Worth: $10.00
FilmInk rates movies out of $20 — the score indicates the amount we believe a ticket to the movie to be worth
Cast:
Mykel Shannon Jenkins, Ernest Thomas, Kevin Interdonato, Daniel O’Reilly, Bryce Clyde Jenkins
Intro:
…. a glossy production that could have used a tighter pace and less reliance on improv histrionics from its characters.
In Mykel Shannon Jenkins’ The Gods, street hustler Mikey James (Jenkins himself) and his brothers end their connection with the Farsano crime family. It was a move that would lead to Mikey going into hiding and the death of his wife, Sofia, who also happened to be the daughter of Daddy Farsano.
Five years later and The Gods 2 sees Jenkins returning to the James family to see if life has gotten any better for them. If the film’s subtitle doesn’t give it away, the answer is a resounding “Sort of, not really”.
Still in hiding, Mikey has managed to find love again, but that doesn’t mean that he’s over the death of Sofia. Nor does he appear to want to talk about it with anyone, preferring to have traumatic flashbacks instead. When old acquaintance, Olympus (Ernest Thomas) appears to be in trouble with mobster hitman, Florian (Daniel O’Reilly), Mikey decides that it’s time to step out of the shadows and settle some debts; something which Sofia’s brother, the vengeful Anthony (Kevin Interdonato) is less than happy to find out about.
The Gods 2 is a crime drama with a heavy emphasis on the drama. Sure, there’s violence, but this doesn’t take precedence over the film’s characters lamenting and shouting in what appears to be semi-improvised dialogue. This is often evidenced by the film’s actors playing ‘yes, and…’ by simply repeating a line until the other person responds. As can be imagined, it doesn’t always work. Particularly when emotions run high.
As Mikey, Jenkins convinces as a man in turmoil, trying to keep his head above water, but subtlety is occasionally thrown to the side in favour of performing to the back of the theatre. Conversely, Interdonato manages to emote Anthony’s contempt for literally everyone with barely a word said. If Mikey is the confident hustler adept at change, then Anthony is the brawler thuggishly tearing down people in the name of sticking to the old ways.
As writer, director, producer and lead actor, this is clearly a passion project for Jenkins. And given the stinger scene in the end credits, this second chapter is clearly one part of a larger epic that the filmmaker has in mind. However, the numerous hats he wears could also be a hindrance; a case of being too close to his own work. Take for example the scene in which a character repeatedly punches someone in the head so often it almost borders parody. The emotion is already in the scene long before the twelfth or thirteenth punch has been thrown. Less can often be more.
Elsewhere, the character of Lil Homie, played by the director’s son Bryce Clyde Jenkins, enters a relationship that has Mikey fearing that history is going to repeat itself. Although Jenkins uses this storyline to also circle around attitudes towards people of colour in America, it doesn’t really go anywhere before fizzing out in the aforementioned end credit sting.
Overall, The Gods 2 is a glossy production that could have used a tighter pace and less reliance on improv histrionics from its characters.
