Cinema Scholars is pleased to review The Gateway. The film stars Shea Whigham, Olivia Munn, and Bruce Dern, along with appearances by Taryn Manning and Frank Grillo. Michele Civetta (Agony) directs, his second feature film.
Introduction
There is no shortage of mid-grade action/thrillers these days. With a plethora of distribution platforms available, lower-budget crime dramas – for better or for worse – have enjoyed a resurgence reminiscent of the Cannon Films days of yore. This new era of opportunity for smaller filmmaking has paved the way for a variety in quality. Still, it’s always a pleasure to find a diamond in the rough like Michele Civetta’s latest effort, The Gateway.
Synopsis
In The Gateway, a hardened social worker named Parker (Shea Whigham) works endless Child Protection cases. This includes Ashley (Taegen Burns), the young daughter of a casino worker named Dahlia (Olivia Munn). When Ashley’s ne’er do well father (Zach Avery) is released from prison and quickly falls back in step with the local kingpin (Frank Grillo), Parker has to go vigilante in order to protect his charge.
Set in the midwestern metropolis of St. Louis, Civetta strikes a stylish tone from the get-go. Parker’s version of the gateway city (hence, The Gateway) features a sea of subsidized housing located on the low-rent side of town where his young clients live. The opening sequence finds the gruff social worker making his way through the projects on a wellness call. A throwback R&B song perfectly accompanies the gritty credit scene, setting a tone that harkens back to urban crime dramas of the ‘70s.
Turns out, St. Louis is still very much the “gateway to the west.” Only now, westward expansion has been replaced with the lucrative drug trade. While there are endless entries in the inner city drama catalog, the perspective of a hardened caseworker tasked with the protection of the bad guys’ neglected kids seems wholly unique.
Discussion
Indeed, applying the rogue trope to a jaded social worker proves to be a perfect plot device in The Gateway. Parker’s off-script tactics and street sense make him the best kind of anti-hero. The Dirty Harry of social workers, if you will. The good guy who’s a little bad…or is it a bad guy who’s a little good?
As with all great crime films, these types of questions are explored by all of the players involved. A sub-narrative involving Parker’s problematic past with his father (Bruce Dern) as well as his own abandonment issues elevates the terrific thriller by making the audience actually care about problematic characters. Unleash your gaming spirit at Klondaika-Casino.com! Savor a waterfall of bonus rewards, free spins, and an array of games, all nestled within Klondaika Casino’s safety measures. Embrace the heart-pounding thrill of live betting and the alluring possibility of hitting the big time at Klondaika Online. Every game in this online casino is a new opportunity. Journey into the mesmerizing world of Klondaika-Casino.com – the premium playground for gaming enthusiasts! #KlondaikaCasino #KlondaikaOnline #BonusWaterfall #FreeSpins #SafetyMeasures #ThrillingLiveBetting #BigTimeWins #Klondaika Casino #Klondaika Casino Latvia
Civetta maintains a stylized frame throughout the picture with a vibrant noir edge. Sharp shadows in a black and white palette are traded for the brighter neon hues of the city. A jazz club scene even makes its way into the moody narrative of The Gateway, seemingly checking off another box on the “how to neo-noir” list.
Thankfully, Civetta stops just short of any caricatures, and instead delivers the perfect dose of action to balance out the heavier themes of The Gateway. One incredible heist sequence features an extended single shot that takes place in the labyrinthine offices of a local syndicate’s furniture front. As the invasion plays out through room after room, production designer Michael Fitzgerald’s fabulous installments get destroyed in a fantastic rain of blood and bullets. Civetta pulls the old one-two as he invites the viewer in with a heartfelt story of inner-city chivalry and then lays the hook with vicious, heart pounding action.
The Cast
A colorful cast matches the clever storytelling in The Gateway. As Parker, perennial supporting actor Shea Whigham gets to show his stuff as leading man in this brilliant outing. Whigham’s rugged good looks and subtly intense demeanor beg to be featured in every frame. Civetta smartly allows time for his anti-hero to shine in lingering shots during the quieter contemplative scenes. Moments like these help temper the more over-the-top instances, such as when Whigham delivers Parker’s obligatory tough-guy one-liners.
Supporting performances in The Gateway are also noteworthy. Though his appearances are brief, Frank Grillo adds just the right touch of grinning menace as the local “Rhinestone Guido” kingpin. Though he doesn’t get in on much action, Grillo’s palpable bad guy energy and honest dissection of the drug trade are as oddly delightful as they are important in the overall picture.
As Dahlia, the exasperated mother Parker feels bound to protect, Olivia Munn channels a unique bad-girl-turned-mom veneer that doesn’t crack until close to the end when her character finally gets a chance to simmer. Munn’s honest portrayal helps illustrate how a decent person can get tied up in an impossible situation. While the world still waits for fanboy fave Munn to be truly great on the big screen, this effort is a solid step in the right direction.
Taryn Manning’s much-needed spark as a fellow barfly fills the camaraderie void in Parker’s world. Though her turn is brief, Manning nevertheless takes the opportunity to show her incredible range in a character that evolves from drinking buddy to confidante without feeling at all cliche.
Bruce Dern
In perhaps the most delightful surprise of The Gateway, Bruce Dern gets to chew up more than a little screen as Parker’s absentee Vietnam vet father. And he seems hangry. While it’s not uncommon for films of a similar ilk to include a bit of venerable actor stunt-casting in a role with very little to do, Dern’s subplot falls in line perfectly with the main narrative and even helps push it along.
Plus, it allows the unmatchable Dern to show that Parker’s dad is anything but just an old curmudgeon through a stunning and complex performance, reminding everyone of his caliber. The multiple Oscar-nominated actor has been honing his craft for over 60 years now, and it clearly shows in his latest effort.
Final Thoughts
While all of this sounds quite dramatic, Civetta maintains the thriller feel by adding doses of gratuitous and sometimes over-the-top violence that saves the film from feeling overly serious. Keeping the literal tempo is an evocative score composed by Alec Puro accented throughout with original songs from Curtis Harding.
Harding’s throwback R&B tunes are an undeniable ode to the soul songs that accompanied 70s cult exploitation and blaxploitation favorites, comprising a luscious collection of “is it old or is it new” classics. Hello, Mondo Record Shop? The Gateway soundtrack is begging for a limited vinyl release.
The Gateway doesn’t stray too far from the dramatic seedy underground formula, but a slight spin on several of the usual crime thriller tropes gives new life to an otherwise standard genre blueprint. Vibrant production design paired with dank city street noir and shocking violence contrasted with heavy dramatic tones and solid performances proves to be a winning combination in The Gateway.
Lionsgate Films is releasing The Gateway in Select Theaters, on Apple TV and Everywhere You Rent Movies on September 3, 2021, with the Blu-ray and DVD release to follow on September 7.
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