The Pope of Greenwich Village

The Pope of Greenwich Village is a very well acted, atmospheric film that, unfortunately, lacks resonance.

The plot follows a New York man played by Mickey Rourke who dreams of a better life but can’t walk away from the scheming cousin, played by Eric Roberts, who holds him back.

Rourke’s performance is fantastic. He echoes a young Marlon Brando in the quiet desperation that he cultivates behind his eyes. Thanks to his charisma, you like Rourke’s character almost instantly, and, more importantly, forgive his critical flaw, his love for his scheming, no-good cousin. It’s an impressive turn that’s dwarfed only by that of his co-star, Eric Roberts, as the cousin in question.

Roberts’ role is more challenging than Rourke’s in that he must find away to retain the audience’s sympathy despite his selfish behavior. It’s a fine line, and one that could quickly descend into caricature, but Roberts pulls it off.

Indeed, the acting in The Pope of Greenwich Village is all top-of-the-line, but the film doesn’t resonate. Director Stuart Rosenberg’s Cool Hand Luke was a character study of a man imprisoned who found agency within himself. It spoke to the rebel within us all. In many ways, Rourke’s character is the opposite: his freedom is there, he just can’t reach out and grasp it.