PRIDE AND GLORY

COLIN FARRELL has generated more than a few screams on arriving at movie premieres, but at the recent Toronto Film Festival he had audiences screaming in shock during the world premiere of Pride and Glory.

PRIDE AND GLORY **

Directed by Gavin O'Connor. Starring Edward Norton, Colin Farrell, Jon Voight, Noah Emmerich, Lake Bell, Jennifer Ehle 16 cert, gen release, 130 min

Farrell plays New York police officer Jimmy Egan as a smooth operator whose disarming demeanour masks his capacity for viciousness, which is revealed in the scene that had us all squirming in our seats in Toronto. Threatening a drug dealer for information, Jimmy casually places the man's baby on the ironing board and brandishes a hot iron over the child.

Jimmy's wife (Lake Bell) is from another Irish-American family, and three are members of the police force: her father (Jon Voight), a veteran detective; and her brothers Ray (Edward Norton), who is depressed after the break-up of his marriage, and Franny (Noah Emmerich), whose wife (Jennifer Ehle) has a terminal illness.

Yet another dilemma faces the family after four officers are killed on duty in the Bronx and police corruption is suspected. Ray is put on the case and traces the trail to his brother-in-law, Jimmy.

Violence is frequent in this downbeat thriller set at Christmas time. It's based on a story developed by the sons of an NYPD officer, the film's director Gavin O'Connor and his twin brother Gregory, who produced it. The screenplay is by Joe Carnahan, the writer-director of Narcand Smokin' Aces.

Pride and Glory is overloaded with subplots. It carries a strong whiff of deja vu, recalling genre antecedents from decades past and as recent as We Own the Night, which starred Mark Wahlberg and Joaquin Phoenix as brothers on opposite sides of the law and with a respected detective (Robert Duvall) as their father. O'Connor's film does benefit significantly from the moody, atmospheric images captured by Irish-American cinematographer Declan Quinn, and from the quality of its sturdy cast, among whom Farrell smoulders ominously.

Postponed several times before its belated release, this often ponderous film could have benefited further from more judicious pruning in the editing suite.