Dress Code is an independently made feature film about a character called Bobby Russo; who was born into a life of organized crime. A life of secrets and lies. As he gets older, Bobby realizes that the most dangerous secrets of all, are his own.
It’s an impressive first directorial debut for Joseph Pupello! Dress Code delves into strong subject matters such as identity, abuse, and family-drama. The film isn’t so linear, and the title also has more meanings than one.
What makes this a more original story; is seeing a cross-dressing aspect, combined alongside a mafia type family crime film.
The movie conveys a strong message about being true to ones-self, even in an environment that’s not so accepting.
The plot works for the most part, although it does seem like there could have been more of older Bobby’s cross-dressing life explored.
Gerard Garilli as the older Bobby and Nicholas Giordano who portrayed the younger version of the character, suit their parts well! Their performances felt so consistent between eras.
There’s quite a few other impressive performances from the supporting cast in multiple scenes; Frank Osso as Rocco, Freddie Maas as Dominic Rosso were highly convincing playing criminals. Alex Di Trolio as Bobby’s mother Joyce was great too; Alex gave a very raw and emotional performance in the role.
I enjoyed the cinematography for the pan shots, beautifully lit scenes and strong colour-grading. Most of the film is really well-made, including sound recording, that had me immersed in the environment.
In terms of editing scenes together, the transitions were quite often jarring and abrupt, especially with the ending. Although, on a few select scenes, I did like some jumpcuts that worked at a certain family gathering.
There is a serious tone and strong language being used; such as derogatory terms, slurs and other offensive words. The film doesn’t shy away from using these to emphasize the scenes, much like classic directors Martin Scorsese and Francis Ford Coppola have done.
Final Thoughts
Overall, Dress Code is a bold film, that’s taken a daring and creative approach to a family-crime story. There’s certainly a lot of potential here in Joseph Pupello’s directing.
