WE OWN THE NIGHT (2007)

In WE OWN THE NIGHT, Joaquin Phoenix plays a nightclub manager who walks a thin line between the blood family of police officers he disavows and his chosen family of friends and criminal business partners. Aware if his son's connections, his father (Robert Duvall) and brother (Mark Wahlberg) ask his help in their investigation, but when the wayward son resists, the ensuing conflict takes a tragic turn and forces him to make a choice. The familiarity of the cops and crooks tale dilutes its impact – and it's hard to suspend the disbelief that Wahlberg, Duvall and Phoenix are related – yet the suspenseful plot takes surprising turns, and the gritty performances and moody visual style are powerful. Phoenix is superb in his role, sifting through layers of guilt and familial resentment, and Wahlberg and Duvall, though playing the kind of characters they've played before, are interesting and believable.