De Palma’s Scarface and Scorsese’s Mean Streets are the twin touchstones for this contemporary German gangster flick, set in a bleak Hamburg suburb.
A German Muslim of Turkish origin, Chiko (Denis Moschitto) whizzes up the criminal ranks only to find his loyalties torn between his ruthless drug lord boss Brownie (Moritz Bleibtreu) and his volatile best friend Tibet (Volkan Özcan).
The feature debut of writer/director Özgür Yildirim, Chiko may offer a familiar account of ambition, excess and revenge in the narcotics biz, but it’s executed with assurance and acted with force.
The fits of brutal violence, meanwhile, are uncomfortably intimate.
