The Godfather Part II [M]

As Michael Corleone, the new ‘Godfather’, rapidly ascends to power and control he just as rapidly sinks into melancholy, ruthlessness, and moral decay. His plans to expand his family business from Havana to Cuba sees feathers ruffled and an assassination attempt made on him. With revolution in the air and the political climate heating up in terms of cracking down on the mafia, Michael’s search to find his would-be dispatchers and turn the tables on them leads him into a web of corruption and no mercy as potential enemies include even members of his own family. 

The first sequel to ever win the Academy Award for Best Picture, apparently, The Godfather Part II sits, in my book, as an engaging movie, but one that just does not scale the lofty heights of its predecessor. Honestly, at the time of writing this and indeed watching the movie, I’m exhausted and not in the right headspace at all so this may have had a fair amount of impact upon my reaction to the movie, but I cannot deny that I found this to be confusing and unnecessarily long. I could not see the beauty that was coating the first film and failed to properly engage myself with the movie in general (I just kept glancing at the player to see how much time had elapsed). 

As Michael Corleone, the new ‘Godfather’, rapidly ascends to power and control he just as rapidly sinks into melancholy, ruthlessness, and moral decay. His plans to expand his family business from Havana to Cuba sees feathers ruffled and an assassination attempt made on him. With revolution in the air and the political climate heating up in terms of cracking down on the mafia, Michael’s search to find his would-be dispatchers and turn the tables on them leads him into a web of corruption and no mercy as potential enemies include even members of his own family. 

It cannot be denied that this movie does overtake its predecessor in that it’s a much richer piece. Though ‘haunted’ by the first movie, it does very well in stepping away and making a movie of itself. The screenplay is very well written with lovely and rich poetic elements coming at you every which way, from reflective motifs, to multiple stories, and even differences in how everything is shot. 

The film not only chronicles Michael’s story about power, betrayal, and his lapse into heartlessness and moral decay, it also travels back in time and chronicles the back story of Vito Corleone, the original ‘Godfather’: his childhood in Sicily, his travelling to America, and his gradual ascension to power and revenge. What I really liked most about this film is how the story of Vito is shot with this really light and soft sort of sheen, almost like looking through a threadbare sheet. Unlike the scenes set at the present, there’s this beautiful softness and fragility that covers those scenes set in the past and, for me, that’s the thing that stood out most in this movie. And it’s probably worth mentioning that Robert De Niro won his first Oscar for his performance as the young Marlon Brando. 

Starring Al Pacino, Robert Duvall, Diane Keaton, John Cazale, Talia Shire Lee Strasberg, Michael V. Gazzo, G. D. Spadlin, Richard Bright, Gastone Moschin, Tom Rosqui, Bruno Kirby, Frank Sivero, and Francesca De Sapio, The Godfather Part II is a beautiful, albeit really long and oftentimes confusing movie that’s filled with action, murder, betrayal, and drama. I definitely didn’t love it as much as the first one, but it’s worth the effort to watch nevertheless. 

Once Upon a Time in America [R]

After 35 years in hiding, former gangster David ‘Noodles’ Aaronson returns to New York after receiving a strange invitation to a party. Still grieving over the death of his best friends and former gang members, Noodles cannot help but reminisce about his wayward life from the days of being a petty hood in the 1920s, his adulthood and involvement in underworld crime during Prohibition, and finally the fatal event that made him lose his friends. His curiosity is further piqued when his gang’s million dollars stash gets mysteriously moved and replaced with newspapers headlining a corrupted politician. 

It’s probably the longest film to grace screens since Gone With the Wind, but that downer aside, Sergio Leone’s Once Upon a Time in America is a large step away from the spaghetti westerns he was famous for and sits as a beautifully crafted drama, even fairytale, that may move along at a continuous slow-pace but nevertheless tells the story of a captivating life. Is it the greatest gangster epic ever made? No, but there’s a poeticism an beauty to this movie that somehow keeps you entranced. 

After 35 years in hiding, former gangster David ‘Noodles’ Aaronson returns to New York after receiving a strange invitation to a party. Still grieving over the death of his best friends and former gang members, Noodles cannot help but reminisce about his wayward life from the days of being a petty hood in the 1920s, his adulthood and involvement in underworld crime during Prohibition, and finally the fatal event that made him lose his friends. His curiosity is further piqued when his gang’s million dollars stash gets mysteriously moved and replaced with newspapers headlining a corrupted politician. 

The brunt of the film is told in flashback, but you don’t really get this until after the first 10-20 minutes. There is one scene that I found really fascinating, where the audience are only clued into it being a memory by the constant ringing of a telephone. We jump through three major time frames: the 1920s where Noodles and his mates were kids on the streets doing petty crimes, the 1930s during the days of Prohibition where they were hired hands and ran their own club, and the 1960s where Noodles is trying to discover who the mysterious invitation-sender is. A montage of multiple little stories, like the rivers that make up a sea, this movie takes on the tone of a grittier sort of fairytale where they may be no dragons and happy endings, but there’s a quest and challenges. The one difference is that the heroes do not grow or change, but remain rooted in their methods. The central character conflict/balance between the two leads, Noodles and Max, is beautiful with Noodles being reserved and prone to depression and Max being the hot-headed and ambitious other. 

The poetic and simple shots are all set against a beautiful score by Ennio Morriccone, who somehow manages to make pan-pipes work in the Jazz Age as well as do a lovely and highly romantic version of the Beatles’ ‘Yesterday’ that’s enough to bring a lump to the throat. 

Starring Robert De Niro, James Woods, Elizabeth McGovern, Treat Williams, Tuesday Weld, Joe Pesci, Burt Young, Danny Aiello, William Forsythe, James Hayden, Darlanne Fluegel, Larry Rapp, Dutch Miller, Robert Harper, and Richard Bright, Once Upon a Time in America is a beautiful, albeit long, slow-moving, and sometimes uninteresting film filled with action, friendship, drama, romance, comedy, and betrayal. It’s by no means a real cracker of a movie, but it makes you feel something: melancholy, empathy for the character, hatred towards horrid people, whatever, and it’s beautifully-crafted and will stay with you. 

The Godfather [R]

The youngest Corleone, Michael, returns from World War II to sit just outside the family business, organised crime. But when a business deal goes sour and an assassination attempt is made on his father, Michael and hot-headed older brother Sonny, are driven by personal vendettas rather than diplomatic ones. Soon the families of the underworld organised crime scene of New York are at war with one another and as the times continue to change with the new generations rising to power, it becomes clear that the old traditions and ties of family and respect are being lost. 

It’s one of the greatest movies ever made and you don’t have to be a gangster movie enthusiast to see that! Francis Ford Coppola’s The Godfather sits in cinematic history as groundbreaking, stylish, operatic, elegant, and all around impeccable film filled to the brim with memorable and much imitated scenes such as the infamous horse head scene, as well as inspiring people to imitate Brando the world over. The one negative critique that this movie received was that it glorified the mafia, with the protagonist, Michael, seeming the good guy at the start but then slowly and oftentimes unnoticeably coming out as being not such a nice guy. 

Nevertheless, The Godfather is an incredible and absolutely BEAUTIFUL movie that everyone has to see before they die! I cannot be more serious about this! 

The youngest Corleone, Michael, returns from World War II to sit just outside the family business, organised crime. But when a business deal goes sour and an assassination attempt is made on his father, Michael and hot-headed older brother Sonny, are driven by personal vendettas rather than diplomatic ones. Soon the families of the underworld organised crime scene of New York are at war with one another and as the times continue to change with the new generations rising to power, it becomes clear that the old traditions and ties of family and respect are being lost. 

It’s the perfect film, there is practically nothing to fault with it! It’s shot with such a level of elegance and beauty that even the confronting and shocking or tragic scenes are made mesmerising! It’s a poetic gangster opera, with the most intense and exciting of scenes being broken up by various celebrations: the two most memorable being the shady business scenes of Don Corleone being interspersed with scenes of his daughter’s wedding outside and the final climactic scene being interspersed with scenes from the baptism of Michael’s godson and his being named godfather, which carries a heavy and symmetrical dual meaning. Everything from the celebrations to the sorrows and the violence is done with such grace and elegance, I CANNOT STRESS THIS ENOUGH! 

I don’t want to rave on and on about how dazzling and wonderful this movie is so I’m now going to break up the review with a few trivia fun facts and anecdotes about the film. It’s fun having fascinating but useless knowledge isn’t it? Fact 1) the baby baptised at the end is Sofia Coppola. Fact 2) the film was a huge comeback for Marlon Brando who sent a fake Indian “Satcheen Littlefeather’ to the Academy Awards ceremony to reject his Oscar. Fact 3) This might only be rumour, but the singer/director story with the horse head was inspired by true events that involved Frank Sinatra. 

There is no question about Brando’s receiving the Academy Award for Best Actor. His performance is INCREDIBLE! Commanding and authoritative but with obvious respect and compassion, he’s a force to be reckoned with and every scene he’s in, he’s just captivating, inspiring many people to imitate and impersonate him all over the world: his counsel scenes have made appearances in many other movies and series including The Rugrats! 

The other actor whom I want to give an accolade to is young Al Pacino as Michael. He stands toe to toe with Brando and is the real deal when you hear the phrase “silent but deadly”. He hypnotises you with this incredible stare that he’s got and when he’s at his most fierce, he’s at his most reserved. He’s astounding! 

Featuring incredible performances from Diane Keaton, Richard S. Castellano, Robert Duvall, James Caan, Sterling Hayden, Talia Shire, John Marley, Richard Conte, All Lettieri, Abe Vigoda, Gianni Russo, John Cazale, and Rudy Bond, The Godfather is an incredible film that stands the test of time and is definitely one that everyone should see before they die, I can’t stress this enough! Filled with family, action, drama, violence, murder, betrayal, and a hauntingly beautiful soundtrack by Carmine Coppola and Nino Rota, this movie is perfection, ABSOLUTE PERFECTION! 

"Make him an offer he can't refuse"

Little Caesar [PG]

As small-town thieves, Caesar ‘Rico’ Bandello and his partner Joe recognize a dead-end future staring at them. In a determined move to avoid such a future, they move to the big city where Joe falls in love and decides to go clean, getting a job as a dancer. Rico, on the other hand, gets a taste of gangster life in the big city, and he likes it. Starting in a small gang and skyrocketing to the top, Rico soon becomes the seminal crime boss in town, but it won’t take long for his enlarged ego to lead him to a premature end. 

Amongst the first gangster films of the Sound Era that had a hand in defining the genre, Little Caesar still has the power to enthral with its memorable performances, bouts of classic gangster action, and snappy script. 

As small-town thieves, Caesar ‘Rico’ Bandello and his partner Joe recognize a dead-end future staring at them. In a determined move to avoid such a future, they move to the big city where Joe falls in love and decides to go clean, getting a job as a dancer. Rico, on the other hand, gets a taste of gangster life in the big city, and he likes it. Starting in a small gang and skyrocketing to the top, Rico soon becomes the seminal crime boss in town, but it won’t take long for his enlarged ego to lead him to a premature end. 

Produced during the Great Depression, Little Caesar is a film all about the desire for individual achievement, a theme that is highlighted more so by the financial circumstances of its production period. Despite the occasional touch of compassion that seeps through, e.g. the promotion of loyalty and friendship during a fellow gang member’s funeral, feeling for one’s fellow man is thrown to the winds and greed and self-interest sits in the driver’s seat. 

The script is a classic collection of gangster banter and jargon with memorable lines and threats coming every which way, delivered with an almost musical eloquence. So precise is the timing and pace that it’s hard to consider disrupting the flow by pausing the film. 

Edward G. Robinson as Little Caesar himself is highly memorable, delivering a wonderfully psychotic and egocentric performance as the pugnacious, fat little squirrel who won’t take no crap from nobody. An egocentric pug-dog on steroids, Edward sets the bar as a great archetypal gangster, especially since he hated guns in real life and actually had his eyelids taped in the film to keep him from blinking whenever he shot someone. 

Starring Douglas Fairbanks Jr., Glenda Farrell, William Collier Jr., Sidney Blackmer, Ralph Ince, Thomas E. Jackson, Stanley Fields, Maurice Black, George E. Stone, Armand Kaliz, and Nicholas Bela, Little Caesar is a classic gangster movie filled with action, romance, suspense, drama, and great banter. Of course, the genre has progressed substantially, but when you go back to these classics, they don’t seem to lose any of their initial integrity or impact. Even Little Caesar’s final line still rings within the ears. 

On the Waterfront [PG]

Terry Malloy is a failed boxer turned errand boy for a corrupt gang of mobsters who run the workers’ union on the docklands. One night he is asked to lure a disaffected dockman to a rooftop. Unaware that the job was for a hit, he does so and then becomes morally disturbed when the dockman is pushed from the roof. His guilt is exacerbated when he falls in love with Edie, the dockman’s sister, whom has shamed the town’s priest into encouraging the worker’s to speak out against the mob. Already grappling with his guilt, Terry finds himself in an emotional deadlock between his conscious and his loyalty and he must choose whether to save his skin or his soul. 

Some would say that you could either take this movie or leave it. Indeed at the time of its release America was in a tender place having been shaken by the betrayals and paranoia of the anticommunist scare. With its searing and penetrating questions of loyalty and morals being so beautifully exhibited by breathtaking performances and complemented by an extravagant but empowering accompanying score by Leonard Bernstein, On the Waterfront continues to receive critical acclaim and is widely considered to one of the all-time greatest American films. Me? I’ll take it. 

Terry Malloy is a failed boxer turned errand boy for a corrupt gang of mobsters who run the workers’ union on the docklands. One night he is asked to lure a disaffected dockman to a rooftop. Unaware that the job was for a hit, he does so and then becomes morally disturbed when the dockman is pushed from the roof. His guilt is exacerbated when he falls in love with Edie, the dockman’s sister, whom has shamed the town’s priest into encouraging the worker’s to speak out against the mob. Already grappling with his guilt, Terry finds himself in an emotional deadlock between his conscious and his loyalty and he must choose whether to save his skin or his soul. 

I want to talk about the soundtrack first off. This is no ordinary accompanying score that creates atmosphere and tracks the narrative and key plot points. The soundtrack is deliberately heightened in volume and often appears most forcefully in places where it doesn’t quite seem to fit. Big bursts of volume, long notes, and percussion penetrate the most visually quiet scenes (like scenic long shots) and for the life of me I can quite fathom how they got it to work… but it does! The music brings a whole new level of depth and drama to the film and it’s just brilliant! 

At the time of its release, this movie was in a league of its own, bringing to Hollywood a hard-hitting social realism that had, until then, not been seen before. With a cast made up of post war generation Method actors as well as naturalistic ones, it’s really no wonder. 

Marlon Brando as Terry Malloy is just stunning! Slow-witted, but sensitive and with strong but compromising senses of right and wrong, Brando delivers a most searing performance that has you loving him and crying for him in the more dramatic scenes. Despite being an agent of the baddies, he’s a portrait of the little lost lamb, desperately trying to find his flock. He also gives us that iconic line “I coulda been a contender”. Breathtaking. 

Starring Karl Malden, Lee J. Cobb, Rob Steiger, Leif Erikson, James Westerfield, Tami Mauriello, Tony Galento, Pat Henning, John F. Hamilton, Abe Simon, Rudy Bond, Don Blackman, Arthur Keegan, and featuring Eva Marie Saint in her debut role, On the Waterfront is a deeply powerful and moving film that’s filled with morals, guilt, betrayal, drama, action, and romance. It’s highly empowering and a fierce contemplation of morals, values, betrayal, and loyalty. It’s a real stunner! 

Suddenly [M]

The little town of Suddenly has been so quiet in recent years that the officials are thinking of renaming it Gradually. But this suddenly changes one afternoon when a confidential telegram is received by the Sheriff stating that the President will be changing trains within the town. Secret Service and FBI begin flooding the streets making sure there are no threats and with them slips in a trio of assassins who take advantage of a house on the hill overlooking the station and hold the family hostage whilst they prepare to assassinate the President. 

This came in a little Frank Sinatra triple pack that I picked up on a whim, I have a bit of a thing for Frank Sinatra I have to admit, and I have to say that I hold no regrets in my impulse decision to buy this film that I’d never seen. Suddenly is a short-running gangster thriller that succeeds in capturing attention and holding it at arm’s length. There is a great amount of suspense that kept me completely within the film’s grips and for the 75-minute duration there was nowhere I’d rather have been. 

The little town of Suddenly has been so quiet in recent years that the officials are thinking of renaming it Gradually. But this suddenly changes one afternoon when a confidential telegram is received by the Sheriff stating that the President will be changing trains within the town. Secret Service and FBI begin flooding the streets making sure there are no threats and with them slips in a trio of assassins who take advantage of a house on the hill overlooking the station and hold the family hostage whilst they prepare to assassinate the President. 

I think what made this movie was the suspense that was crammed into it. It wasn’t like a shadowing Hitchcock type of suspense where you’re waiting for a burst of staccato soundtrack or the discovery of a corpse, no this was more a tantalising curiosity that gets satiated only in very small doses. For a fair portion of the movie, particularly all scenes featuring Frank, the audience is left with clues as to who this villain is and what makes him tick, but are never given some hard evidence of his character and are just left t sort of fill in the blanks. Frank is a person who captures the camera’s eye and can command attention and I think the casting of him as the villain in this piece was quite a slick move as his performance and his lack of giving too much away as to his character is what kept me on my toes, as all the film’s other audiences would be I’d assume. 

Not exactly an Academy Award winning performance by modern standards, Frank nonetheless stole the show as the villain. He goes through a series of transformations: beginning the film as a cool and professional gangster type, progressing into a proud ex-militant flaunting his ‘silver star’, and finally the psychotic nature begins to shine through as the climactic moment draws near. A bit like Heath Ledger’s joker, Frank’s character was one whom you couldn’t read: you had to expect anything and everything of this guy so the majority of the movie involves audiences bracing themselves for some frightening sexual advance of his, or a real exhibition of violence, or even some chilling maniacal laughter. I loved this; this is what stood out for me. 

Starring Sterling Hayden, James Gleason, Nancy Gates, Kim Charney, Willis Bouchey, Paul Frees, Christopher Dark, and James O’Hara, Suddenly is an engaging little thriller that’s filled with action, romance, gunplay, drama, and suspense. I will admit that I may be giving it a little too much credit because of my Frank Sinatra blinders, but I really enjoyed it and would readily watch it again. 

Get Carter [M]

London gangster and strong-arm mob man, Jack Carter, returns to his provincial hometown of Newcastle following his brother’s questionable death. Jack suspects foul play and determines to wage a one-man war to find those responsible and deal out justice. But Jack’s reappearance in Newcastle touches a nerve with local crooks and it fast becomes apparent that his brother’s ‘death’ is connected with something much larger. 

Morality, chivalry, and routine are completely chucked out the window when it comes to this movie. Get Carter boasts no romance, no heroes, no real climactic thrills, and no happy ending. I’m sort of in two minds as to whether I liked it or not. 

London gangster and strong-arm mob man, Jack Carter, returns to his provincial hometown of Newcastle following his brother’s questionable death. Jack suspects foul play and determines to wage a one-man war to find those responsible and deal out justice. But Jack’s reappearance in Newcastle touches a nerve with local crooks and it fast becomes apparent that his brother’s ‘death’ is connected with something much larger. 

Adapted from the novel Jack’s Return Home by Ted Lewis, Mike Hodges’ screenplay is really rather something to be admired as, considering that this movie is now forty years old, it still manages to deliver the audience sharp blow after sharp blow and keep them captivated with its sincerity and the unsettling and biting precision with which it’s written. In this movie, nothing is sacred: death and violence are dealt out without the slightest shadow of thought, women are seduced and then degraded to the level of whore or porn actress (not without being subjected to a bit of shaking, slapping, and verbal abuse first), and there is no love, no passion, indeed no human feeling to be found anywhere. I appreciate this movie primarily for its screenplay because it depicts this cold and unfeeling world without gussying it up with jagged camera movements, lack of colour or light, depressing emo music, and whatever other tricks of the trade that are employed in modern ‘doom and gloom’ cinema. Because we are so used to seeing films that exaggerate the gloominess of the setting and the story, it comes as a shock when we see the real thing and for that reason alone, Get Carter and in particular Mike Hodges, should be applauded. 

Michael Caine stars as the antihero himself and he delivers a performance that is dripping with cold precision, unfeeling alacrity, he’s more like a machine than a man. Most of the flick’s most memorable scenes feature Michael just standing there and staring, including the most iconic in which he shoos a couple of thugs away from his bed and breakfast, butt naked with a rifle. He’s really something, Michael Caine. 

Starring Ian Hendry, Britt Ekland, john Osborne, Tony Beckley, Geraldine Moffat, Dorothy White, Rosemarie Dunham, Petra Markham, Alun Armstrong, Bryan Mosley, Glynn Edwards, Bernard Hepton, Terence Rigby, and George Sewell, Get Carter is a clever and captivating movie filled with action, violence, sex, and revenge. I don’t think I can consider it a real classic, but it’s definitely a movie that makes you rethink the popular structure of movies and how simplicity is really the most violent of shocks to the audience. Like the saying goes: “less is more”. 

Road to Perdition [MA]

12 year-old Michael lives a contented life with his mother, brother, and father… until the night he curiously stows away in his gangster father’s car and witnesses him conduct a brutal slaying. The lives of the entire family are shattered irrevocably as his mother and brother are murdered and he and his father are forced to flee, now a target of the very gangsters that they once called family. On the road to Perdition, his father determines to deal out revenge on the man who his wife and son, but when he learns that they are being tracked by a ruthless hired killer, protection of his boy becomes all that matters and these two familial strangers discover that there is more love and admiration for each other within them than they thought. 

Coming from American Beauty, Sam Mendes brings us this beautiful, just BEAUTIFUL gangster movie with a paternal twist. The action of the genre and the drama of the plot are a match made in heaven and I can honestly say that I’ve not seen a more moving father-and-son story since Big Fish. Road to Perdition is a beautifully crafted drama that had tears welling up in my eyes. Seriously, this movie is just so damned beautiful! 

12 year-old Michael lives a contented life with his mother, brother, and father… until the night he curiously stows away in his gangster father’s car and witnesses him conduct a brutal slaying. The lives of the entire family are shattered irrevocably as his mother and brother are murdered and he and his father are forced to flee, now a target of the very gangsters that they once called family. On the road to Perdition, his father determines to deal out revenge on the man who his wife and son, but when he learns that they are being tracked by a ruthless hired killer, protection of his boy becomes all that matters and these two familial strangers discover that there is more love and admiration for each other within them than they thought.  

When it comes to portraying the more complicated or gritty relations within families, Sam Mendes is THE MASTER! Audiences were in his vice-like grip as they watched the living Hell that this family living the ‘American Dream’ is in in American Beauty, and now he depicts this beautiful story of paternal redemption set against this sinister and bloody 1930s gangster backdrop. When we think ‘gangster movie’, immediately we think of bang-bang-blood-blood-“say-hello-to-my-little-friend!” type stuff, but Mendes takes the genre and turns it on its ear with this most beautiful paternal story. We’ve not only got this father-son story between the two leads, there is also this sort of Godfather-esque familial story where the boss and the gangsters are considered family by those who work for them. I found David Self’s screenplay just beautiful and the jabs at various families and how some are more grounded than others, fascinating. 

I particularly want to mention the soundtrack too because this beautiful instrumental score, composed by Thomas Newman who also did the soundtrack behind American Beauty, really helped to bring the drama, beauty, relief, and suspense to the movie. The music is absolutely gorgeous! 

We’ve got brilliant performances from absolutely everyone involved so I won’t go on and gush about each individual one, I’ll only say that you’ve got to watch this. 

Starring Tom Hanks, Paul Newman, Jude Law, Daniel Craig, Jennifer Jason Leigh, Stanley Tucci and introducing Tyler Hoechlin, Road to Perdition is a beautifully and masterfully crafted movie filled with love, redemption, action, violence, drama, and discovery. This was recommended to me by a uni friend and I’ll now have to say thank you because I would seriously have missed out on a truly beautiful movie!

Scarface [R]

Tony Montana comes to the United States from Cuba as a political prisoner and he soon realises that the only path out of the immigrant ghetto is one riddled with murder and crime. He soon begins to move up in the world, beginning with hit jobs and then the movement of drugs, which takes him into the world of organised crime and its empires. Soon Tony’s eyes are widened as to how he can live: with power, control, money, indeed he sees that the world can be his and he begins to take steps to make it so. But when he finally gets it, he becomes blind as to what it really means and what it has cost him. 

Oliver Stone and Brian De Palmer’s remake of Howard Hawks’ 1932 classic renders audiences speechless and keeps them in a vice-like grip of death from start to finish. Scarface is critically acclaimed as “the first postmodern gangster epic”, and of course everyone will recognise Al Pacino’s iconic climactic line: it’s been referenced, sampled, and the scene even features minutely in those old-school film classification ads. We all know that line! 

Tony Montana comes to the United States from Cuba as a political prisoner and he soon realises that the only path out of the immigrant ghetto is one riddled with murder and crime. He soon begins to move up in the world, beginning with hit jobs and then the movement of drugs, which takes him into the world of organised crime and its empires. Soon Tony’s eyes are widened as to how he can live: with power, control, money, indeed he sees that the world can be his and he begins to take steps to make it so. But when he finally gets it, he becomes blind as to what it really means and what it has cost him. 

Oliver Stone’s adapted screenplay adds a political spin onto the original story and, as such, adds this fantastic extra layer of drama, action, and meaning. As far as gangster movies go, Scarface is an absolute classic depicting this high-flying and glamorous lifestyle that soon turns apocalyptic. As with any gangster flick, it can be a trifle hard to keep up with all the characters and remember who stabbed whom in the back and whatnot, but aside from that factor of confusion, this movie offers its audience all manner of brilliant things from a biting script to most astounding performances. I particularly love Stone’s darkly comical jab at the gangster being the tragic hero, Montano indeed openly refers to himself as the bad guy: “you need me, I’m the bad guy!” 

Al Pacino is the tragic gangster hero himself and he delivers a most breathtaking performance. He was menacing, roughly charming, protective, dramatic, and sometimes very funny. From the get go there’s no bullshit with Pacino, everything that comes out of his mouth is the cold hard truth and it’s that trait that he brings to the character that makes the movie the iconic classic that it is. 

Starring Steven Bauer, Michelle Pfeiffer, Mary Elizabeth Mastrantonio, Robert Loggia, Miriam Colon, F. Murray Abraham, Paul Shenar, Harris Yulin, Angel Salazar, and Arnaldo Santana, Scarface is an incredible movie that’s filled with action, politics, drama, violence, protection, and betrayal. It’s a movie that really grips you and it holds you down for the almost-three-hour duration because it will not be denied and you can’t fuck with it! 

"SAY HELLO TO MY LITTLE FRIEND!"

Reservoir Dogs [R]

In an abandoned warehouse, professional hit men are rendezvousing after a diamond heist goes badly wrong. The only logical conclusion is that it was a setup and that there is a rat amongst them. As the survivors reconvene and try to regain their composure, one of them losing copious amounts of blood after being shot in the stomach, as well as come up with a next move, they form their own conclusions about who the rat is. 

The groundbreaking directorial debut of the infamous video clerk, Quentin Tarantino, Reservoir Dogs is a fantastically bloody and brutal movie that delivers all the thrills, cringes, and laughs that marked many of his later films. THIS MOVIE IS FUCKING AWESOME! 

In an abandoned warehouse, professional hit men are rendezvousing after a diamond heist goes badly wrong. The only logical conclusion is that it was a setup and that there is a rat amongst them. As the survivors reconvene and try to regain their composure, one of them losing copious amounts of blood after being shot in the stomach, as well as come up with a next move, they form their own conclusions about who the rat is. 

I think it’s impossible for Quentin Tarantino to make a bad movie. His consistent indulgence in bloodshed and gore added with his eccentric and slightly macabre and warped sense of humour just make a winning combination in cinema. It now has to be said that I’m a fan. 

The basic story of the crime-gone-wrong scenario is great and absolutely perfect for Tarantino’s style of character evolution. Divided into chapters and told through numerous flashbacks and time jumps, as are quite a few of his films, Reservoir Dogs is a violent and blood soaked frenzy of clever writing and witty dialogue. From the opening scene were all these suave ruthless killers are discussing everything from the etiquette of tipping to the true meaning of Madonna’s Like a Virgin, the entire film is a delightful verbal frenzy of memorable lines and discussions with the added references to pop culture scattered throughout. 

I’d like to also draw attention to the soundtrack: Tarantino obviously gets a few kicks out of music because a lot of the warped comedy that seeps into his movies are achieved through the contrast between the scene and the music that it’s set against. Case in point, Reservoir Dogs holds that infamous “ear tableau” where Michael Madsen is hacking off a cop’s ear whilst dancing around to Stuck In the Middle With You. The irony that is achieved through the marriage of the soundtrack and the violence of the story makes for memorable and irrepressible entertainment. IT’S ABSOLUTE FUCKING GENIUS! 

And of course we have to draw attention to the undeniably phenomenal cast. Tarantino has got casting down to an art because in every single one of his films, the cast simply shines and many careers have been resurrected thanks to. This movie boasts phenomenal performances from Harvey Keitel, Michael Madsen, Steve Buscemi, Tim Roth, Chris Penn, Lawrence Tierney, and Tarantino himself. Filled with violence, brilliant dialogue, comedy, drama, and set against a great soundtrack, Reservoir Dogs is a fucking phenomenal directorial debut from one of cinema’s most infamous writer/actor/directors. IT’S ABSOLUTELY GROUNDBREAKING GENIUS! 

Are you gonna bark all day little doggy? Or are you gonna bite?

The Sting [PG]

When mobster Doyle Lonnegan murders small-time con artist, Johnny Hooker’s partner in crime, Luther, Johhny sets out to get revenge. Teaming up with big-time con artist, Henry Gondorff, Johnny and Henry’s myriad of friends on the Chicago streets come up with the greatest con in history, sure to deliver a nasty “sting” to Lonnegan. But, with a con so big, there is no room for error or distraction and a city cop is hot on Hooker’s tail, hell-bent on putting him behind bars. 

Four years earlier, director George Roy Hill brought audiences the wonderful buddy team of Newman and Redford in Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid. Now, the dynamic duo is back playing street-smart con artists in a 1930s post-Depression Chicago. We’re talking dime stores, pinstripes, hustlers, cigars, and poker; and the plot is so intricate and deceptive, it’s fantastic! The Sting is a great movie, winning 7 Academy Awards including Best Picture back in its day. 

When mobster Doyle Lonnegan murders small-time con artist, Johnny Hooker’s partner in crime, Luther, Johhny sets out to get revenge. Teaming up with big-time con artist, Henry Gondorff, Johnny and Henry’s myriad of friends on the Chicago streets come up with the greatest con in history, sure to deliver a nasty “sting” to Lonnegan. But, with a con so big, there is no room for error or distraction and a city cop is hot on Hooker’s tail, hell-bent on putting him behind bars. 

I have to say, straight off the ladder, that I really loved the way that the film is segmented into chapters, a lot like a storybook. The movie is depicted in various stages of the operation with an illustrated book page literally separating each chapter and stage of the con: “the setup”, “the lockout”, “the sting” etc. I found that really fascinating and an excellent way to divide the film’s sequences without resorting to overused techniques such as blackouts and fade-outs and the like. It’s really good. 

Paul Newman is Henry Gondorff, stone drunk when we first meet him and, similar to his portrayal of Butch Cassidy four years prior, the brains behind the operation. His blue eyes and genial air welcome the audience as soon as they meet him and he delivered a performance that was charming, witty, funny, and intimidating and interrogating when needed. I love Paul Newman. 

Robert Redford’s face shines clean-shaven as Johnny Hooker, a kid from the street learning to play in the big leagues. He played the role of a newbie very well and gave a performance that was determined, funny, charming, affable, and conflicted (or at least seemed conflicted). 

Starring Robert Shaw, Charles Durning, Ray Walston, Eileen Brennan, Harold Gould, John Heffernan, Dana Elcar, Jack Kehoe, and Dimitra Arliss, The Sting is a wonderful hustle caper filled with drama, friendship, revenge, deception, money, comedy, and features a beautiful slow ragtime soundtrack by Scott Joplin. Seriously, that soundtrack is gorgeous and is so perfect and fitting for this equally as gorgeous film. 

In Bruges [MA]

After a job that goes a little off the path, hit men Ken and Ray are told to cool their heels and wait for further instruction in Bruges; a medieval city right out of a fairytale located in Belgium. But since hit men make the worst tourists and Ken and Ray are as different as they come, they soon find themselves in a life and death struggle against a very angry boss. 

THIS MOVIE IS FUCKING FANTASTIC! It really is the best hit men drama/comedy since Pulp Fiction. It’s perfectly balanced between gore, drama, action, and comedy, it’s backed by a wonderful soundtrack, and the performances were just stunning. Not to mention the breathtaking Bruges scenery that we get to enjoy! It is, it’s absolutely fantastic, wholly original, and wholly memorable; a film that will really stay with you. 

After a big job that goes a little off the mark, hit men Ken and Ray are told to cool their heels and await further instruction in Bruges; a medieval city right out of a fairytale located in Belgium. But, as hit men make the worst tourists and Ken and Ray are as different in sightseeing tastes as they come, the two soon find themselves in a life and death struggle against a very angry boss. 

Yes, this has to be the greatest hit men flick since Quentin Tarantino’s Pulp Fiction; it has absolutely everything in it from gore, to emotional ties and drama, to action, to chases, to marvellous black comedy. It’s absolutely brilliant! 

The soundtrack is something work taking note of; a beautiful, repetitive series of instrumental tracks that creates the most perfect atmospheres of melancholy, suspense, comedy, and climactic action. 

I think what I really love about this movie is that it’s got wonderful uses of irony in it. For a start, the central characters are hit men with the only vicious one being the big boss and, as such, they surround themselves with a lot of gore, bloody violence, and brutal language, and yet this is all set against the scenery of Bruges, which really is like a fairytale; cobblestone streets, medieval stone buildings, majestic rolling mist, and snowfall. How much of a contrast is that! 

Colin Farrell stars as Ray and his performance needs to be applauded. Providing the film with a fair proportion of its flawless comedy, Colin’s performance was just breathtaking. I laughed, I cringed, I swooned, and I cried. Stunning, just stunning! 

Brendan Gleeson stars as Ken delivering a more watchful adult type of performance. His character was one that was subtly paternal, watching over the new boy in the business, and Brendan played that role absolutely beautifully. You’re with him all the way; struggling to find patience with Ray, conflicted, and brutally shocked towards the film’s climax. 

Starring Ralph Fiennes (who was fucking hysterical as the boys’ boss with every second word out of his mouth being a profanity), Clemence Poesy, Eric Godon, Zeljko Ivanek, Thekla Reuten, and Jordan Prentice, In Bruges is just a wonderfully brilliant film packed with action, suspense, romance, drugs, violence, emotion, brutal language, beautiful scenery, irony, gore, and brilliant black comedy, It’s a wholly brilliant film and I highly recommend it! WATCH IT PEOPLE!

The Rum Diary [M]

Puerto Rico, 1960. Paul Kemp, journalist and slight alcoholic, has come to write for a small and striving newspaper. The job begins small and unassuming but soon, with the help of a little rum, it escalates into a journey filled with crooks, injustice, and self-discovery. 

In loving memory of Hunter S Thompson. 

Admittedly, after seeing and completely loving Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas, I expected The Rum Diary to be another mind-screwing trip, absolutely rum-soaked and swimming. This was not the case, but the film was still a very good one; autobiographical, and a good story of ambition and self-discovery, this movie made me laugh and think. 

Puerto Rico, 1960. Paul Kemp, journalist and slight alcoholic, has come to write for a small and striving newspaper run by a genuine bastard that completely contradicts Paul’s journalistic ideas and ambitions. The job begins small and unassuming with Paul making friends and developing a taste for rum in the process, but that changes when Paul is plucked from the inner workings of the paper to write for some crooks who are looking to buy and exploit the land. As Paul sees one life of luxury and money and then another of poverty and injustice, he develops, with the help of a little rum, a strong hatred of his greedy employers and an ambition to write the truth and snap back at them. It could even be said that sometimes ink is stronger than rum. 

Based on Hunter S. Thompson’s book, The Rum Diary is a film that took me a while to get into. As with Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas, this movie does project a very reflective vibe towards the audience, one that lulls and then snaps into action at the slightest touch, much like the effect of having continuous drinks. 

I felt that is also had more of a solid story than Fear and Loathing, one that was actually rather interesting as it very subtly puts forward the idea that some of life’s meanings and purposes are understood and fuelled through alcohol. I can honestly say that I come up with my best story ideas when I’ve had a few drinks and I know that Steven Tyler, lead singer of Aerosmith wrote some of the most amazing songs and lyrics when he was high. 

Johnny Depp stars as Paul and he was wonderful, just as Johnny can be. It was really interesting to see him play this character that begins the film as being sort of uncertain and taking life one moment at a time and then develops into this angry and ambitious journalist who then goes on to have an illustrious career. As Johnny Depp and Hunter S. Thompson were friends, it is only fitting that the character of Paul be played by Depp. I actually have a feeling that Johnny was the one who fired Thompson’s ashes out of a cannon at his funeral. 

Starring Johnny Depp, Michael Rispoli, Richard Jenkins, Amber Heard, Giovanni Ribisi, and Aaron Eckhart, The Rum Diary is a very good film filled with action, crime, injustice, romance, comedy, and of course, rum. Another classic that Depp can add to his already outstanding repertoire, I really enjoyed this film. 

Pulp Fiction [R]

Whilst two hit men are collecting debts and blowing their boss’ rivals’ heads off, a boxer is cheating a partner out of a deal. Somewhere else an inexperienced drug dealer is saving a gangster’s wife from overdosing and a professional is solving a bloody problem. 

One of the most savagely funny and cleverest films that I’ve seen to date, Pulp Fiction is a wonderful fix of bloodshed, comedy, action, and complete mayhem. It definitely makes it into my top ten favourite films of all time. 

Whilst two hit men are out collecting debts and blowing peoples’ heads off, a boxer is cheating a partner out of some sort of deal. Somewhere else, an inexperienced drug dealer is saving a gangster’s wife from overdosing, and a professional is solving a bloody problem. As a couple holds up a restaurant, and a deep and meaningful discussion about the names of burgers in France takes place, it proves to be a strange sort of day. 

WHAT A FANTASTIC FILM! It basically is just these little stories that all intertwine with one another. I love films like that. The other thing I really liked about this movie was that it kept leaping forwards and backwards through time. Basically, the film begins at the end, and then goes back to the beginning. Then it goes to the middle, which is actually the end, and then it finishes at the end, which is actually the middle. It’s an absolutely fabulous mind trip that leaves you open-mouthed and cross-eyed. It’s bloody brilliant! 

The other thing that is so totally awesome about this movie is the script. WHAT A GREAT SCRIPT! Most of the action comes in the form of gunplay, samurai swords, and general punch-ups, but the script is what arms the film with its comedy and its drama. It’s particularly wonderful to see these two hit men, gangster and intimidating as all get out, having deep and meaningful conversations about everything from divine intervention to the names of MacDonald’s products in France. Some of the stuff that they talk about is actually rather pointless, but it’s the words that they use and the way they say it that keeps you hanging on every word. It’s sheer genius is what it is! 

Starring John Travolta, Samuel L. Jackson, Uma Thurman, Bruce Willis, Tim Roth, Amanda Plummer, Eric Stoltz, Rosanna Arquette, Madeira de Medeiros, Ving Rhames, Christopher Walken, Steve Buscemi, Harvey Keitel, and Quentin Tarantino, Pulp Fiction is a fantastically savage comedy filled with action, drama, mayhem, bloodshed, brilliant dialogue, deep and meaningful conversations, and comedy. One of my all-time favourite films, you HAVE to see this movie!

AND YOU WILL KNOW MY NAME IS THE LORD WHEN I LAY MY VENGEANCE UPON THEE!!!

True Romance [R]

Clarence is a loner who is inexperienced in the ways of love. But that changes when he meets Alabama, an irresistible sex kitten. After a whirlwind courtship, the two are married and their lives change for both the better and the worse. So in love, Clarence commits a terrible crime defending Alabama’s honour and with this one romantic gesture, the two are thrust headlong into a collision coarse with both gangsters and cops, as the mishap pushes them on a feverish venture to get out of Detroit and into L.A. 

Even though he has a great love of violence and bloodshed, I do love the stories and films of Quentin Tarantino. True Romance was a delightfully gritty and course romance/drama/comedy that was filled with familiar faces, violence, memorable characters, romance, and plenty of action. What a great movie! 

Clarence is a loner who is inexperienced in the ways of love. But that changes when he meets Alabama, an irresistibly innocent sex kitten. After a whirlwind courtship, the two are married and their lives change for both the better and the worst. So in love, Clarence commits a terrible crime defending Alabama’s honour and the two are thrust headlong into a collision coarse with both gangsters and cops, as the mishap pushes them on a feverish venture to get out of Detroit and into L.A. 

What I particularly like about this film was that it was action-packed and violent, like most Tarantino films, but there was a great romance and comedy to play against all the terrible things that happen. A little like Cohen Brothers comedy, you have to watch the entire thing to understand why it’s so clever. 

Christian Slater stars as Clarence and he was brilliant. He was maniacal, aggressive, loyal, charming, and completely sincere, and the chemistry between him and Patricia Arquette, who played Alabama and was just delightful, seemed really natural and genuine. The two were just great together, with a sense of innocence and spontaneity about them. Simply delightful. 

Starring Gary Oldman, Val Kilmer, Dennis Hopper, Chris Penn, Brad Pitt, and Christopher Walken, True Romance was a wonderful film filled with violence, romance, drugs, bloodshed, comedy, memorable characters, and plenty of action. It was a great flick.  

The Departed [MA]

Rookie cop Billy Costigan has grown up in crime, making him the perfect mole to be on the inside of the mob run by Frank Costello. It’s up to him to win Costello’s trust whilst simultaneously helping his detective handlers bring Costello down. But the cops aren’t the only ones who have a man on the inside. Fine and upstanding SIU Officer Sullivan has everyone’s trust, making him the perfect mole amongst the cops, leaking information to Costello. 

This was a wonderfully mind-bending mafia drama ultimately about who has the last word: the goodies or the baddies. Filled with sinister and violent twists of the plot and knockout performances from all involved, The Departed is a fantastically dark and sinister crime flick. 

Rookie cop Billy Costigan comes from a criminal family, resulting in his being well connected and known amongst the various mafia groups in the city. This also makes him the perfect mole to have on the inside of the mob run by Frank Costello, a man whom the cops have been trying to bring down for quite some time. It’s up to Billy to get close to Costello and earn his trust whilst simultaneously feeding information back to the cops and helping his detective handlers bring Costello down. But the cops are not the only ones with a man on the inside. Fine and upstanding SIU Officer Sullivan has everyone’s trust and therefore, makes a perfect mole to have amongst the cops whilst simultaneously leaking information back to Costello. 

Directed by Martin Scorsese, The Departed is a wonderful crime flick that is ultimately about who has the final word: the good guys or the bad guys. Filled with mind-bending plot twists and plenty of violence and drama, it will have you gripping the edge of your seat. 

Adding to the brilliance of the story and the drama of the film are the knockout performances from Jack Nicholson, Matt Damon, and Leonardo DiCaprio. 

Jack Nicholson, who plays Frank Costello, delivers a very moving mafia boss performance as he swiftly changes from suspicious and homicidal maniac to almost-family man. 

Matt Damon, who plays Sullivan, has a controlled and almost gloating countenance for the majority of the film. But this is slowly shattered as suspicions begin to arise and fear begins to set in. 

Leonardo DiCaprio, who plays Billy Costigan, delivers a very aggressive performance. Incapable of remaining calm for ten minutes together, it was especially moving to see his hardened and aggressive veneer melt away as things begin to get serious and his life hangs in the balance. To watch the fear, panic and desperation set was really beautiful. 

Also starring Alec Baldwin, Mark Wahlberg, Martin Sheen, Ray Winstone, and Vera Farmiga, The Departed was a violently powerful crime flick filled with brilliant twists of the plot, wonderful performances, sinister threats, and shocking ends. A truly epic and classic crime flick. 

Some Like It Hot [PG]

When Joe and Jerry, two struggling musicians, accidentally witness a gangland shooting in Chicago, they quickly board a southbound train to Florida disguised as Josephine and Daphne: the newest and homeliest members of an all-girl jazz band. They’re cover is perfect until Joe falls for Sugar the singer in the band and an ancient playboy falls for Daphne. With the mob after them and now two potential lovers, can the boys keep their heads as well as the charade? 

Some Like It Hot is a classic comedy. I mean a real classic comedy. Even though it’s in black and white (and personally I think everything is better in black and white), the film has no expiration date. Filled with gender-bending, duel role-playing, jazz, and liquor, it’s a film that I can watch and enjoy time and time and time again. 

Joe and Jerry are two struggling musicians and best pals trying make ends meet in the city of Chicago. They can’t seem to hold down a gig and they have debts that need paying all over the town. After another gig goes bad, the boys accidentally witness a gangland shooting and, worried that they’re going to be next, they quickly board a southbound train to Florida disguised as Josephine and Daphne: the two newest members of an all-girl jazz band. They’re cover is all too perfect until Joe falls for Sugar the lead singer of the jazz band and an ancient playboy falls head over heels for Daphne when they arrive in Florida. With Joe pretending to be both Josephine and the man that Sugar deserves and Daphne trying to avoid her ancient stalker at all costs, the charade becomes harder and harder to keep up. And when some unexpected, but horribly familiar faces turn up in Florida, it looks like the boys have banged out their last tune. 

Some Like It Hot had everything right. It was a wonderful story, had a brilliantly funny script, there was jazz music, and heaps of eye candy provided by the beautiful Marilyn Munroe who plays Sugar. She’s truly gorgeous isn’t she? Delivering a beautiful, romantic, and sometimes comic performance, she lights up the screen each and every time. Not to mention that she sings some wonderful songs in the film. 

The handsome and talented Tony Curtis stars as Joe: the man with the plan. Turning in not one, not two, but three performances, Tony Curtis really makes his presence known in this film. Playing Joe, then playing Joe who is playing Josephine, and then playing a fake millionaire in order to woo Sugar, there is nothing in this film that Tony Curtis does not do. A delight from start to finish. 

Jack Lemmon plays Jerry/Daphne. He was simply genius. Providing the majority of the film’s comic relief, Jack had all the best lines and really made the film his own. Whether he was in bed with 20 other girls or dancing the tango with an overeager dirty old man, Jack made everything he did in the film funny, but at the same time believable. 

Filled with jazz music, cross-dressing, 20s style outfits (which so should be brought back today, show off those curves girls!), action, and romance, Some Like It Hot is a classic off-centre comedy that will have you tears time and time and time again. 

Look at that! Look how she moves. That's just like Jell-O on springs.