The Alto Knights (15)

It’s double De Niro time as the veteran actor puts on silly prosthetics to play warring Mafia bosses in this 1950s New York crime caper.

Based on a true story, penned by GoodFellas screenwriter Nicholas Pileggi, it stars De Niro in both leading roles: that of Frank Costello on the verge of a quiet retirement, and his hot-headed childhood friend and drug baron Vito Genovese.

Just before the war, Frank and Vito make a good living in black market alcohol and illegal lotteries. Vito then flees to Italy and when he comes back to NY in 1945, he finds that his old pal is only giving him a small slice. And, moreover, Frank is unwilling to expand further into drugs, having bribed his way into a cosy position in society. Frank infuriates Vito with an ambition to retire and his willingness to cooperate as a witness in front of grand juries. Vito suspects that this stance will only be carried off by selling out his former criminal pals and so orders a hit on Frank.

It all feels like handsomely crafted Scorsese-lite, but enjoyably so, like sinking into a shabby but much-loved armchair.