Pick of the week
The Alto Knights
Barry Levinson has history with the American mafia, having told the tale of Bugsy Siegel back in 1991. Here’s another chapter in the bloody saga, scripted by Goodfellas writer Nicholas Pileggi. It traces the falling out between “the prime minister of the underworld”, Frank Costello, and his childhood buddy – and previous capo di capi – Vito Genovese in 1950s New York. The mob life is endlessly fascinating, with its twisted codes of honour, rules and power plays, while Robert De Niro does a fine job in dual roles as the thoughtful Frank and the hair-trigger Vito – whose railing against his loss of power threatens to bring down their nationwide crime network.
Sunday 7 December, 2.30pm, 9.45pm, Sky Cinema Premiere