The Son of No One

The Son of No One
Company type	Film
Industry	Entertainment
Founded	2011
Founder	Dito Montiel
Products	Crime thriller film

The Son of No One is a 2011 American crime thriller both written and directed by Dito Montiel, adapted from his own novel. This film represents Montiel's third project featuring actor Channing Tatum.

Plot

Set in 2002, the story follows Jonathan White, a newly appointed police officer serving in his hometown of Queens, New York, as he strives to care for his wife and sick daughter. His life takes a dramatic turn when an anonymous tip surfaces, revealing fresh information about two unresolved murders from 1986 within the same neighborhood. As a youth, Jonathan had killed two men in self-defense, with assistance from his friends Vinnie and Vicky in covering up the incident. The detective originally assigned to the case, Stanford, hid evidence out of loyalty to Jonathan’s deceased father.

Jonathan faces threatening phone calls and attempts to persuade reporter Loren Bridges not to publish the story; however, she refuses and is subsequently murdered. Under mounting pressure, Jonathan confesses his past to his wife. Captain Mathers and Commissioner Stanford disclose that they arranged Loren’s murder to safeguard the police department, warning Jonathan they will frame him unless he complies.

Jonathan uncovers that Mathers and Stanford plan to eliminate Vinnie, who is now mentally unstable. During a confrontation on a rooftop, Mathers injures Jonathan; Vinnie kills Mathers but is then shot by Stanford and falls to his death. Stanford orders Jonathan to leave the situation behind and forget what transpired. Media outlets blame Vinnie posthumously for all the murders. Jonathan tries to resume normal life while receiving a final letter from Vicky, revealing her as the individual who leaked the information.

Cast

Channing Tatum as Jonathan White
Tracy Morgan as Vincent Carter ("Vinnie")
Katie Holmes as Kerry White
Ray Liotta as Captain Marion Mathers
Juliette Binoche as Loren Bridges
Al Pacino as Detective Charles Stanford
James Ransone as Thomas Prudenti

Production

Principal photography took place between February and April 2010 in Astoria, Queens, New York. Filming locations included the Queensbridge Houses situated in Long Island City, Queens.

Release

The film served as the closing feature at the 2011 Sundance Film Festival on January 30, 2011. After receiving unfavorable feedback, its conclusion was re-edited. Distribution rights were secured by Anchor Bay, which released the movie in ten theaters. It earned $30,680 domestically and accumulated $1.1 million globally. The DVD became available in the United States on February 19, 2012.

Reception

The Son of No One generated mixed responses at Sundance; while a private screening prompted some audience members to leave early, the public screening received a comparatively better reaction.

On Rotten Tomatoes, only 16% of 37 critics provided positive evaluations, with an average score of 3.8 out of 10. The general consensus criticized its over-stylized approach and inconsistent narrative. Metacritic assigned it a score of 36 out of 100 based on 18 reviews.

Rob Nelson from Variety characterized the film as contrived and implausible due to its awkward handling of crime drama tropes. John DeFore of The Hollywood Reporter acknowledged its effective depiction of two distinct New York time periods but found the storyline unconvincing.

Roger Ebert of the Chicago Sun-Times awarded it two stars out of four, commenting that the drama lacked a clear sense of direction. Stephen Holden from The New York Times commended the intense acting performances but described the plot as illogical.

Awards

Award	Category	Nominee(s)	Outcome
Young Artist Award	Outstanding Performance in a Feature Film – Leading Young Actor	Brian Gilbert	Template:Nom

External links