In 1985 Brooklyn, three boyhood friends come of age on the streets where the violent have power. When one becomes enamored by the mafia lifestyle, all three friends are placed in grave danger as relationships and lives are threatened. Michael, the narrator, is a lovable charmer with the soul of a con man who successfully scams his way into the pre-law program at Columbia University. In contrast to Michael's desire to leave the Brooklyn streets behind, his close friend Carmine, a handsome lady-killer enamored of the Mafia lifestyle, wants nothing more than to stay there. Rounding out the trio is Bobby, an endearing cheapskate who longs for a simple life of working at the Post Office and settling down with his fiancee. While at Columbia, Michael falls for a beautiful young student named Ellen, a society girl whom he initially wins over with his preppy schoolboy cover. As their relationship blossoms, leaving the streets behind seems increasingly possible, but when Carmine catches the eye of Caesar, a feared mobster who controls their Brooklyn neighborhood, Michael and Bobby are drawn into that world despite their reluctance to get involved. - skip ad - Genres: Comedy, Drama and Crime/Gangster Running Time: 1 hr. 39 min. Release Date: May 18th, 2007 (limited) MPAA Rating: R for violence, pervasive language and some sexual content. Distributor: City Lights Pictures Cast And Credits Starring: Alec Baldwin, Freddie Prinze Jr., Scott Caan, Jerry Ferrara, Mena Suvari Directed by: Michael Corrente Produced by: Annie Marter, William Herinzerling, Terence Winter

Screenwriter Terence Winter (a major contributor to "The Sopranos") and director Michael Corrente ("Federal Hill," "American Buffalo") have impressive credits in spinning tough-guy tales, but they fail to freshen "Brooklyn Rules," a shopworn nostalgia piece set mainly in the 1980s. The film that showcases a group of likable young actors, along with veteran Alec Baldwin, has been sitting on the shelf for more than a year and doesn't seem likely to set the boxoffice on fire when it finally opens in theaters.

The story begins with a prologue in 1974 that introduces three young boys who will become lifelong friends. They grow up to be Michael (Freddie Prinze Jr.), a Columbia student; Carmine (Scott Caan), who aspires to join the local mob; and Bobby (Jerry Ferrara), their loyal, slightly goofy crony. The episodic tale meanders through romances, including Michael's flirtation with an upper-class coed (Mena Suvari), dangerous Mafia adventures and comic escapades. No sense of urgency drives the narrative, which eventually resolves itself during a gang war that shakes the neighborhood.

Too many other movies have traveled similar turf. The film particularly recalls a similar coming-of-age tale released just last year, "A Guide to Recognizing Your Saints." (That one was set in Queens instead of Brooklyn.) "Saints," a Sundance prize winner, boasted sharp, pungent writing, but it didn't have enough novelty to capture an audience. The writing in "Brooklyn" seems even more generic. An excessive use of voice-over narration is a sure sign of a failure of dramatization.

There are sharp touches but not enough to revitalize the overly familiar rituals among tough kids growing up in a working-class community.

FoFortunately, some of the performances compensate for insights missing from the script. As usual, Baldwin has the right sleazy charisma as the Mafia captain who dominates the boys' world. Caan brings just the right mixture of bravado and sweetness to his portrayal of the aspiring wiseguy Carmine, whose cockiness is sometimes undermined by the effete outfits he imagines are hip. "Entourage's" Ferrara is enormously winning as Bobby, a movie buff and cheapskate with a big heart.

Although Prinze cuts a handsome figure, he doesn't seem to inhabit the role as comfortably as his co-stars; you're too conscious of his acting. And Suvari is completely wasted in the thankless role of a pretty appendage.

A couple of effective violent moments near the end supply a burst of energy that the rest of the film badly needs. "Brooklyn" is well shot and benefits from a shrewd selection of period songs, including a clever use of "New York, New York" that is abruptly shut off when the guys realize they have been conned into buying counterfeit tickets to a Sinatra concert. In the end the film is innocuous enough, but it evaporates more quickly than that truncated Sinatra track.