There is no doubt that Robert De Niro is one of the greatest actors in Hollywood ever since the talkies began. Yes, to be on the safe side most would credit him as one of the best actors of his generation. But how does he fare as a director?

First and foremost, dare I say that actors who turned to directing have mostly fared well? It’s true. Lets take a look at the last two decades; Kevin Costner (Dances With Wolves), Mel Gibson (Braveheart & Passion of Christ), Pacino (Looking for Richard), Tim Robbins (Dead Man Walking) and Sean Penn (Crossing Guard). Going back a bit further, you have Warren Beatty (Red) and of course, Robert Redford who won accolades for Ordinary People (beating Scorcese in Raging Bull). And it would be an understatement to say that Clint Eastwood basically runs his own show the last three decades, after he started directing in 1971 (Play Misty For Me). All of them have been well received, some honoured with awards, and players like Redford, Beatty and Eastwood are also referred to as serious working directors.

These actors are very certain that critics have poison tipped pen ready, so they pay extra attention to the scripts, and not to themselves. Likewise, De Niro did one additional step by pushing himself back as an actor in his directorial debut A Bronx Tale. Though he is billed for starring part, his is mostly a supporting player. I bet that he wouldn't have wanted to act, and that he was in it just to sell the movie (remember, De Niro was a last minute addition in Goodfellas, and that got the movie greenlighted for financial purpose).

Taking Chazz Palminteri's one-man stage play, and having it reworked for screen by Palminteri himself; De Niro has succeeding in crafting one of the best movies to come out of the nineties. A Bronx Tale, as a matter of fact, could have been one of Scorcese's New York movies. And his influence is so evident in the cinematography and the overall design. This is certainly unavoidable since De Niro has worked with Scorcese on six films till then (Mean Streets, Taxi Driver, Raging Bull, King of Comedy, Cape Fear and Goodfellas) participating not only as a mere actor but also as an unofficial collaborator.  Just like you can see influences from Don Siegel and Sergio Leone in some of Eastwood's earlier works.

The story concerns a kid by the name of Calogero and his upbringing in the Bronx district. As purported by many critics, this is a 'triangle' love story. The boy has two fathers; one his own biological father, a hardworking honest bus driver (De Niro) and another, a hood whom he admires from afar and who later 'adopts' him. Palminteri himself plays this gangster, Sonny. And he had a lot of fun with the role, hamming it up, sometimes even caricaturising it, in tribute to many gangster performances.

Sonny's gangster is not your typical, New York accented, Scorcese regular. Sonny knows very well that his lifestyle may be glamorous but is undesirable from moral point of view, and he teaches this to Calogero. In the meantime, Calogero faces opposition from his father who completely dislikes his son's association with the gangster. Calogero, of course, never listens. He grows up, getting closer to Sonny, and at the height of racial tension, he falls in love with a beautiful black girl.

Complication follows, and at the heart of it all is the father-son relationship explored at various angles. De Niro and Palminteri, while have collaborated on a superb material off-screen, are a delight to watch on screen. De Niro has never been this subdued before. You cannot but admire the principled bus driver he plays. On the other side, you can also wonder on the fascination Calogero has for Palminteri's Sonny. Palminteri effortlessly exudes the much-required charm for the part.

Like most of Scorcese's New York tales, the film has plenty of characters colourful enough to have sub-plots of their own. But De Niro does not wander that far. He focuses on the triangle relationship and gets the best out of it. And believe it or not, he also manages to keep the script light and funny at times, despite the heavy subject.

Crucial to the movie is Calogero and both kids (Francis Capra - nine-year-old, and De Niro lookalike Lillo Brancato - Seventeen years old) did a good job. Also, like Scorcese, De Niro has a great taste in music and the pieces are so crucial in emphasising some of the strong moments.

All in all, a thought provoking film, as well as a decent entertainment. God knows when De Niro is going to direct next.