Robert De Niro stars and makes his directing debut in this absorbing drama about an Italian boy growing up in the Bronx during the 1960s. Befriended by the neighborhood crime boss (Chazz Palminteri, in an Oscar-worthy performance) after clearing him of murder, the boy gets an education on the street and in school.
His romance with a black girl adds to this satisfying film’s depth. Joe Pesci also makes an appearance. Rated R.
GRADE: A