loading loading...

A Bronx Tale Reviews

1993 Certificate 15
  • Rated:
  • 70
  • from 5450 members

In his directorial debut, two-time Academy Award-Winner Robert De Niro stars as Lorenzo Anello, a hard-working bus driver, who must stand up to the local mob boss if he is to keep his son from falling into a life of crime. The streets of the Bronx are a tough place for a kid to grow up, you learn fast or lose everything. .. Read more

Starring Robert De Niro, Chazz Palminteri, Francis Capra, Taral Hicks
Director Robert De Niro
Genres Drama

loading loading...

  • Critics' reviews (6) of A Bronx Tale

    View all
  • 4 stars out of 5

    Adapted by The Usual Suspects's Chazz Palminteri from his own play, this is an intelligent portrait of a time (the 1960s) and place (New York's Little Italy) that eschews some of the more extravagant sweeps of Martin Scorsese, probably cinema's most famous chronicler of Italian-American life. Goodness is a hard quality to depict without sentimentality, yet Robert De Niro manages to convey it well, as a bus driver whose impressionable young son is attracted to a sharp-dressing local gangster (played by Palminteri). Lillo Brancato gives a good account of the confused teenager, but it's De Niro's sense of place and pace (this was his directorial debut) and Palminteri's autobiographical insights into the neighbourhood that make this such a compelling picture.

    • Radio Times
  • "...GOODFELLAS with heart, A BRONX TALE represents a wonderfully vivid snapshot of a colorful place and time, as well as a very satisfying directorial debut by Robert De Niro..."

    • Variety
  • 1 stars out of 4

    An enjoyable stroll through familiar territory, which at least shows the ordinary life of the time, even if it, too, is seduced by the glamour of the gangsters.

    • Halliwell's Film Guide
  • Most helpful members' reviews (3) of A Bronx Tale

    View all
  • 9 out of 10 people found this review helpful

    Rated - 3 stars

    You can't really go wrong with de Nero who is always watchable. For once a gangster film without the continuous all action mayhem that we seem to have to suffer these days. Instead it is nicely paced, with the violence mainly implied.

    The story is straightforward, a local gangster befriends a young boy and we see him growing up wide eyed and gradually no longer innocent. Meanwhile his upright father goes on driving his local bus and trying to stop his son having an unsuitable friendship. In the end thought we realise the gangster has in his own way protected the boy and even educated in the ways of the world.

      • Andy#19 from LONDON
  • 5 out of 5 people found this review helpful

    Rated - 4 stars

    This is a rock solid film, the title says it all, a good story of a young boy growing into a young man in 50/60's New York. It's kind of a gangster/road trip film with the lead finding out who he really is, despite outside pressures from peers, parents and the mob. It's Robert DeNiro's first direction and he made a good job of it too.

      • smalldog#1 from CHELTENHAM
  • 3 out of 3 people found this review helpful

    Rated - 4 stars

    Well Worth Watching

    Really enjoyed this. Robert De Niro's decision to use unknown actors paid off and only made the movie stronger and more believeable. GREAT STUFF.

      • ERIC ALLISON from Newcastle upon Tyne.
  • Most recent members' reviews (2) of A Bronx Tale

    View all
  • 3 out of 4 people found this review helpful

    Rated - 4 stars

    Good Story

    This was a very good film, the 18 rating is more for the bad language than the violence.

      • A customer from Reading
  • 1 out of 1 person found this review helpful

    Rated - 4 stars

    De Niro, BUS DRIVER!

    When i saw the overview for this film, i thought 'Gangster movie, with De Niro playing some mobbed-up hardman' (Which i do enjoy) but when watching i realised he is actually a bus driver, which he plays well but not brilliantly. I thought the film was very good overall though, it doesn't have the normal beating up and shooting theme, even though there are elements of violence during the film, it is more of a 'violent love story', which has a very good ending. De Niro's acting may not be amazing but his direction was brilliant, good music throughout the film, good cast ,esspecially Palminter,i and some touching moments between the protagonist, his father and the Mob-Boss.

      • Wibby from Ferndown
  • 9 out of 10 people found this review helpful

    Rated - 3 stars

    You can't really go wrong with de Nero who is always watchable. For once a gangster film without the continuous all action mayhem that we seem to have to suffer these days. Instead it is nicely paced, with the violence mainly implied.

    The story is straightforward, a local gangster befriends a young boy and we see him growing up wide eyed and gradually no longer innocent. Meanwhile his upright father goes on driving his local bus and trying to stop his son having an unsuitable friendship. In the end thought we realise the gangster has in his own way protected the boy and even educated in the ways of the world.

      • Andy#19 from LONDON
  • 5 out of 5 people found this review helpful

    Rated - 4 stars

    This is a rock solid film, the title says it all, a good story of a young boy growing into a young man in 50/60's New York. It's kind of a gangster/road trip film with the lead finding out who he really is, despite outside pressures from peers, parents and the mob. It's Robert DeNiro's first direction and he made a good job of it too.

      • smalldog#1 from CHELTENHAM
  • 3 out of 3 people found this review helpful

    Rated - 4 stars

    Well Worth Watching

    Really enjoyed this. Robert De Niro's decision to use unknown actors paid off and only made the movie stronger and more believeable. GREAT STUFF.

      • ERIC ALLISON from Newcastle upon Tyne.
  • 3 out of 3 people found this review helpful

    Rated - 5 stars

    Is it possible to get a better movie? Absolutely Loved it, in fact, i'm away to watch it again.

      • Chris#233 from GLASGOW
  • 3 out of 3 people found this review helpful

    Rated - 5 stars

    Wonderful Film

    When I saw this film on the telly, I could not believe why the film was on so late!! It should have been on prime time! I would not be suprised if this film is under rated because I have never heard of it.

    Its a nice, uplifting film, with some racial morality in there. I can't believe how much the teenage boy looks like Robert De Niro!!

    I like the film because it was nice to see an Italian liking the black girl, regardless of her colour. It's a sort of father's day film! Me being a black girl, I wish I could get an Italian stallion after me!! There is a nice version of the song 'I Only Have Eyes For You' in the film.

    A definite must see film!! Highly Recommended!!

      • LadySleek from Birmingham
  • 3 out of 4 people found this review helpful

    Rated - 4 stars

    Good Story

    This was a very good film, the 18 rating is more for the bad language than the violence.

      • A customer from Reading
  • 2 out of 2 people found this review helpful

    Rated - 3 stars

    Great observations on 1960's New York

    This film has all the essential ingredients for a good gangster flick. It has a biopic style story, spread over a couple of decades, set pieces both comedic and violent and a really charismatic villain.

    Whilst the messages and themes can seem a bit bolted on, De Niro's observational attention to detail really rings true and makes for an enjoyable experience.

      • pantoonz from Berkshire
  • 1 out of 1 person found this review helpful

    Rated - 4 stars [Highly rated reviewer]

    7/10 nothing special

    cliched plot, nothing suprising anywhere...

    OK so Chazz Palminteri wrote it but i couldnt help feeling Christopher Walken would have give the role of sonny much more spark, and made the film more memorable

    Not bad bu not great either - worth watching but not worth adding to your De Niro collection

  • 1 out of 1 person found this review helpful

    Rated - 4 stars

    De Niro, BUS DRIVER!

    When i saw the overview for this film, i thought 'Gangster movie, with De Niro playing some mobbed-up hardman' (Which i do enjoy) but when watching i realised he is actually a bus driver, which he plays well but not brilliantly. I thought the film was very good overall though, it doesn't have the normal beating up and shooting theme, even though there are elements of violence during the film, it is more of a 'violent love story', which has a very good ending. De Niro's acting may not be amazing but his direction was brilliant, good music throughout the film, good cast ,esspecially Palminter,i and some touching moments between the protagonist, his father and the Mob-Boss.

      • Wibby from Ferndown
  • 1 out of 2 people found this review helpful

    Rated - 3 stars

    A good, solid film - it's involving, but ultimately not as good as a stack of other obvious choices like Goodfellas, Godfather etc. Worth 3 1/2 really.

      • Sam#4 from LONDON
  • Critics' reviews (6)

  • 4 stars out of 5

    Adapted by The Usual Suspects's Chazz Palminteri from his own play, this is an intelligent portrait of a time (the 1960s) and place (New York's Little Italy) that eschews some of the more extravagant sweeps of Martin Scorsese, probably cinema's most famous chronicler of Italian-American life. Goodness is a hard quality to depict without sentimentality, yet Robert De Niro manages to convey it well, as a bus driver whose impressionable young son is attracted to a sharp-dressing local gangster (played by Palminteri). Lillo Brancato gives a good account of the confused teenager, but it's De Niro's sense of place and pace (this was his directorial debut) and Palminteri's autobiographical insights into the neighbourhood that make this such a compelling picture.

    • Radio Times
  • "...GOODFELLAS with heart, A BRONX TALE represents a wonderfully vivid snapshot of a colorful place and time, as well as a very satisfying directorial debut by Robert De Niro..."

    • Variety
  • 1 stars out of 4

    An enjoyable stroll through familiar territory, which at least shows the ordinary life of the time, even if it, too, is seduced by the glamour of the gangsters.

    • Halliwell's Film Guide
  • De Niro takes a confident stab at familiar material in his first film as director. He plays an unassuming bus driver, a... read more on Time Out

    • Time Out
  • "...De Niro's direction is generous and thoughtful....A showcase for Chazz Palminteri..."

    • New York Times
  • "...De Niro's superb directorial debut..." - Recommended

    • Premiere

Find cinemas


Buy from the LOVEFiLM shop


    • A Bronx Tale
    • DVD: £2.01
      Free Delivery
    • RRP £12.99 (you save: 85%)
    • In his directorial debut, two-time Academy Award-Winner Robert De Niro stars as Lorenzo Anello, a hard-working bus driver, who must stand up to the local mob boss if he is to keep his son from ...

Rating breakdown

5,450 Member ratings
  • 100
650
  • 90
618
  • 80
1,290
  • 70
1,166
  • 60
878
  • 50
436
  • 40
191
  • 30
107
  • 20
76
  • 10
38

Celebrity collection

Related user collection

* The Amazon.co.uk prices on our site are updated every 24 hours and may not be up to date at the time you view this page.
To see the current new and "new and used" Amazon.co.uk prices, please click on the Buy button.