Directed by Stuart Rosenberg

The Pope of Greenwich Village is pure New York grit—equal parts streetwise crime drama and darkly funny character piece that captures the messy charm of 1980s Manhattan like few films can. Directed by Stuart Rosenberg (Cool Hand Luke) and based on Vincent Patrick’s novel, this cult favorite pairs two powerhouse performances by Mickey Rourke and Eric Roberts at the height of their magnetic, rough-edged charisma.

Rourke plays Charlie, a slick, small-time hustler with big dreams of making it out of his dead-end life in Little Italy. His cousin Paulie (Eric Roberts), on the other hand, is a live wire—loud, reckless, and always in over his head. Together, these two streetwise charmers hatch a plan to steal $150,000 from the local mob to finally catch a break and live the good life.

Of course, nothing goes smoothly. Their impulsive heist sets off a chain reaction of mob retribution, crooked cops, and personal betrayal that threatens to crush their fragile dreams. But what really makes The Pope of Greenwich Village stand out is how deeply it cares about its characters. Charlie’s swagger hides a wounded ambition, and Paulie’s wild antics mask desperation and vulnerability—Rourke and Roberts turn what could have been a simple crime flick into a tragic, funny, and oddly tender portrait of life at the margins.

Rosenberg’s direction lets the city breathe: gritty streets, neighborhood diners, smoky bars—all soaked in that gritty, lived-in NYC atmosphere of the early ‘80s. Supporting players like Geraldine Page (in an Oscar-nominated turn) and Burt Young bring a neighborhood full of colorful, deeply human faces to life.

Beneath the wisecracks, the petty crime, and the doomed plans, The Pope of Greenwich Village is really about loyalty and the heartbreak of wanting just a little more than the world wants to give you. It’s a story of hustlers who dream big, fall hard, and keep flashing that crooked smile no matter what.

To this day, the film holds up as one of the great New York street stories—unpolished, funny, tragic, and carried by two unforgettable performances.

WATCH FULL MOVIE: The Pope of Greenwich Village and see Mickey Rourke and Eric Roberts at their best—swaggering, scheming, and breaking your heart in equal measure.