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Goodfellas
L.A Confidential
Half Nelson
Casino
The Firm (1988)
Heat
Naked
Reservoir Dogs
Platoon
I.D
Reviews
Essex Boys (2000)
Pretty Good...
Based on the triple rettondon murders that shocked England in the mid 1990's this retelling takes liberty with some of the facts and changes the names of the people it's based upon (something Bonded by Blood and Rise of the Footsoldier didn't) Jason Locke, a psychotic ex-convict recently released is driven around his old manor by a young cabbie called Billy Reynolds, he finds that in his absence all of his old friends and associates have got rich and successful, he sets about getting back on top with the help of his crew, Billy, and his long suffering wife.
As the deranged Locke, Sean Bean rises above an underwritten character and gives a (at times) excellent performance, the script holds him back from really digging anything too deep out of his character but he handles the material well, Tom Wilkinson is used sparingly but to great effect and Alex Kingston is great as the wife whose not all she seems.
Direction is straghtforward and doesn't detract, the editing is great and the crisp cinematography captures the seedy underbelly of the Essex underworld to good effect.
Not a bad way to spend a couple of hours, 7/10
K-PAX (2001)
Pretty Good But could have been better
K-PAX is by no means a bad film it is actually pretty good and at times moving as well as being funny. Kevin Spacey plays a man called Prot who is from another world, Jeff Bridges is the man trying to snap Prot out of his daydream only (shock horror) he begins to doubt his own explanations and thinks there could be some sense to what Prot is saying.
The Acting is decent Bridges gives a fine performance and uses a wide range of acting skills. Eerily his character seems like his character from The Fisher King might be like 10 years on.
As good as Bridges plays his character he is totally and utterly upstaged by Spacey who gives in my opinion an Oscar worthy portrayal of a man wanting to tell the world of his world but falling in love with our world, Spacey should of at least being nominated for an Oscar for his performance.
Iain Softly directs the film with at times magnificent grace but he lets himself down at others by pacing the film terribly and giving no other characters any room to move around in, when they come into the film with important revelations it doesn't seem as important to the viewer as we don't know these characters.
Recommended but a similar theme is much thoroughly explained in the much superior The Fisher King. 7/10
Ronin (1998)
Stomach Churning Action Film !!
John Frankenheimer did the god awful Island of Dr Moreau in 1996, his final film Reindeer Games was almost as bad but between them two movies he made Ronin which makes up for his other two disastrous films as its one of the best action movies of the 90s and possibly John Frankenheimer's finest film featuring one of the best car chases ever placed in a film.
The story may seem simple a group of ex special forces crooks try to steal a briefcase that is wanted by the Russians and the Irish but the film requires close viewing and viewers are rewarded with repeated viewings.
The acting is of high standard Robert De Niro gives a strong performance that was probably one of his last good ones but hes upstaged by the supporting cast which includes a very good Jean Reno in his usual typecast role but playing it to perfection, Natasha McElhone who is great here and should get loads of work, Jonathan Pryce in a great performance, Sean Bean in a brief but memorable role as Spence who's harboring a secret and Stellan Skarsgard as a mysterious and very strange thief who is very important to the plot.
The action set pieces are gloriously filmed and the film is a real visual treat especially the car chase through Paris which is one of the best ever filmed.
definitely recommended and a very rewatchable film which is rewarding as it is entertaining 9/10
Goodfellas (1990)
One of the Top 10 Best Movies ever Made !!
everything about this movie is absolutely perfect it is without a doubt pretty much the high point of everyone involved and the definitive film of the 1990s and one of the best films of all time.
Co-written by the writer of the book Wisegy Nicholas Pileggi this fact based film upon the rise and fall of gangster Henry Hill(played to perfection by Ray Liotta) the film charts his friendships, loves and rivalries among the mob he longed to be against the backdrop of New York in the 1950s, 60s and 70s.
The film starts in 1955 as 12 year old Henry Hill is watching the gangsters across the street wishing he could be like them in no time at all he is taken in by them and grows up among them much to the dismay of his parents and becomes a pupil under the mob boss Paulie Cicero(an effective Paul Sorvino) and also around the same time introduced to a top popular gangster Jimmy "The Gent" Conway(Robert De Niro in one of his finest performances) and is taken under his wing.
Only a minority of the action takes place in the 1950s the majority takes place in the 60s and 70s and that is mostly when we meet the majority of the films cast with characters such as Tommy DeSimmone(Joe Pesci in his Oscar winning turn) a psychotic wild man with too much to prove and then there is Karen(Lorraine Bracco in her best performance) the at time loving but at others estranged wife of Henry.
Martin Scorsese really breathes life into this film really making you believe you are in 70s NYC wit these men the script is top notch and as good as anything ever written another thing is that Scorsese makes you like these guys he makes you "like" Henry Hill even though he is a cheating, gambling drug addicted criminal you like and respect him and root for him during the movie equally likable are Joe Pesci's deranged character who is a killer and who seemingly takes great delight in doing so however the guilt he feels is evident and after cold bloodedly shooting Spider it is clear through his "don't care" antics that he regrets going too far, Robert De Niro is very likable as the man who could be your best friend one minute and your deadliest enemy the next his character reminds me of his character from Heat who doesn't look upon the people around him as friends merely assocaites.
with great script, direction and acting this is one the best films you're ever likely to see if haven't seen it then WHAT ARE YOU WAITING FOR and if you have seen then watch it again also there is a great performance from The Sopranos star Michael Imperioli in a small role
Casino (1995)
One of the Ten Best Movies Ever Made !!
this is a rare gem of a film which is based on the true story of Frank "Lefty" Rosenthal and Anthony "The Ant" Splitoro renamed Sam Rothstein and Nicky Santoro for the film.
Playing Sam Rothstein is none other than Robert De Niro, supported by Sharon Stone as Ginger Rothstein, Sam's wife, and Joe Pesci as Nicky Santoro, Sam's friend. There are many other familiar faces from Scorsese's film Goodfellas his prior mafia epic. Like Goodfellas this film is filled with the violence and seedy, yet classy environment of the underworld.
The basic plot is that Sam is a good handicapper who is given control of a new casino, the Tangiers, which is bankrolled by the Kansas City mafia. He moves out to Las Vegas to run the place, and he runs it very well, keeping out scam artists and cheaters. After a while, he becomes romantically involved with Ginger, a respected hustler who makes her rounds in Vegas, but has a troubled personality and history. He is later joined by his gangster pal Nicky Santoro, who moves out to Vegas with the intentions of conquering the city's criminal rackets.
Another good thing about the film is its soundtrack. Since the film takes place in the 1960s and 1970s, we are treated to all sorts of great music from classic artists. The soundtrack occupies two compact discs, giving you an idea of how much of a role the music plays in this movie.
This film also features what I consider one of the greatest opening credits sequences of all time. The camera rolls over waves of flashing lights, which represent the flashiness that Vegas is all about. The only complaint that I have about the beginning of the movie is the scene where a car explodes and a dummy is painfully visible in the front seat. Marty, how on earth could you have missed this?! De Niro really carries his role well. He plays a real tough guy, but at the same time we see how vulnerable he is to women. Despite his questionable background, he wants to play the casino straight and not get involved in any activities that could get him removed by the gaming board this is arguably one of De Niro's finest performances This is also Sharon Stone's best performances, She plays the role of the drugged up wife very convincingly, with very real emotion. We watch with horror as she goes from being a classy hustler to a bored housewife with a severe drug problem with a certain horror Stone surprises in this film and was fully deserving of the Oscar nom But im afraid the real show stealer here is Joe Pesci who gives out an amazing and hilarious, yet disturbing performance as Nicky Santoro. At the beginning of the film, he is a lowly gangster, but by the end of the film he has created his own criminal empire and exhibits a lot of power in a scary way. His performance in this film is very similar to the one he gave in Goodfellas, with essentially the same explosive personality, although quite a bit darker he should have won the Oscar that year without a doubt his best performance.
The set locations are perfect for this film since all of the casino shots were taken inside of an actual Vegas casino. At the same time, the casino was convincingly reverted to the film's era, making us feel like we are in the early days of Vegas. It is definitely not the modern commercialized Las Vegas, but the older, frightening, yet classy Vegas where you don't try to rip off the casinos out of fear.
Scorsese uses a lot of shots with an interesting light effect, where bright light is shone brightly onto one or more actors in the shot. This creates a surreal appearance and makes the person look superior or even godlike. He also pulls some very interesting camera angles and uses special effects sparingly.
One of the things that Scorsese does really well is to explain everything the viewer without making it boring. Right at the beginning of the movie, he explains who everyone is and how the casino was started. Throughout the movie, characters engage in narration to reveal their thoughts where we might otherwise be left guessing. I think this adds a nice touch and we feel as though we are inside the character's head as they give the narration.
Overall, this is one of my favorite films of all time and definitely one of my favorite Scorsese films. It is a true shame that he did not win an Academy Award for this achievement, since he clearly deserved it. I regard it as a must-see film, valuing it has one of the ten best movies ever made.
The Departed (2006)
Another Superb Film from the Maestro of the Mob Movie
Family is at the center of any Scorsese mob film, and it is no different here. Billy Costigan (Leonardo DiCarprio) and Colin Sullivan (Matt Damon) are two young men with little family remaining except for the father figure who serves as the center of each of their worlds; Frank Costello (Jack Nicholson), the head of the Irish Mafia in Boston. But they have gotten to their mutual destination via different routes. Colin was orphaned and living with his grandparents when Costello took the young man under his wings. Morally ambiguous, but with a lust for power of his own, Colin graduates with honors from the Massachusetts State Police Academy, and is soon a detective in the Special Investigations Unit, a perfect place for him to tip off his benefactor Costello on all police activity.
Billy is sent to prison for three months for assault to establish his credentials, then sets up operations back in South Boston, soon attracting the attention of Costello via his main henchman, the sadistic Mr. French (Ray Winstone). Having no sons of his own, Costello seems to always be on the lookout for another protégé, and after an extremely violent confrontation with Billy to ensure his motives; he befriends the young man, and puts him to work for his crew.
Eventually, both sides become aware of a mole in their midst, and the race is on to see who will be first to eliminate their problem. Betrayals and other twists further complicate issues until the inevitable series of final gut-wrenching, ultra-violent confrontations take this movie to an even higher level.
But unlike a good caper film, the soul of the movie is not in the events themselves, but in the reactions of the characters to them. In this case, Scorsese gets Oscar worthy performances from all five of his lead actors. In smaller roles, Sheen and Wahlberg are a terrific tandem as the only men who know of Billy's identity. Sheen is much different from his elitist Jed Bartlett character on "The West Wing"; paternal and kind with a strong lower middle-class work ethic and understated resolve. Wahlberg is his emotional polar opposite; a firebrand who takes no prisoners in dealing with anyone else and is wound so tightly that he might explode at any minute.
Although Nicholson is the most prominent star, the movie is carried by virtuoso performances from Damon and DiCaprio. Damon has leveraged his charms, good looks, and boy-next-door appeal into a very nice career as a leading man and Action Hero. So it takes an actor with a great deal of confidence in himself and his director to skewer those traits into a character that is not at all sympathetic. He has done it before with his performance in "Syriana", but he takes it to a much higher level here. You do not ever really feel for Colin, and you want him to get caught. But at the same time, he is not a typical two-dimensional villain, and Damon does a fantastic job showing you the insides of a man who has lost his moral compass, but is still conflicted about his dual identities nonetheless, and is uncomfortable with that conflict. He is a compulsive, natural liar, but is genuinely hurt when his lies cause emotional pain to his girlfriend.
Leonardo DiCaprio, like Damon, is evolving into one of the best young actors on screen today. Reviled by many for his boyish appearance and his turn in "Titanic", Leo's recent path has become the complete opposite of Ben Affleck's career over the last several years. While Affleck parlayed his good looks into weak "star vehicle" bombs like "Paycheck", "Daredevil", and "Gigli", DiCaprio has sought out complex, untraditional roles not normally associated with "pretty boys". Perhaps his biggest stroke of luck was in landing the lead role in Scorsese's "Gangs of New York", as his performance in that underrated film impressed Scorsese so much that he has cast him in the lead for "The Aviator" and "The Departed".
In this case, DiCaprio far exceeds the impressive performance he gave as the reclusive billionaire Howard Hughes, and creates a character that will be remembered for generations, much like Ray Liotta's Henry Hill in "Goodfellas". He is simply gripping as Billy Costigan, and any time he is on screen, you are concerned for his well being, and empathetic towards the mental and physical price Billy is paying for his duplicity. Billy has two disadvantages in his charade when compared to Colin. The first being that the danger he faces is far greater as the people he is spying on are much more ruthless than the police. The other is that Billy truly does have a conscience, in contrast to the ethically challenged Colin, and the guilt and stress are slowly tearing him apart, a fact that is evident in every frame featuring DiCaprio.
10/10 good film
Buddy (1986)
Good Series Which Doesn't Stray too Far from the Book
This series was good as i have read the book i thought Wayne Goddard played a good Buddy Clark and Roger Daltrey was also very good in the same role which he reprised for the film version of the second book Buddy's Song where Wayne Goddard was sadly replaced with Chesney Hawkes who sadly failed to play the character as good as Goddard the series was in my opinion better than the film and it was actually this series which inspired the Buddy's Song book (notice the guitar in Buddys bedroom it gave author Nigel Hinton the idea for the sequel) overall although there are certainly better series out there this one does have some charms of its own some good writing on top of decent storytelling and acting make this mini series interesting and never dull for a second it was also refreshing because it was so close to the book recommended viewing
Reservoir Dogs (1992)
One of the 10 Best Movies ever made !!
Reservoir Dogs is a rare untouchable classic and one of those films that you can never get bored of (i certainly can't) This is Tarantino's debut movie and is in my opinion his best film i don't think he will ever make a film that can touch its although Pulp Fiction came very very close. The story seems very simple however it is several layers deep it all revolves around the aftermath of a bungled robbery where 6 men total strangers to each other except the father and son who organised the caper the robbers are given aliases on the job and are told not to tell each other their Christian names. After the disastrous robbery which leaves two of the robbers dead, one badly wounded and the other driving around with a cop in his trunk, Mr White(Harvey Keitel) Mr Blonde(Michael Madsen) Mr Pink(Steve Buscemi) Mr Blue(Eddie Bunker) Mr Brown(Quentin Tarantino) Nice Guy Eddie(Chris Penn) Mr Orange(Tim Roth) and Joe Cabot(Lawrence Tierney) can't believe it when one of them turns out to be a double crosser even taking a regular cop whose hiding a big secret Marvin Nash(Kirk Baltz) doesn't answer the question..who is the rat???. I wont spoil the big secret all i can do is praise the brilliant film the acting is top class some of the best i have ever seen especially Harvey Keitel who should have won an Oscar for his performance however all of the other actors turn in the performance of their careers, the script is one of the best i have ever seen with some of the best one liners and comments i have ever heard GET OUT THERE AND SEE IT.....NOW
Young Guns (1988)
Good Western
Jon Tunstall (Terence Stamp) is an English cattleman who takes in outlaws to help him on his farm and help them prepare for a life in the new world as well as putting a roof over their heads.
In this group there is mild mannered Doc (Kiefer Sutherland in a brilliant performance) Chavez (Lou Diamond Phillips in his best performance to date) as well as Charlie Sheen, Dermot Mulroney and Casey Siemasko they are band calling themselves the regulators competing against rivalman L.G Murphy (Jack Palance in a terribly underrated performance) for land and power Into this war enters Billy (Emilio Estevez in an awesome performance) he fits in well with the rest of the regulators and gets on with Tunstall.
Tunstall is brutally murdered forcing the regulators from their home they are deputized by Tunstall's lawyer Alex McSween (Terry O Quinn) hoping to bring justice to those who killed Tunstall and one day getting to Murphy who ordered the killing.
This is where Billy's wild side comes out and Estevex really has fun playing him he takes the regulators authority too far and they soon become the hunted.
Its a bit of a slow start but after the death of Tunstall it really picks up speed its non stop action and thrills right to the end with gunslinging a plenty and lots of huge gunfights and deaths the setting is a brilliant typical wild west setting and is brillaintly detailed with lots of cool stars
Apart from the action and carnage the other huge strength here is the acting Emilio Estevez is pretty much an evil good guy as really gets into the character, Kiefer Sutherland is more subtle and polite and not a very violent person, Lou Diamond Phillips character is a typical hardman he plays the role very well, Charlie Sheen's character Richard "Dick" Brewer is my favourite out of the lot even if he isn't in the film as much as the others (he dies quite early in) its still a good performance So overall i would hugley recommend this film to Western fans, Action junkies (even a touch of romance) or just people who like a good film you will not be disappointed however it lacks a little as it is not very rewatchable but from time to time give it a try and cheer yourself up 8/10 8/10