ROTTEN TOMATOES: Mann to Direct De Niro in Frankie Machine

Mann to Direct De Niro in Frankie Machine

Director's involvement jumpstarts long-in-development adaptation.

by Jeff Giles | October 25, 2007

Robert De Niro is returning to his Mafia roots -- and Michael Mann is taking him there.

In what sounds like very good news for fans of 1995's Heat, the last film De Niro and Mann worked on together, Variety reports that the director has committed to develop an adaptation of Don Winslow's The Winter of Frankie Machine for Paramount. From the article:

De Niro will play Frank Machianno, a mob hitman who has retired to run a bait shop. He agrees to help the son of a mob boss resolve a dispute with another Mafioso but is forced to turn into Frankie Machine again when he realizes he's been set up to be killed.

De Niro has been attached to Frankie Machine for some time now -- in fact, he read the book even before it was published -- but it's been in limbo pending Paramount's decision regarding Brian Koppelman and David Levien's original draft of the script, which, according to Variety, is now being given "a major overhaul" by Alex Tse, "under Mann's supervision."

Source: Variety

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(1-20 of 33 posts) | Reply

Young Turk writes:
on Oct 25 2007 07:24 AM

If Mann directs this is going to be the next Collateral. Awesome.

(Reply to this)

patsloomis writes:
on Oct 25 2007 07:35 AM

Heat would be a better comparison, don't get me wrong Collateral was good but not as great as Heat.

(Reply to this)

arendr writes:
on Oct 25 2007 07:35 AM

Great!

(Reply to this)

tomlet writes:
on Oct 25 2007 07:39 AM

De Niro as a free agent mafia killing machine? I'm there.

(Reply to this)

Highlonesome writes:
on Oct 25 2007 08:03 AM

OMG!!!

SWEET!

Now THIS is great Hollywood news! : )

(Reply to this)

dracus writes:
on Oct 25 2007 08:16 AM

I think we all know what Coppola feels about this.

(Reply to this)

MountRussmore writes:
on Oct 25 2007 08:17 AM

I think I'll drum up some debate here: Critics and many fans put down horror movies because they are so unrealistic, implausible, and use the same tired plot devices over and over, right?

Well, who needs to see ANOTHER crime film about a retired mobster who is trying to lead an honest life, but is forced back into the business because of his old connections? Haven't we seen that at least 1000 times already? Will De Niro have a "love interest" (at least 20 years younger than he is) who begs him not to go back and ends up in peril??

And what the hell was so good about "Collateral"? Talk about plot contrivances! Only in Hollywood could a cabbie's last 2 fares turn out to be a hitman AND his target by pure coincidence!! Jaime Foxx going into a club and impersonating a hitman in front of gangsters he's never met? Gimme a break. I'd sooner believe in Arctic Vampires....

(Reply to this)

Bloody Mathias writes:
on Oct 25 2007 08:24 AM

Anything Mann directs, has my butt in the seats opening day.

(Reply to this)

walkingdead09 writes:
on Oct 25 2007 08:32 AM

If they wrote movies to make absolute sense then no one would watch them. Escape from reality a little suspension of belief for two hours. If you sit and analyze every movie there are tons of plot holes in everything. Obviously there are plot holes in Collateral, but in heat there is one equally as well. Any great movie, I wouldn't let that stop you from seeing a movie with an okay plot, a good director and one of the greatest actors of all time. Besides people believe what they see on television, ie. CSI the lab techs don't go around and solve the crimes. Not only that but they don't find a piece of lint in the back of a trunk and solve the murder right there. That's just not how it is done in real life, but for entertainment purposes they take some liberties.

(Reply to this)

zgberg writes:
on Oct 25 2007 09:22 AM

finally some good news this month

(Reply to this)

Young Turk writes:
on Oct 25 2007 10:01 AM

In reply to this comment (#1220755)
I was actually referring to the idea of a Hitman against all odds.

(Reply to this)

Young Turk writes:
on Oct 25 2007 10:14 AM

In reply to this comment (#1220792)
Wow great arguement. I mean, what better way to express your disdain of people's views of horror movies than to bash the next best thing, crime films.

People and critics don't like horror movies not primarily because they "nrealistic, implausible, and use the same tired plot devices over and over", no, the real reason is because they are disgusting, and gorge on pointless violence for NO reason whatsoever other than to be violent. I am a horror movie fan, but I can understand why critics dislike horror films and in most cases it is because they use style over substance. THere have been plenty of horror films that work to the opposite end (anything from Cronenberg to cite one example), but most, especially nowadays have gone back to pure exploitation and not even in an original way. At least with crime as the genre it is relative to things that actually happen or have happened (if you don't believe me just go read an encyclopedia on the mob or true crime).

In any case no one should even be making the comparison because the two are completely different and for the most part incomparable in what they are trying to achieve. Plus in the same way you probably don't like all horror films, crime movie fans don't like all crime films; only the good ones.

How is the Collateral scenario so impossible? It's a taxi cab, it is in the same city, and there is an enormous trial coming up, why on earth is their crossing paths so impossible?

(Reply to this)

kgochs writes:
on Oct 25 2007 10:30 AM

In reply to this comment (#1220792)
You make a good point MountRussmore. Too bad, none of these idiots got it. That aside, this movie could go either way. At least if it's poorly written, De Niro will sustain interest.

(Reply to this)

There's a soup in my fly! writes:
on Oct 25 2007 10:53 AM

Wow, is there anything better in the world than this project? Really, I mean Mann De Niro mob stroy = 2nd coming of Jesus H. Christ

(Reply to this)

samlane writes:
on Oct 25 2007 11:07 AM

What? I thought Scorsese was doing this with De Niro? That kinda sucks. Don't get me wrong, Mann is a good director and had done some great movies, but Scorsese is MUCH better. Plus, anything that he and De Niro do together is amazing. Oh well, at least they still have a good director doing it and not some hack like Michael Bay. Should still be good.

(Reply to this)

jacketman writes:
on Oct 25 2007 11:08 AM

I see point he was making. I disagree with most of it. Most horror movies just suck. Nothing is original really. Not in mainstream hollywood. If we judge what is good simply by what is original we would like 2 movies a year.

Does a film have good acting, directing, cinematography, art design, writing.

Original doesn't equal good.

With Deniro its different too. Its not Meet the Fockers or Analyze That or some other bad movie. This will be 2 in a row. One as a detective with Pacino and this. Mann is an amazing director. I am looking forward to it.

(Reply to this)

ImMoeGreen writes:
on Oct 25 2007 11:10 AM

I don't generally post, but to complain about repetitive plot lines is absurd, a feeling of nostalgia is envoked by using such unoriginal themes, Scorcese has made a career of envoking nostalgia because he understands that the american public are reminded that they are american when we can collectively feel nostalgiac. repetitive themes and plot lines are how we as a culture begin to foster characteristics, For Instance, KILL BILL is totally based upon addressing themes and plot lines that are so unoriginal that it became a statement about what the american public is fascinated by, over sensationalist gore and action, tits and ***, and getting to laugh in between. In the US where we are essentially all imigrants not sharing one particular culture, but gangster films alone have served to shape not only our relationship with pop art, but our entire society has been affected by it, by allowing all americans of all cultures to be drawn to one common fascination, organized crime. Scarface for cubans, departed - Irish, Jewish - Once Upon a Time in America, Italians - do I need to say more. there's a reason The Godfather is the most popular film amongst the American public. Yong Turk is right on the movey, movies aren't meant to be realistic, we enjoy them because it is a way to escape the realism of our everyday lives, its an escape for that two hours, almost a passive portal to another world or viewpoint. Now, why wouldn't we want that to be as sensationalist as possible. Besides, Mann could be one of the greatest film directors of all time, very under-rated but he'll have his day, so I think he has already realized the played out themes or plot lines of his film and understands that if worked right, you can create American culture rather than just displaying, you can accomplish a film that will be shown for centuries to come, to show how American culture was expressed.

(Reply to this)

ImMoeGreen writes:
on Oct 25 2007 11:11 AM

I don't generally post, but to complain about repetitive plot lines is absurd, a feeling of nostalgia is envoked by using such unoriginal themes, Scorcese has made a career of envoking nostalgia because he understands that the american public are reminded that they are american when we can collectively feel nostalgiac. repetitive themes and plot lines are how we as a culture begin to foster characteristics, For Instance, KILL BILL is totally based upon addressing themes and plot lines that are so unoriginal that it became a statement about what the american public is fascinated by, over sensationalist gore and action, tits and ***, and getting to laugh in between. In the US where we are essentially all imigrants not sharing one particular culture, but gangster films alone have served to shape not only our relationship with pop art, but our entire society has been affected by it, by allowing all americans of all cultures to be drawn to one common fascination, organized crime. Scarface for cubans, departed - Irish, Jewish - Once Upon a Time in America, Italians - do I need to say more. there's a reason The Godfather is the most popular film amongst the American public. Yong Turk is right on the movey, movies aren't meant to be realistic, we enjoy them because it is a way to escape the realism of our everyday lives, its an escape for that two hours, almost a passive portal to another world or viewpoint. Now, why wouldn't we want that to be as sensationalist as possible. Besides, Mann could be one of the greatest film directors of all time, very under-rated but he'll have his day, so I think he has already realized the played out themes or plot lines of his film and understands that if worked right, you can create American culture rather than just displaying, you can accomplish a film that will be shown for centuries to come, to show how American culture was expressed.

(Reply to this)

nathanpoitras writes:
on Oct 25 2007 11:18 AM

If ever there was an actor in need of a good role it's DeNiro, and Harrison Ford.

(Reply to this)

cmonsteve writes:
on Oct 25 2007 11:20 AM

In reply to this comment (#1220792)
what is it with these crime capers putting in overblown love stories that do nothing for the plot but weigh it down. and i'm so tired of the "i didn't know you were a cold-blooded killer but i'll still go down on you" type of female they portray in some of these movies.

(Reply to this)

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