Post by Sgt. AWOLaLot on Jun 15, 2017 21:56:10 GMT -5
I love me a good crime film, with the likes of Martin Scorsese and Francis Coppola being two of my favorites with the genre. I have three films I'm going to put in this thread. One of them will be kind of a stretch (Memento), but I think it's close enough. And I have not written a review for Goodfellas, Casino, or Godfather Part II and III but plan to add them when I get the chance.
Written March 20th, 2017: Memento
"Tonight I finally decided I needed to see Christopher Nolan's first real hit. A film by the name of Memento.
Memento came out in the year 2000; long before the Inception and Dark Knight Trilogy days. But this film was awesome.
In the film our main character, Leonard, is trying to hunt down the man that supposedly raped and murdered his wife (known as John G.). There's just one problem. He is unable to create new memories, or they just don't last very long. To cope with this he takes pictures of people and places and writes notes on them. He even goes as far as to get tattoos to help motivate him; like tattooing"John G. raped and killed my wife" on his chest backwards so he can read it in a mirror.
One of the most famous things about this film is it's nonlinear plot. The film actually starts at the end, flashes back to what we assume is the beginning (which chronologically it actually isn't), goes forward again, and flashes back to before the accident. I can think some people would be deterred by this, even get angry about it. I myself loved it. While Nolan isn't the first to make a movie this way (Pulp Fiction among others also used nonlinear storytelling), it's the first time I've seen one this disjointed . Therefore it felt very fresh and I loved seeing Nolan break standard narrative rules. And the story still came together and made sense... Well, I got the main point anyway. But I'm sure there's more to discover when viewed more than once.
The acting was pretty good. With it being Nolan's first higher profile movie it's not like an A-list cast is expected. But they were good.
The editing and directing were also cool. Many scenes are shown in black and white for flashbacks, as well as a phone conversation that Leonard is having that is shown to us in pieces. And the way that scenes would lead into a scene we had seen before and cut away was interesting and effective.
This is also a film that makes you guess and think, especially when you're trying to follow it's disjointed plot. The themes it dealt with were interesting too. It brought up the idea that we sometimes lie to ourselves, perhaps even create our own reality, to cope with something or to forget.
So yeah. Even in his early days Nolan was making some thought provoking and good films. While I don't think he's perfect and some of his films have glaring flaws (how did Bruce get back to Gotham after climbing out of the prison in Dark Knight Rises...), I have yet to see one of his films and not think it's at least good. Can't wait for Dunkirk in July and to see what he'll do next. Now I need to see Insomnia, which if I remember stars the late Robin Williams."
Written April 8th, 2017: Heat. I just picked up the Blu-Ray for this one.
"So tonight I watched a film I heard about while watching a top 10 list for movie shootouts on a channel called Cinefix, which I highly recommend (it's like WatchMojo but with a brain, and far better). That movie is called Heat.
Heat (1995) is a crime drama film directed by Michael Mann and stars Al Pacino and Robert De Niro (two excellent actors and both veterans of crime films) where they go head to head as Pacino's character, a detective, has to take down De Niro. This is their first appearance together I think since Godfather Part 2. Overall, this movie was very good. There are some small parts where the pacing was slow, some dialogue came across as strange, and parts where Pacino seemed almost too smart, but the great parts far outweigh the average.
The movie opens with a heist where heavily armed men led by De Niro (and include Tom Sizemore from Saving Private Ryan) take out an armored truck with money in the form of bonds. They leave no evidence behind, except for one thing that Pacino's character then uses to discover their identities.
First off, seeing De Niro and Pacino square off was awesome. They both gave great performances and seeing these two try and outsmart one another is something that I think every fan of their crime films will love. They also have a mutual respect for one another that adds well appreciated depth to the movie and their characters. And while De Niro is technically the villain, they are both given development to where we sympathize with them both. In fact, by the end of the movie I would have been content no matter who came out victorious in the climax (which I will not reveal).
Now, there are 3 scenes/sequences in particular that are just brilliant in this film. The first one is when Pacino and De Niro meet each other in person for the first time. They then sit down at a coffee shop and have a conversation. They even get personal and seem to develop a mutual respect. However, they also warn each other they will not hesitate to take the other down, even with lethal force. As far as conversation scenes go, this is one of the best I've ever seen. It's two acting legends being real with one another that won't back down from the jobs they do. Really a great scene.
The second is the shootout I mentioned. What an incredibly exciting and tense sequence. This is the first time that Pacino and other officers exchange rounds with De Niro and his partners. It's gritty, loud, and well shot.
Then the third is the final confrontation between our two lead characters. In classic movie fashion, the climax comes down to a one on one faceoff where only one can win. Another very tense scene.
This film had a $60 million budget and only made $67 million domestically ($187 million global). I would have thought more people would have been excited to see a show down between Al Pacino and Robert De Niro. I know I would be. I definitely recommend this movie for those who want to see a very good crime film where two crime film legends face off."
Written March 25th, 2017: The Godfather Part I
"Yesterday was the 45th anniversary for one of the best films ever made, The Godfather. So naturally, I had to watch it in honor of that. And yes, it is still an excellent piece of cinema.
The Godfather focuses on the the Corleone family, an Italian American family, and it's dealings with 5 other Italian families in the New York mob world from the 1940s into the 50s. The head of the Corleones, referred to as The Godfather, is Vito Corleone. But Vito is getting a little older, so he is starting to groom his sons Sonny and Tom (whom was adopted) for taking over the family. Michael (played by Al Pacino) however is initially excluded from the family business seeing as he is the most "legitimate" of the sons.
Where to start. This movie is almost 3 hours and has so much great material in it. The acting is fantastic, and never felt cheesy to me. Marlon Brando's portrayal of Vito is legendary, and the rest of the cast is just great. The music is also awesome. I loved the Italian style and instrumentation, which rightly helped reinforce the family bond that Italians have.
Then there's the script. There are several lines in this film that are still said today and people know it, the most famous probably being, "I'm going to make him an offer he can't refuse."
Also, the main characters are all very well written and fleshed out. The film keeps you interested on the members of the family and who will survive. Michael's arc is probably the most interesting. After the attempted murder of his father, Michael decides justice needs to be administered. Even if it means getting his hands dirty. And so his journey into the mafia world begins.
And that's one thing interesting about this movie. Unlike Goodfellas, which shows a more realistic and unromantic portrayal of the mafia, The Godfather focuses more on the mythical and romanticized version of it. In other words, usually the men in these families are decent guys. That is unless you cross them or their associates. Then you might have to pay someone a visit and conduct an act of "business".
The Mafia has always been a subject that interested people. And I can't deny there are some attractive qualities to that lifestyle.
So 45 years later and this movie is still awesome. It definitely sets a standard in film making. Francis Coppola's directing is practically perfect, the acting is great, the music fits the Italian theme to perfection, and the story and characters are all compelling. The only complaints that I could come up with would either be serious nitpicking or just due to the age of the film."
Written March 20th, 2017: Memento
"Tonight I finally decided I needed to see Christopher Nolan's first real hit. A film by the name of Memento.
Memento came out in the year 2000; long before the Inception and Dark Knight Trilogy days. But this film was awesome.
In the film our main character, Leonard, is trying to hunt down the man that supposedly raped and murdered his wife (known as John G.). There's just one problem. He is unable to create new memories, or they just don't last very long. To cope with this he takes pictures of people and places and writes notes on them. He even goes as far as to get tattoos to help motivate him; like tattooing"John G. raped and killed my wife" on his chest backwards so he can read it in a mirror.
One of the most famous things about this film is it's nonlinear plot. The film actually starts at the end, flashes back to what we assume is the beginning (which chronologically it actually isn't), goes forward again, and flashes back to before the accident. I can think some people would be deterred by this, even get angry about it. I myself loved it. While Nolan isn't the first to make a movie this way (Pulp Fiction among others also used nonlinear storytelling), it's the first time I've seen one this disjointed . Therefore it felt very fresh and I loved seeing Nolan break standard narrative rules. And the story still came together and made sense... Well, I got the main point anyway. But I'm sure there's more to discover when viewed more than once.
The acting was pretty good. With it being Nolan's first higher profile movie it's not like an A-list cast is expected. But they were good.
The editing and directing were also cool. Many scenes are shown in black and white for flashbacks, as well as a phone conversation that Leonard is having that is shown to us in pieces. And the way that scenes would lead into a scene we had seen before and cut away was interesting and effective.
This is also a film that makes you guess and think, especially when you're trying to follow it's disjointed plot. The themes it dealt with were interesting too. It brought up the idea that we sometimes lie to ourselves, perhaps even create our own reality, to cope with something or to forget.
So yeah. Even in his early days Nolan was making some thought provoking and good films. While I don't think he's perfect and some of his films have glaring flaws (how did Bruce get back to Gotham after climbing out of the prison in Dark Knight Rises...), I have yet to see one of his films and not think it's at least good. Can't wait for Dunkirk in July and to see what he'll do next. Now I need to see Insomnia, which if I remember stars the late Robin Williams."
Written April 8th, 2017: Heat. I just picked up the Blu-Ray for this one.
"So tonight I watched a film I heard about while watching a top 10 list for movie shootouts on a channel called Cinefix, which I highly recommend (it's like WatchMojo but with a brain, and far better). That movie is called Heat.
Heat (1995) is a crime drama film directed by Michael Mann and stars Al Pacino and Robert De Niro (two excellent actors and both veterans of crime films) where they go head to head as Pacino's character, a detective, has to take down De Niro. This is their first appearance together I think since Godfather Part 2. Overall, this movie was very good. There are some small parts where the pacing was slow, some dialogue came across as strange, and parts where Pacino seemed almost too smart, but the great parts far outweigh the average.
The movie opens with a heist where heavily armed men led by De Niro (and include Tom Sizemore from Saving Private Ryan) take out an armored truck with money in the form of bonds. They leave no evidence behind, except for one thing that Pacino's character then uses to discover their identities.
First off, seeing De Niro and Pacino square off was awesome. They both gave great performances and seeing these two try and outsmart one another is something that I think every fan of their crime films will love. They also have a mutual respect for one another that adds well appreciated depth to the movie and their characters. And while De Niro is technically the villain, they are both given development to where we sympathize with them both. In fact, by the end of the movie I would have been content no matter who came out victorious in the climax (which I will not reveal).
Now, there are 3 scenes/sequences in particular that are just brilliant in this film. The first one is when Pacino and De Niro meet each other in person for the first time. They then sit down at a coffee shop and have a conversation. They even get personal and seem to develop a mutual respect. However, they also warn each other they will not hesitate to take the other down, even with lethal force. As far as conversation scenes go, this is one of the best I've ever seen. It's two acting legends being real with one another that won't back down from the jobs they do. Really a great scene.
The second is the shootout I mentioned. What an incredibly exciting and tense sequence. This is the first time that Pacino and other officers exchange rounds with De Niro and his partners. It's gritty, loud, and well shot.
Then the third is the final confrontation between our two lead characters. In classic movie fashion, the climax comes down to a one on one faceoff where only one can win. Another very tense scene.
This film had a $60 million budget and only made $67 million domestically ($187 million global). I would have thought more people would have been excited to see a show down between Al Pacino and Robert De Niro. I know I would be. I definitely recommend this movie for those who want to see a very good crime film where two crime film legends face off."
Written March 25th, 2017: The Godfather Part I
"Yesterday was the 45th anniversary for one of the best films ever made, The Godfather. So naturally, I had to watch it in honor of that. And yes, it is still an excellent piece of cinema.
The Godfather focuses on the the Corleone family, an Italian American family, and it's dealings with 5 other Italian families in the New York mob world from the 1940s into the 50s. The head of the Corleones, referred to as The Godfather, is Vito Corleone. But Vito is getting a little older, so he is starting to groom his sons Sonny and Tom (whom was adopted) for taking over the family. Michael (played by Al Pacino) however is initially excluded from the family business seeing as he is the most "legitimate" of the sons.
Where to start. This movie is almost 3 hours and has so much great material in it. The acting is fantastic, and never felt cheesy to me. Marlon Brando's portrayal of Vito is legendary, and the rest of the cast is just great. The music is also awesome. I loved the Italian style and instrumentation, which rightly helped reinforce the family bond that Italians have.
Then there's the script. There are several lines in this film that are still said today and people know it, the most famous probably being, "I'm going to make him an offer he can't refuse."
Also, the main characters are all very well written and fleshed out. The film keeps you interested on the members of the family and who will survive. Michael's arc is probably the most interesting. After the attempted murder of his father, Michael decides justice needs to be administered. Even if it means getting his hands dirty. And so his journey into the mafia world begins.
And that's one thing interesting about this movie. Unlike Goodfellas, which shows a more realistic and unromantic portrayal of the mafia, The Godfather focuses more on the mythical and romanticized version of it. In other words, usually the men in these families are decent guys. That is unless you cross them or their associates. Then you might have to pay someone a visit and conduct an act of "business".
The Mafia has always been a subject that interested people. And I can't deny there are some attractive qualities to that lifestyle.
So 45 years later and this movie is still awesome. It definitely sets a standard in film making. Francis Coppola's directing is practically perfect, the acting is great, the music fits the Italian theme to perfection, and the story and characters are all compelling. The only complaints that I could come up with would either be serious nitpicking or just due to the age of the film."