By The Gun

Starring: Ben Barnes, Leighton Meester, & Harvey Keitel

Rating: 3 1/2 out of 5 stars

When a man takes the oath to become a made guy in the Mafia, he promises to put the family before anything else. For most gangsters, this never becomes an issue, but for Nick Tortano (Ben Barnes) it becomes the basis for an impossible decision. A series of events lead Tortano into having to decide between his new family and his old one. Either choice means that someone he loves will become a target, and he has to decide, who in his life is the most expendable. Most films about the Mafia follow a very specific pattern, leading people to say all these films are the same. There is some truth to that, but By The Gun is certainly an exception. The film follows a new member is a small family and the story told from his point of view, giving us a very different look at La Costa Nostra. Ben Barnes stars in one of his first leading roles and was outstanding. Barnes, mostly recognized as an ancillary character from the Chronicles of Narnia series, finally steps into the spotlight and shows that he has what it takes to star. I was impressed with the story and setting of this film, but I wasn't crazy about the cast, in fact, there were several actors who really brought the quality of this movie down, but Ben Barnes wasn't one of them. His performance really added some legitimacy to this film and if it wasn't for him, I wouldn't be recommending it at all. By The Gun is not your typical Mafia movie, because Nick Tortano isn't your typical gangster. He has a conscience that comes into conflict with his life of crime at every turn and watching him decide the fate of everyone he loves was really something worth watching.