Vincent Pastore (The Sopranos) plays Gino, a calculating, serious mobster with purpose. Gino finds himself in the middle of the woods on a routine job. His job is to quiet (permanently) his target played by Louis Vanaria (A Bronx Tale). What seems like a routine job ends up turning topsy-turvy due to the very fact that Gino feels he’s being watched by extraterrestrials. While having visions of wide eye humanoid beings arriving to visit him, Gino falters in his hired job to rub out his victim. What ensues is comic banter, which is never what it seems to be. There’s a surprise at every turn.
Directed by Paul Borghese (Searching for Bobby D) and shot in Rockland County, NY, “Alienated” is a fresh delightful twist in the mobster genre, offering well developed characters that we honestly care what’s going on with them. The setup is interesting, dialogue is exchanged in a very witty manner, and overall performances were excellent.
The film is part of New York City based Pavaline Studios effort to showcase emerging writers in the industry and produce quality works in a multitude of genres. Selected writers Charles Disney and Lee Barron arrived in New York to work alongside crewmembers to bring their comedic story to fruition. Alienated is the type of story I would like to see as an ongoing series. Though we only see the characters for a short duration, they are memorable nonetheless and well rounded. Captivating characters and the need to know their back-stories are what I feel makes a potential series.
“Alienated” is Pavaline’s first production on their 2009 slate as they gear up for their next production in the Environmental genre.