Don Q

Don Q focuses on the title character, set in Little Italy, as he believes himself to be a powerful mafia figurehead. Don is set on reclaiming the neighbourhood for himself and its values. The return of a rival ex-con pushes his idea of power to the brink as he is tested with conflict, while taking a younger individual under his wing in a turf war between the communities. The film explores ideas of power and greed reminiscent of classic mafia films such as The Godfather trilogy and GoodFellas.

 

One of the most striking things about Don Q in its opening moments is the commanding screen presence of Armand Assante. He exudes a level of confidence and a mobster mentality in his personality, as well as a great empathy for the people he cares about in his community. The piece takes a grounded approach in its presentation, establishing Little Italy as its own character as it explores Don’s daily routines in the neighbourhood. Audiences familiar with this area may find this refreshing, given how well it captures the spirit of the area in a modern-day setting. Shot on location, writer and director Claudio Bellante conveys a heart-warming love letter to the streets of the area with its focus on the restaurants and street vendors that populate the territory. It does, however, feel restricted in its budget in terms of production value, and the film rarely ventures outside the surrounding areas of Little Italy. The piece also suffers from an underwhelming array of supporting characters that feel underdeveloped and underutilised in the narrative outside of the titular character.

 

The pacing can meander throughout the majority of the runtime, with a lack of focus on narrative, and it feels aimless as it tracks Don in his daily routine. The flow of the narrative sadly starts to feel repetitive with a lack of conflict until he is met with discord from his rival, Rocco, who suddenly reappears in the district. Formally, the film is aggressively stylised at times with a jarring amount of cuts within brief outbursts of violence and use of steadycam as Don discovers more about the criminal underworld of Little Italy. On the other hand, the colour grading is vibrant and makes the environment of the neighbourhood more lively for the audience. The use of music throughout is effective in the context of specific scenes tonally, with its placement of needle drops and an originally scored piece from Jeremy Adelman. The musical score is reminiscent of the classic mob films it is inspired by, with its use of orchestral sequences oddly scattered throughout.

 

Tonally, the film balances out a mix of comedic and more serious elements; however, it can feel uneven at times with a confusing variety of clashing creative ideas. While the narrative does feel stagnant, the final act of the film does finally pick up, and tensions arise with a heavier focus on story and an explosive finale. However, the final moments of the piece are abrupt, with minimal character growth for the protagonist and the surrounding characters, which makes the whole experience feel like wasted potential, especially with the talent involved.

 

Don Q is a disappointing pastiche of the classic gangster genre with an excellent performance at the centre of it that only just holds it together alongside its love letter to the community of Little Italy. A small neighbourhood fable undercut by a plethora of baffling creative decisions and an unengaging narrative that meanders to a grinding halt.

 

Don Q is on digital 15 September 2025 from Reel2Reel Films.