The Yards (DVD)

Twenty-four year old Leo Handler (Wahlberg) has just been released from prison and is ready to return home to try leading a normal life. When Leo goes in to apply for a job with Willie (Phoenix), his future brother in law, and his Rail Yard Company, he is very disappointed after the boss tells him he is going to need two years of schooling first. So instead, he decides to take a position in Willie's department that doesn't require any formal schooling. At first this job seems easy enough, simply involving keeping key political figures in regards to the rail industry and business CEO's in good spirits. Of course this easy enough job comes with its down side as ...  Read the complete review

When Leo (played by Mark Wahlberg) comes out of prison he expects to be taken care of by his friends and family, especially as he didn't rat on the people he went to jail for. What he doesn't reckon on is just how much things have changed, and how respect is no longer the priceless commodity it used to be among criminals. A job within the family proves unforthcoming until he teams up with best friend Willie (Joaquin Phoenix); but soon Leo is in deep trouble and on the run as a result. The dilemma he finds himself in causes him to rethink his original ideas on loyalty and what's right and wrong. James Gray's dark and gloomy thriller, based on his own ...  Read the complete review

People make mistakes. If yours happen to be big enough, and you get caught, you go to jail. Most inmates are intent on serving their time, so they can get on with their lives and be productive citizens. But once released, they're faced with the ol' Catch-22 - to go straight they need a job, but they often can't get a decent job with a record. Exacerbate the situation with bad acquaintances and old surroundings and you have another recidivism statistic. Leo Handler did the right thing after doing the wrong thing - busted for grand theft auto, he refused to rat on his friends, because that's what the street code says. After breaking rocks for 18 ...  Read the complete review

Having seen the moody poster campaign for 'The Yards' I was tempted to go and see it, purely because the posters were good and the cast seemed excellent. Starring James Caan, Joaquin Phoenix and Mark Whalberg (amongst others) this movie can truly boast an 'all-star cast'. This was the first time in many years of movie-going that I'd been to see a film I'd heard nothing about. I hadn't read any reviews, seen and clips.... not even as much as a mumbled recommendation from a friend.... so I was eager to see what it was like. Set in the unlikely surroundings of the American metro-system, 'The Yards' refers to the ...  Read the complete review