By Susan Polk

Directed by: Robert De Niro

Starring: Robert De Niro, Chazz Palminteri, Francis Capra

Opens February 23 at: The George Cinemas

Rating: ***

The opening sequences of a Bronx Tale may give viewers a sense of deja vu. Yes, it's the story of a young boy growing up in 1960's New York who aspires to become a mafioso, who starts by running errands for the mob behind his parents' backs, works his way up into the ranks... hey, isn't this Goodfellas? Happily, no.

For De Niro to direct another Goodfellas would be thoroughly redundant, if not offensive to De Niro and Scorcese fans alike. And the film does have the Scorcese feel to it, to be sure, with its tight shots of the neighborhood gangsters in situ, the gritty, humid feel of the city streets in summer, and the loving closeups of the kaleidescope of ugly mugs that inhabit the Bronx. But after the startingly familiar beginning, A Bronx Tale takes on it's own personality and explores broader issues such as racism, peer pressure, work ethics, and familial ties.

Nine year-old Calogero (Francis Capra) is the streetwise son of Lorenzo Anello (Robert De Niro), a bus driver who takes pride in his work ethic and expects to instill the same values in his son. Calagero, however, is in awe of the local mob boss, Sonny (Chazz Palminteri), and when Calogero keeps his mouth shut after witnessing Sonny do a hit, the boy is taken under Sonny's wing and shown the ways of the wiseguys.

Lorenzo cannot keep his son away from the influence of Sonny, much as he tries, and a battle of wills ensues, pulling Calogero in both directions until he decides to settle the matter himself by seeing Sonny on the sly and behaving the best he can with his family. As he reaches his teen years, Calogero (now played by Lillo Brancato who looks so much like De Niro it's downright spooky) finds that Sonny has become a true friend and that his education is twofold - both from school and from the streets.

De Niro's direction brings events to a head with a sweeping transition from innocent actions to deadly consequences in the final quarter of the film as Calogero's convictions are put to the test. It is rare to have so many threads of a story draw together as smoothly as they do in A Bronx Tale, and the result is a rich and moving drama that succeeds down to the last inch of film.

All the performances are excellent, and newcomer Chazz Palminteri (who wrote the script) deserves extra praise for his role as the oily philosopher with a heart of brass.