“The Gateway” (** out of four) was an overplotted melodrama about a dedicated social worker (Shea Whigham) who tries to intervene in the life of a young girl and her mother (Olivia Munn) when the girl’s father (Jay Hieron) returns home from prison and falls back into crime involving a sleazy underworld kingpin (Frank Grillo who can play this role in his sleep and does) resulting in an impending bloodbath. Strong central performance from Whigham does all that it can to keep this story from wandering into too many unpleasant directions but by the time of its gory and violent ending, it just seems a waste of time. And what a waste of a strong supporting cast (including Bruce Dern and Keith David)!