Before working on MCU films, the Russo brothers made this police comedy film
There’s a good chance you’ve seen something directed by Anthony and Joe Russo at some point. Maybe you’re a fan of his work in comedies like Community of Arrested development. maybe you have Extraction of Everything everywhere and at the same time seen, as well as the hit series Ofproduced by the Russo brothers.
But the brothers are best known for their work in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. They directed four films, including Captain America: The Winter Soldier and Captain America: Civil War. They went on to direct the incredibly successful Avengers: Infinity War and Avengers: Endgame. Now they will return to the MCU with Avengers: Judgment Day in Avengers: Secret Wars. However, it all started with a comedy film for the brothers.
Welcome to Collinwood
Before working on MCU films and Netflix blockbusters, the Russo brothers directed a crime comedy titled Welcome to Collinwood. This film may not be as well known as the brothers’ other work, but it is a surprisingly fun film.
Part of that is due to the cast, which includes Sam Rockwell, William H. Macy and George Clooney. The other part comes from the story itself and how it changes the expectations of a heist movie.
Parts
Welcome to Collinwood It was released in 2002 and was the first real film the brothers directed. Recent graduates began directing, writing and producing their first feature film, titled Parts (1997). They financed the film with student loans and credit cards.
after looking Parts At the Slamdance Film Festival, Steven Soderbergh approached the duo and offered to produce his next film, along with his producing partner Clooney. This project became a crime comedy. Welcome to Collinwoodstarring Macy, Rockwell and Clooney. The film also stars Isaiah Washington, Michael Jeter, Luis Guzmán, Patricia Clarkson, Andrew Davoli, Jennifer Esposito and Gabrielle Union.
History
Welcome to Collingwood is a remake of the Oscar-nominated Italian film Great thing on Madonna Street (The usual unknowns) by Mario Monicelli from 1958. It follows a group of unlikely thieves from the Collinwood neighborhood of Cleveland, consisting of amateur boxer Pero “Pepe” Mahalovic (Rockwell), thieves Cosimo (Guzmán) and Toto (Jeter), Riley (Macy) , who has to take care of his son after his wife’s arrest, and Leon (Washington).
When Cosimo is arrested, he discovers that his cellmate tried to pull off a “Bellini”, a perfect heist, by breaking into a jewelry store and breaking the safe. But he also finds out about this, is eventually freed, and decides to carry out the robbery himself. Along with Leon, Toto, Riley, and Cosimo’s girlfriend Rosalind (Clarkson), Pero hatches a plan to break into the safe. That plan requires the help of safecracker Jerzy (Clooney) and perfect timing. But of course, everything goes horribly wrong.
Elements that return in the MCU
Welcome to Collinwood contains elements that later also appear in the Russo brothers’ work for Marvel. One of the most notable elements is the cast, which also stands out in many of their Marvel films. The brothers have often worked with large ensemble casts, with different characters complementing each other, as seen in films such as Avengers: Infinity War in Avengers: Endgame.
Furthermore, there are Welcome to Collinwood also the emphasis on humor and the subversion of expectations, which the brothers later applied in their Marvel films. They have a knack for combining action with humor and the unexpected, which makes their work so popular, both in the MCU and beyond.
To look at?
Want Welcome to Collinwood to see? You can rent and buy the movie at Pathe Thuis.