Film Review: ‘The Wannabe’ Premieres At Tribeca Film Festival

“We are about to change history, you and me” – Thomas Greco


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The crime drama “The Wannabe” is centered around the 1992 John Gotti trial in New York City. As John Gotti stood trial, Thomas Greco saw it as the most fascinating piece of news at the time. The mob-wannabe was from a neighborhood where ties to Gotti were the ultimate social currency. Throughout the film, Thomas tries to find any and all ways possible to get inside the world, which no one wants him to be apart of. He meets a beautiful women by the name of Rose and the two become the most unlikely duo that the world has never seen.

The first thing Thomas does after meeting Rose is take her to the Gotti trial and convinces her that the jury can be rigged. After making a deal with the “brother” of a jurist in order to make sure that Gotti is released, he runs back to the mafia and tells him about this situation. He is later devastated when he finds out that the plug he thought he had, was just a fan watching the Gotti trial and tried to rob them all. He breaks down and for the first time, Rose sees him at his most vulnerable state.

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Both Rose and Thomas have their own dark secrets that are revealed throughout the movie and play a role in their relationship. These secrets surprisingly are what make their relationship so strong even when at times it seemed like everything went from bad to worse. Rose has always had a empty space in her heart because she never felt accepted  until she met Thomas, who changed her life and filled a void. The story follows the couple who falls into a downward spiral when they start robbing New York Mafia social clubs. The film, executive produced by Martin Scorsese, depicts a world when crime bosses were neighborhood kings and young men aspired to be a part of their world to gain the social status.

Based on true events, The Wannabe tells the iconic mob story from a new perspective: an outsider’s point-of-view.

Cast & Credits

Director: Nick Sandow
Screenwriter: Nick Sandow
Producer: Lizzie Nastro, Michael Gasparro, Vincent Piazza
Editor: Melody London
Associate Producer: Vince Cupone
Cinematographer: Brett Pawlak
Executive Producer: Martin Scorsese, Dean Devlin, Maren Olson, Douglas Stone, Rick Genow
Composer: Nathan Larson
Co-Producer: Rick Bosner
Cast: Vincent Piazza, Patricia Arquette, Michael Imperioli, Vincenzo Amato, Doug E. Doug, Domenick Lombardozzi

 

-Bri Christian (@brirezy)