Deuces Wild
Theatrical release poster
Directed byScott Kalvert
Written by
  • Paul Kimatian
  • Christopher Gambale
Produced by
Starring
CinematographyJohn A. Alonzo
Edited byMichael R. Miller
Music byStewart Copeland
Production
companies
Distributed byMGM Distribution Co.
Release date
  • May 3, 2002 (2002-05-03)
Running time
98 minutes
CountryUnited States
LanguageEnglish
Budget$10 million
Box office$6.3 million

Deuces Wild is a 2002 American crime drama film directed by Scott Kalvert and written by Paul Kimatian and Christopher Gambale. The film stars Stephen Dorff, Brad Renfro, James Franco, Matt Dillon, and Fairuza Balk.

Martin Scorsese was originally the executive producer (as a favor to Kimatian), but he eventually removed his name from this film. It was the final film of cinematographer John A. Alonzo before his death in 2001.

Plot

Leon and Bobby Anthony are brothers and members of the Deuces, a street gang who protect their neighborhood of Sunset Park, Brooklyn. Ever since the death of their youngest brother Alphonse "Allie Boy" from a heroin[1][2] overdose at the hands of Marco, the leader of the Vipers, a neighboring rival street gang, they fiercely keep drugs off their turf. This puts them in strong opposition to the Vipers, who want to continue to sell drugs in the neighborhood. On the eve of Marco's return from a three-year stint in prison, a gang war seems imminent, as the Deuces violently retaliate with suspicion against Vipers muscleman and bookie Philly, who ekes out a vacant nightclub to establish business down the block. Marco, along with hoping to re-establish his drug pushing enterprise, plans revenge against Leon, whom he believes ratted him out to the police for selling the killing "hot shot" to Alphonse.

Bobby falls for a new girl who moves in across the street, Annie, the uninvolved younger sister of Jimmy "Pockets", a Vipers member and heroin dealer, who takes care of their elderly dementia ailing mother. Their attraction for each other complicates the gang rivalry, especially with Leon, who mistakenly fears, feels Annie may be using Bobby. After jumping Deuces member Jackie in kind for the earlier attack, causing more gang fights in the neighborhood, Marco begins his activities again and allows the Vipers to rampage and terrorize residents across the block to establish his return for good. Later, Marco and the Vipers intimidate Bobby while on a date at the beach with Annie, before beating and raping Betsy (Leon's girlfriend) to push him over the edge.

After Leon runs a car through the Viper's main hangout, neighborhood Mafioso Fritzy orders Leon and Marco to make amends; unopposed to Marco's drug dealing, knowing he can profit off of his racket and without appeal to Leon's cause to keep the neighborhood safe, Leon and Marco agree to a gang war, much to Fritzy's disappointment. Annie defends her mother from another one of Jimmy's outbursts with a kitchen knife and having enough of their troubled life in Brooklyn, wishes to run away with Bobby and her mother. As the Deuces and the Vipers meet at the docks for their confrontation, battle ensues. Marco is killed by Leon in a duel, being saved by tag-along kid Scooch, while Jimmy Pockets is shot and killed by Philly, who accuses him of stealing the gang's stash of money. Leon is shot and killed by one of Fritzy's men in retaliation for ignoring his orders.

At Leon's funeral, Bobby and the gang, along with his and Annie's mother, pay their last respects to Leon. In a small epilogue, Bobby explains that his mother will go to live with their uncle in Long Island, he and Annie are free to take her mother to Los Angeles to start anew, gives Scooch and Father Aldo of the nearby Catholic church part of the stolen stash of money to invest, and that after the funeral, this would be the last time he would see the Deuces again, as gangs throughout Brooklyn would eventually disappear. Before leaving, Bobby drops a wheelbarrow full of cinder blocks on Fritzy's car, presumably killing him, to uphold Leon's word that "there would be no more junk on the streets".

Cast

Production

The film was shot in Los Angeles, California and New York City, New York during 2000. Originally the film would be released in September 2001, but due to the 9/11 attacks it was pushed back to 2002.[3]

Reception

The film received negative reviews.[4][5][6][7][8] On the review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes, 3% of 74 critics' reviews are positive, with an average rating of 3.2/10. The website's consensus reads: "Deuces Wild is a forgettable, overheated thriller that leaves no cliche unturned."[9]

Box office

Opening against Spider-Man on May 3, 2002, the film grossed $1,020,000 million in 1,480 theaters in the United States and Canada, debuting number 6 of box office. Deuces Wild grossed $6,080,065 domestically and $202,381 internationally for a worldwide total of $6,282,446.[10][11][12]

Accolades

Award Category Nominee(s) Result
American Choreography Awards Outstanding Achievement in Fight Choreography Todd Bryant, Pete Antico Nominated
Stinkers Bad Movie Awards Worst Supporting Actress Debbie Harry Won

Home media

The film was released in DVD on August 6, 2002, and also in Blu-Ray on September 22, 2015.

References

  1. ↑ https://www.behavenet.com/movie/deuces-wild
  2. ↑ Croix, James Keith La. "Deuces Wild". Detroit Metro Times. Retrieved 2024-01-10.
  3. ↑ "Deuces Wild". EW. Retrieved 2022-12-31.
  4. ↑ Holden, Stephen (2002-05-03). "FILM REVIEW; If It's Brooklyn and the 50's, Shouldn't We Rumble or Something?". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2024-01-10.
  5. ↑ Koehler, Robert (2002-05-01). "Deuces Wild". Variety. Retrieved 2024-01-10.
  6. ↑ "Deuces Wild". Deseret News. 2002-05-03. Retrieved 2024-01-10.
  7. ↑ LaSalle, Mick. "'Deuces' a wildly incompetent mess / Film is sloppy in both..." SFGATE. Retrieved 2024-01-10.
  8. ↑ https://www.austinchronicle.com/events/film/2002-05-03/142172/
  9. ↑ "Deuces Wild". Rotten Tomatoes. Fandango Media. Retrieved 2024-01-08.
  10. ↑ "Deuces Wild (2002)". Box Office Mojo. Retrieved 2021-11-06.
  11. ↑ https://www.hsx.com/security/view/DWILD
  12. ↑ http://www.mgm.com/deuceswild/
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