life to the mob scene. Having made it to the top, he thinks he finally has all he needs; until some of Nick’s other priorities begin to conflict with his new crowd.
The story is very cliché and unoriginal, and elements of the plot seemed unnecessary. Nothing about Nick makes him stand out (especially for a leading role), He is very dull with very little depth or backstory to him. Barnes delivered every line with a mumbling Boston accent, which fit his character in many moments, but eventually becomes old. There was a level of charm that Nick could have had, but Barnes did not bring that side of him to life in any way.

About a third into the film, viewers are introduced to Ali (Leighton Meester), Nick’s love interest. She also happens to be (of course) the daughter of a high-ranking mobster. Unfortunately, Ali appears in only about six or seven scenes throughout the whole film, with no relevance until the end. Most of the scenes between Ali and Nick appear to be a distraction from the real story at hand. It seemed like this subplot was written just to add an obligatory romance to the movie.
By the Gun starts off notably slow, but picks up pace around half way through the film. The story adds too many extraneous characters just to give it a big mafia movie kind of feel. This just makes it harder for the audience to distinguish who is important to the story, and who is simply a side character.
One of the best performances in the film is from rapper-turned-actor Slaine, who plays Nick’s partner in crime George Mullins. Though George is a supporting role, he is still one of the better-developed characters throughout the film. Slaine makes him interesting to watch, even when George is not pivotal in the scene.
Directed by James Mottern, the film itself was very pretty and eye-catching to watch. Mottern captured this small Boston neighborhood in a cinematic way. Had the characters and storyline been more developed, this film could have risen above being just a stereotypical mob film.

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