With Public Enemies being released this week, I figured I'd check out a couple of classic mobster movies...
Goodfellas: Much to the shock of some, I had never seen Martin Scorcese's 1990 gangster film before. Watching the film two things surprised me; 1) I liked it more than I thought I would as it's a tight story that's beautifully filmed and fully establishes it's characters. 2) Despite my enjoyment, I don't get the revere some people have for these characters. These are bad men and portrayed as nothing else. I get the idea of the anti-hero, but the actions of these guys do not seem like something I would want to emulate. Ridiculous hero worship aside for these character, this is a tremendous film and worth a look if you've never seen it before. Rating: ****
The Untouchables: I was really digging this film for about three quarters of the way. There are some tremendous performances, particularly by Sean Connery. Kevin Coster is also very good as Eliott Ness; portraying him as the boy scout who learns to find his edge in order to bring down Al Capone. Speaking of Capone, I was slightly disappointed that they did not give Robert De Niro more to do with this character. De Niro's flat performance is not as big of a deal as the drawn out, aimless conclusion. The film really struggles to find a way to finish. After the shootout that mirrors the scene from Battleship Potemkin, the film wanders around and just sort of peters out. Still, this is mostly a strong film and also warrants a viewing. Rating: ****
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