Dustin Hoffman is a dark-horse legendary actor. I think most people, not necessarily film fans, would struggle to name a Dustin Hoffman film but would definitely recognise him as a legend. You ask someone to name a Robert De Niro movie … Continue reading Tootsie (1982) Review
Films and their legacy are sometimes built on reputation alone. That reputation can be a performance, a soundtrack, dodgy or amazing special effects or a key scene. A scene that is so notable or notorious that it begins to overshadow the rest of the film, either destroying a passable, decent movie or actually making a film seem better than it actually is. Heat has that reputation for good reason. Robert De Niro and Al Pacino are the epitome of acting heavyweights. They are true screen legends and between them have some of the greatest performances. De Niro is amazing in Goodfellas, Casino and … Continue reading Heat (1995) Review
Martin Scorsese is only good at making one kind of movie… Gangster movies. I know this is a bold, generalised statement but recently I have been hugely disappointed with Scorsese “classics.” I didn’t enjoy Raging Bull as much as I thought I would and thought Mean Streets was even worst. Taxi Driver is considered one of his most iconic and best films but I failed to find anything amazing about that film either. I do rate a lot of Scorsese films though. Goodfellas is an incredible movie and The Departed is one of my favourite films. It seems like Scorsese produces his best films … Continue reading Casino (1995) Review
Films set in a dystopian future will hold your interest for maybe the first half an hour but will always, eventually, need a decent story or at least a narrative that makes sense, to maintain my focus and attention. Part of the “fun” with a film set in a dark, grim future is the unfolding of the world. What are the “rules” or “laws?” What makes this future scary, stupid or ridiculous? What part does our “hero” play in this dark, new and maybe inevitable world? These intriguing questions will only last for a while before you need your hero to … Continue reading Brazil (1985) Review
I think I am just going to have to admit I don’t get the appeal of some films. Not just the appeal but why films are lauded as “masterpieces” or “classics.” It’s not even like I have a “type” of film that I like watching and can put it down to that. I will watch anything and have favourites in almost every genre of film. It’s just that films where I am preparing myself for a classic or a new favourite, almost always leave me disappointed. Mean Streets is now added to the other disappointments this year, alongside Raging Bull and The Big … Continue reading Mean Streets (1973) Review
Bradley Cooper is becoming an actor to keep your eye on. He has already proved that he can hold his own amongst an ensemble of very cool actors like Liam Neeson and Sharlto Copley in The A-Team and to a lesser extent, Zach Galifianakis and Ed Helms in the Hangover. I hadn’t really seen him hold his own and carry a film himself, until I watched Limitless. Bradley Cooper does a great job of carrying this film. He has shown he isn’t a lightweight, good-looking, comedy actor but someone who can play a part that requires a performance which is slightly more dramatic. … Continue reading Limitless (2011) Review
Tom Hanks is the quintessential “intelligent actor.” What I mean by that is I don’t know the last time I saw Tom Hanks in a bad film. Tom Hanks probably wouldn’t be on the top of anyone’s “best ever actors list.” He would certainly be near the top, maybe making top five and I’d argue always top ten but hardly ever number one but if you look at some of the people put in higher regard, some of their film choices are a bit dodgy. The classic duo is Robert De Niro and Al Pacino. There is no doubt that these two are … Continue reading Charlie Wilson’s War (2007) Review
If you are going to make a film about someone, particularly a sports film, don’t they have to have achieved something or have something unique/interesting about their life? Most sports films I have watched, particularly boxing films, have some sort of key element to the story that affects the main characters attempts at doing their sport. In Rocky it was that he was the ultimate underdog, in The Fighter it was the relationship with his brother and in Cinderella Man it was his age. I could understand the desire to create films of these people’s lives, even if the boxing was almost a distraction from … Continue reading Raging Bull (1980) Review
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