Movie Review: "The Irishman" (2019)

Image Source

Movie: "The Irishman"

Director: Martin Scorsese
Year: 2019
Rating: R
Running Time: 3 hours, 29 minutes

Irishman Frank Sheeran tells the story of how he went from being a meat truck driver to becoming a hitman for the Italian mafia. His newfound position also led him to become the best friend and closest confidant of Teamsters Union president Jimmy Hoffa.

Movie Review: "The King of Comedy" (1982)

Image Source

Movie: "The King of Comedy"

Director: Martin Scorsese
Year: 1982
Rating: PG
Running Time: 1 hour, 49 minutes

An aspiring standup comedian goes to the extreme to get a slot on the talk show of one of his comedy idols.

"A guy can get anything he wants so long as he pays the price." (Image Source)

It just goes to show that toxic and delusional fans who think celebrities owe them something simply for the virtue of being devotees aren't limited to our modern social media age. "The King of Comedy" is directed by legendary director Martin Scorsese, who has helmed films like "Goodfellas," "Gangs of New York," and "Taxi Driver." The screenplay is written by Paul Zimmerman, who has worked on movies like "Lovers and Liars" and "Consuming Passions," as well as the made-for-TV short "Be My Valentine, Charlie Brown." This story is about an aspiring comedian named Rupert Pupkin (Robert De Niro). Rupert is an autograph hound and suffers from delusions of grandeur despite the fact he lives in his mom's basement. One evening while outside the television recording studio of his favorite talk show, his idol and show host Jerry Langford (Jerry Lewis) is accosted by a crazed groupie. Rupert takes the opportunity to help with the overzealous admirer and is able to slide into a limousine with Jerry where he promptly tells him he is an aspiring comic who would like a spot on Jerry's program. Jerry humors Rupert for a while, but as Pupkin gets more and more invasive, Langford finally tells him off. Pupkin, however, is not deterred and is determined to get on Langford's show at any cost and is willing to go to every extreme to make his dream a reality.

"Jerry and I have a real relationship going on, no fantasy world." (Image Source)

We weren't all that familiar with "The King of Comedy," especially since it is often overshadowed by many other more popular films in Scorsese's repertoire. Now that we've seen it, we believe this is both one of his best films and is one of his most underappreciated gems. This may be blasphemy for some movie lovers, but we wound up liking "The King of Comedy" more than some of Scorsese's other De Niro-led films like "Taxi Driver" and "Raging Bull." SORRY, NOT SORRY. This is a completely enthralling dark comedy that left us rightfully uncomfortable and squirming in our chairs at the deluded nature of Rupert Pupkin. Where we feel some of Scorsese's past movies are a bit dated, this one is almost prophetic as the issues it addresses remain as pertinent now as they were in 1982. This may even be truer in today's day and age considering how the communication barriers have decreased between fans and celebrities. With the explosion of social media, your favorite stars are just a click away, which is both a very positive and a very negative thing. Plus, now that everyone hopes to make it big and take a shortcut to fame via platforms like YouTube or Instagram instead of getting gigs on television as many needed to do in the past, people are willing to do anything and everything, guilty or innocent, to achieve notoriety, buzz, fame, and sometimes infamy, just like Rupert did.

Robert De Niro is absolutely fantastic in this film as the self-deluded but tragically sympathetic and somewhat pathetic Rupert Pupkin. He is the epitome of "fake it until you make it." He lies and talks a big game about all of his celebrity friends and how they've made promises to him that they never actually made because they don't actually know him. Sounds like a horror movie waiting to happen. His attitude leads to many moments of cringe-comedy and lots of secondhand embarrassment, which impacts the audience a lot more than it seems to affect Pupkin. Another tremendous performance is given by Sandra Bernhard as Masha, a fellow Jerry Langford-enthusiast who is a little more manic and extreme than Pupkin. Bernhard gets the single most awkward and intense scene when Jerry is taped to a chair at the mercy of her demented fanaticism. The acting really helps elevate this movie to near-masterpiece status.

"Why didn't you just listen to the tape when I asked you to?" (Image Source)

We loved "The King of Comedy." Not only is it funny, but it is devastatingly thought-provoking as well, especially in this day and age. Let's be honest, we all know somebody like Rupert Pupkin, even if they don't go to his extremes. This movie showcases director Martin Scorsese at his best and is something every fan of his should seek out immediately. It is relevant, important, excellently acted, and darkly satirical.

My Rating: 9.5/10
BigJ's Rating: 9/10
IMDB's Rating: 7.8/10
RT Rating: 90%
Do we recommend this movie: ABSOLUTELY YES!!!

Please be sure to check out Lolo Loves Films all over the internet!

Facebook | Instagram | Letterboxd | Pinterest | Snapchat | Twitter

Movie Review: "Taxi Driver" (1976)

Image Source

Movie: "Taxi Driver"

Year Nominated: 1977
Director: Martin Scorsese
Rating: R
Oscar Nominations: 4
Oscar Wins: 0
Running Time: 1 hour, 54 minutes

A taxi driver's downward mental spiral leads him to become a vigilante.

It's a little hard to say what the message of a movie like "Taxi Driver" really is. Is it condemning society's idolization of vigilantism? Is it praising vigilantism? Or, is it merely an exploration of one man's descent into madness with a little bit of an ironic ending? "Taxi Driver" is directed by the legendary Martin Scorcese. He would go on to direct Academy Award-nominated and winning films like "Raging Bull," "Goodfellas," "Gangs of New York," and "The Departed." It is written by Paul Schrader, who has written films like the aforementioned "Raging Bull," as well as "American Gigolo" and "The Last Temptation of Christ." The film stars Robert De Niro as taxi driver Travis Bickle, a minimally educated former Marine who seems to be at the very least socially awkward and at the most plagued with a development mental disorder. Bickle sees the crime and muck in the world around him and is disgusted by it and wishes he could do something about it. He falls for a political campaign manager named Betsy (Cybil Shepherd), who is a mismatch for him in every way. When Travis is eventually and inevitably rejected by Betsy, it pushes him off the deep end as his fantasies of becoming a vigilante start to take over.

We have to wonder if anyone idolizes a character like Travis Bickle. Is there anyone who dreams of being a mentally disturbed man who violently takes the law into his own hands and only does so after he fails at his initial task? Does anyone want to be an accidental antihero? It's a scary thought, but hey, people idolize Batman, so is it much of a stretch? Many regard this as one of Scorsese's best films. We have seen it multiple times now, and though we think it is a solid movie, truth be told, it is not fantastic. Robert De Niro does put on an iconic performance as a man spiraling out of control who eventually snaps after a woman rejects him. He earned an Oscar nomination for his role as Bickle, though he didn't take home a trophy that year. Also tremendous in her much smaller performance is Jodie Foster as 12-year-old prostitute Iris, the eventual goal of Bickle's delusional hero trip. Foster was also nominated for a supporting actress Oscar.

Martin Scorsese has always had a great eye, and there are a lot of wonderful visuals in this film. You can practically smell the dank, dirty New York sewers coming through the television screen simply because of his brilliant directorial efforts. The story, however, is a bit meandering. A slow paced story is a staple of Scorsese's films, and since "Taxi Driver" is more of a character sketch, it doesn't have a standard narrative that regularly drives the story forward. It takes its time exploring different aspects of its protagonist's personality. The ending of this movie and its meaning are up for debate. Some see it as a final dream sequence, an emotional catharsis for a crazy man's mad rampage. Pretty much everyone involved with the film claims that is not the case. Now, the big question to us is: is the ending of the film meant to applaud Bickle's actions, or condemn society's views towards vigilante justice? What you think the ending is trying to say and how you feel about the subject at hand can greatly impact your feelings towards this movie. We can debate the meaning without much conclusion, so at least it makes the audience think about it and discuss it. That being said, the trip getting to that ending isn't as engaging as we had hoped. Despite multiple viewings of the film, we still feel the same way. We do applaud many aspects of "Taxi Driver," but we don't think it's as profound as some would have you believe.

My Rating: 7.5/10
BigJ's Rating: 7.5/10
IMDB's Rating: 8.3/10
Rotten Tomatoes Rating: 98%
Do we recommend this movie: Yes!

Please be sure to check out Lolo Loves Films all over the internet!

Facebook | Instagram | Pinterest | Snapchat | Twitter

Movie Review: "The Departed" (2006)

Image Source

Movie: "The Departed"

Year Nominated: 2007
Director: Martin Scorsese
Rating: R
Oscar Nominations: 5
Oscar Wins: 4
Running Time: 2 hours, 31 minutes

A police recruit from a rough Boston family is asked to go deep undercover to infiltrate the Irish mob. Meanwhile, another new officer uses his higher education to quickly rise in the ranks, becoming a mole for the Irish mob.

When we hear a foreign film is getting remade in America, it's always a risky proposition. It is infrequent that American remakes come even remotely close in quality to their foreign counterparts, and it is even rarer that they surpass the originals. Leave it to the iconic Martin Scorsese to do just that with his Oscar-winning film "The Departed." Scorsese takes Hong Kong crime thriller "Infernal Affairs," which is a fantastic film in its own right, and brings that story and concept to Boston where he puts his own spin on it. The film stars a stellar cast led by Leonardo DiCaprio as undercover cop Billy Costigan, who attempting to infiltrate the Boston Irish mob, which is headed by Frank Costello, played by legendary actor Jack Nicholson. Costello is inspired by real-life Boston mobster Whitey Bulger. Also in the film is Matt Damon as Colin Sullivan, who grew up in South Boston and has been groomed since childhood to become a mole inside the police department working for Costello. Many people on the force are aware of the leaks, which is why they have taken it upon themselves to keep Costigan mostly off the record since the only people know he is working for them are his handlers Captain Queenan and staff sergeant Dignam, played by Martin Sheen and Mark Wahlberg.

"The Departed" is a fantastically engaging and deeply engrossing thriller. It is brilliantly directed by Martin Scorsese, who is an absolute master of his craft. Scorsese took home the very deserved, long overdue best director Oscar for his efforts here. The film itself won four total Academy Awards including Best Picture. The acting is phenomenal across the board. Mark Wahlberg finally found a role that worked perfectly for his standard Boston tough guy shtick and was awarded a nomination for Best Supporting Actor. Even though he was the only actor nominated, Leonardo DiCaprio and Jack Nicholson are also stellar and very deserving of recognition. Nicholson managed to be simultaneously furiously intimidating, charming, even funny at times. Few actors have the on-screen gravitas Nicholson possesses, and it is both fun and scary to watch him in his element. As with almost all of Scorsese's movies, "The Departed" is quite long, but it doesn't matter to us because we remained engrossed and on the edge of our seats by every single second of it. This film showcases brilliant storytelling, directing, and acting at its finest.

**CLICK HERE to buy "The Departed" on Blu-ray and support lololovesfilms.com!**
**CLICK HERE to buy "The Departed" on DVD and support lololovesfilms.com!**

My Rating: 10/10
BigJ's Rating: 10/10
IMDB's Rating: 8.5/10
Rotten Tomatoes Rating: 91%
Do we recommend this movie: ABSOLUTELY YES!!!

Please be sure to check out Lolo Loves Films all over the internet!

Facebook | Instagram | Pinterest | Snapchat | Twitter

Movie Review: "Gangs of New York" (2002)

Image Source

Movie: "Gangs of New York"

Year Nominated: 2003
Director: Martin Scorsese
Rating: R
Oscar Nominations: 10
Oscar Wins: 0
Running Time: 2 hours, 47 minutes

The son of a Five Points gang leader seeks vengeance against the man who killed his father, the leader of a rival gang named Bill 'The Butcher,' who controls the neighborhood.

Every actor has a transformative role that can change how the audience perceives and what they are capable of performing. In BigJ's opinion, Amsterdam Vallon in "Gangs of New York" is that role for Leonardo DiCaprio. Of course, starring in a film directed by Martin Scorsese might do that for an actor. DiCaprio plays Vallon, who is the son of the leader of an old New York City gang called The Dead Rabbits and is made up mostly of Irish Catholic immigrants and their descendants. His father 'Priest' Vallon, played by Liam Neeson, was killed in battle by Bill 'The Butcher' Cutting, played by Daniel Day-Lewis. Bill 'The Butcher" is the leader of a rival gang known as The Federation of American Natives, an anti-Catholic, anti-immigration, anti-Irish street gang who are descended from those who lived in the United States since a time before the Revolutionary War. Years after his father's death and fresh out of reform school, Amsterdam starts in motion his plan to get revenge on Bill 'The Butcher.' Of course, this means he will need to get very close to his target, which will require him to infiltrate his gang and earn his respect.

In case you were wondering, no, "Gangs of New York" is not based on a true story. That being said, many of the characters are inspired by actual people, and many of the gangs are named after genuine gangs found in New York City in the mid-1800's. The main story itself is a simple tale of revenge, but bubbling in the background of this exaggerated version of the Five Points in lower Manhattan is an interesting look into the politics of New York in the Civil War era. We find this aspect in the movie very gripping.

While the story is interesting on its own, the acting elevates the entire project into something brilliant. Daniel Day-Lewis's performance as the film's antagonist is absolutely marvelous, but then again, when is a Day-Lewis performance not fantastic? With a greasy hair-do, a huge mustache, a deep-seeded hatred in his belly, and a glass eye emblazoned with an American eagle where his pupil should be, Day-Lewis is a masterful, menacing, despicable villain. We have said it before and we will say it again, Mr. Day-Lewis sure plays a good asshole. His role as Bill 'The Butcher' earned him an Oscar nomination for best actor, though he did not take home the golden statue that year and lost to Adrien Brody for his equally riveting performance in "The Pianist."

Another fantastic thing about "Gangs of New York" is its overall look. The art direction and costuming are visually compelling and very beautiful, even though the story takes place in a mostly dingy part of the city. We love how the look of the overly tall top hats, the colorful waistcoats, the fluffy dresses, and the oily hair come together to create a brilliant, cohesive aesthetic.

Unfortunately, this film is not without its flaws. The biggest problems for us come from its length, its pacing, and the casting of Cameron Diaz. The movie is way too long, it is way too slowly paced, and Diaz doesn't quite fit her role and has a distractingly bad accent that immediately took us out of the film.

"Gangs of New York" is an amazing spectacle of American cinema, one absolutely worth seeing at least once in your lifetime, though you may need a 1860's American slang dictionary to fully understand what people are saying.

**CLICK HERE to buy "Gangs of New York" on Blu-ray and support lololovesfilms.com!**
**CLICK HERE to buy "Gangs of New York" on DVD!**

My Rating: 9/10
BigJ's Rating: 9.5/10
IMDB's Rating: 7.5/10
Rotten Tomatoes Rating: 75%
Do we recommend this movie: ABSOLUTELY YES!!!

Please be sure to check out Lolo Loves Films all over the internet!

Facebook | Instagram | Pinterest | Snapchat | Twitter

Movie Review: "Raging Bull" (1980)

Image Source

Movie: "Raging Bull"
Year Nominated: 1981
Director: Martin Scorsese
Rating: R
Running Time: 2 hours, 9 minutes
Did It Win?: No.

A look into the life and career of World Champion boxer Jake LaMotta (Robert De Niro).

"Raging Bull" is directed by Martin Scorsese, the director of films like "Goodfellas," "Hugo," and "Casino." It is based on the biography of Jake LaMotta titled "Raging Bull: My Story" by LaMotta himself, along with Joseph Carter and Peter Savage. It stars Robert De Niro as the former world boxing champion. De Niro does a fantastic job as this rather unlikable protagonist. He manages to re-create what is a very complex character and makes him charming despite his many demons. He even took home an Oscar for best actor for his work in this film, which we totally agree is well deserved.

It is hard to get behind a character like LaMotta, someone who leaves his first wife for a 14-year-old girl named Vickie, played by Cathy Moriarty, and was known to slap them both around. Though he marries Vickie when she is 16 and everything seems to be all sunshine and roses (apart from the age difference), their marriage quickly dissolves into a controlling and abusive relationship, not only verbally, but physically as well. LaMotta's attitude also alienates him from his brother and former corner-man Joey, played by Joe Pesci, though having an anti-hero with so much drama in his life does make for a compelling story. Pesci is also excellent in the film, and he and De Niro have a wonderful working relationship with one another even when tensions are high between their characters.

Director Martin Scorsese does a really great job as per usual with his remarkable visuals, especially during the boxing segments. There is a beauty to the brutality in these scenes and the camera angles and lighting are all executed amazingly. The black and white color palette makes it feel that much more artistic and even that much more grim and depressing. The work between Scorsese and cinematographer Michael Champman is absolutely brilliant. Unfortunately, despite the film's beauty and remarkable performances, for some reason, it's a little hard for us to get fully invested in a character like LaMotta. There are times in "Raging Bull" when many of the technical aspects are exceptional, but everything else is overshadowed by its distressful premise regarding LaMotta. While this is clearly the point of the movie as he is a deeply layered character, it makes it feel that much slower overall, and it's not even that long. Still, this is a movie that must be seen for historical cinephile purposes.

**CLICK HERE to buy this movie on DVD!**
**CLICK HERE to buy this movie on Blu-ray!**
**CLICK HERE to buy this movie on Blu-ray/DVD combo!**

**CLICK HERE to buy and/or rent this movie on Amazon!**
**CLICK HERE to buy an Amazon Echo Dot!**
***CLICK HERE to buy an Amazon Fire Stick!**

My Rating: 7.5/10
BigJ's Rating: 7.5/10
IMDB's Rating: 7.9/10
Rotten Tomatoes Rating: 98%
Do we recommend this movie: Yes!

**To review this movie for yourself on one of the best websites on the internet, visit filmfed.com!*

~~~~~~~~~~
Last Oscar season, we were watching: "An American in Paris"

Two Oscar seasons ago, we were watching: "The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Rings"

Three Oscar seasons ago, we were watching: "Her"

Movie Review: "Silence" (2016)

Image Source

Movie: "Silence"

Director: Martin Scorsese
Rating: R
Running Time: 2 hours, 41 minutes

Two Jesuit priests, Father Rodrigues (Andrew Garfield) and Father Garupe (Adam Driver), go to Japan, where Christianity is outlawed, to search for and continue the work of their mentor Father Ferreira (Liam Neeson), who is rumored to have abandoned his faith.

"Silence" is directed by Martin Scorsese, who also wrote the film along with Jay Cocks. This film is based on the novel by Shûsaku Endô. It stars Andrew Garfield and Adam Driver as Jesuit priests Father Rodrigues and Father Garupe, the last two priests to embark upon a dangerous mission to Japan to spread the word of Christ. These men are also tasked with locating their missing mentor, Father Ferreira, played by Liam Neeson, who is rumored to have apostatized, or renounced his faith publicly, a rumor neither of them are willing to believe.

The first thing we must say about "Silence" is that it is a stunningly beautiful film. The cinematography is absolutely gorgeous, some are even breathtaking. Of course, being a Scorsese film, one can only expect such alluring shots from a seasoned veteran like him. Beyond the visuals, Andrew Garfield puts on a brilliant, Oscar-worthy performance as the Jesuit priest with a crisis of faith. He is a man who sees the suffering of Japanese Christians and wants to end that suffering, but may have to renounce his own faith to do so. He battles internally the hows and whys God lets them suffer so greatly. As this movie takes place in 17th century Japan, Christianity was outlawed at that time, and those who believed were forced to apostatize or face a torturous execution in a varied manner of ways, including being drowned, being burned alive, or being hung upside-down and bled dry. Adam Driver is also very good in this film, offering a deeply emotional performance as well. Driver lost 50 lbs. for what is a much smaller supporting role, and though his accent may be a bit iffy, his performance is solid. Speaking of accents, we doubt there was a huge focus on them given that Liam Neeson doesn't even attempt to sound like anything but an Irishman despite his character being from Portugal. The supporting cast, featuring Tadanobu Asano, Issei Ogata, Yôsuke Kubozuka, Shin'ya Tsukamoto, and Ciarán Hinds, is excellent as well.

Despite a truly tremendous display of acting and amazing visuals, and even with what may seem to make a compelling story, "Silence" failed to truly grip us the way we hoped it would. It is an extremely slow paced film full of dense, hard-hitting subject matter, and not just for those who are religious and/or for those who have lost their faith. It doesn't do itself any favors by adding an almost three hours run time on top of its molasses-slow speed. Don't get us wrong, we have loved Scorsese's other, long/er films from throughout his body of work, and we don't have short attention spans whatsoever. In fact, if done well, the longer the film, the better (because we never want it to end). This movie, however, is full of elongated spans of nothingness, and though that may be intentional as per its namesake, it doesn't always make for compelling cinema. We remember being excited when seeing the trailer, which had such a raw intensity to it, but the actual film only occasionally enters into exciting territory. It is sometimes difficult to watch because of the torturous nature of what's going on on screen, and we're not even talking about the literal torture that takes place. While those moments do invoke an emotional response, these instances are few and far between.

Frankly, "Silence" is just a little too unceasing a little too often to quite live up Scorsese's past offerings. Don't get us wrong, this is a good and technically proficient movie. Marty is clearly impassioned by this subject matter, but overall, it is not a great film for us despite its tremendous cinematography, directing, and acting.

**CLICK HERE to pre-order this movie on Amazon!**
**CLICK HERE to pre-order this movie on DVD!**
**CLICK HERE to pre-order this movie on Blu-ray!**

**CLICK HERE to buy an Amazon Echo Dot!**

My Rating: 7/10
BigJ's Rating: 6.5/10
IMDB's Rating: ~7.7/10
Rotten Tomatoes Rating: 84%
Do we recommend this movie: Sure, why not?

**To review this movie for yourself on one of the best websites on the internet, visit filmfed.com!*

Movie Review: "Casino" (1995)

Image Source

Movie: "Casino"
Director: Martin Scorsese
Year: 1995
Rating: R
Running Time: 2 hours, 58 minutes

A sports handicapper with mafia ties named Sam 'Ace' Rothstein (Robert De Niro) is sent to Las Vegas to run the Tangiers Hotel and Casino. He manages to create one of the most profitable hotels in Vegas. Things start to go downhill when Nicky Santoro (Joe Pesci), a mob enforcer sent to Vegas to protect the interests of the bosses back home, starts doing his own thing and making waves for Rothstein, his casino, and the bosses themselves.

"Casino" is directed by the legendary Martin Scorsese and is based on the non-fiction novel "Casino: Love and Honor in Las Vegas" by Nicolas Pileggi, who many may know worked with Scorsese previously on "Goodfellas." It stars Robert De Niro as Sam 'Ace' Rothstein, the best sports handicapper in the business. He is so good at making money from gambling, the Chicago mob bosses ask him to run their Vegas casino called the Tangiers. He reluctantly accepts the position and takes to the job like a duck to water. He makes the Tangiers the most profitable in Vegas. Of course, the bosses need an actual Italian out there in the desert protecting their interests and making sure they get their cut. That's where mob enforcer Nicky Santoro, played by Joe Pesci, comes in, and that's also where things start getting screwed up for Ace.

This is a film all about the ins and outs of old school Las Vegas in a time when it was still run by the mafia before the corporations took over. Much of the story is told through voice-over narration from De Niro and Pesci as they each give the run-down of Vegas, their businesses, and their misdealings in sin city from their perspective. These are businesses that, if they were owned and operated anywhere else, would be illegal, but in Vegas, what they do is mostly on the up and up. Santoro, however, isn't satisfied with just protecting the interests of their bosses and starts doing his own thing, which begins to cause troubles for his friend Rothstein. To make matters worse, 'Ace' falls for a gold-digging former showgirl named Ginger, played by Sharon Stone, who does an amazing job in her role and even took home an Oscar nomination for her role in this crime drama.

"Casino" is a gripping film about all of the nastiness that went on behind the scenes in Vegas during the 70's. Though much has been changed, like names of people and businesses, it is loosely based on the true story of Frank Rosenthal, who ran the Stardust, Hacienda, and Fremont Casinos in Vegas. This film has a terrific cast, and each person acts their heart out to make the story feel realistic and intense. This film really does have brilliant acting from everyone involved in this picture. It showcases Joe Pesci and Robert De Niro at their absolute best. Of course, being a film directed by the incomparable Martin Scorsese, the visuals are stupendous, even if they are often very graphic in nature. It is a movie shot in a pristine, exquisite manner, one that will keep the audience completely engaged and utterly fascinated with the characters and the overall culture of Vegas in its heyday. This is a must see movie for film lovers and fans of Martin Scorsese.

**CLICK HERE to buy this movie on Blu-ray!**

**CLICK HERE to buy and/or rent this movie on Amazon!**

My Rating: 9.5/10
BigJ's Rating: 10/10
IMDB's Rating: 8.2/10
Rotten Tomatoes Rating: 80%
Do we recommend this movie: ABSOLUTELY YES!!!

*This post contains affiliate links.

**To review this movie for yourself on one of the best websites on the internet, visit filmfed.com!*

Movie Review: "Hugo" (2011)

Image Source

Oscar Movie: "Hugo"
Year Nominated: 2011
Director: Martin Scorsese
Rating: PG
Running Time: 2 hours, 6 minutes
Did It Win?: No.

A young orphan named Hugo (Asa Butterfield) lives in the clock towers of a Paris train station. He is trying to fix a clockwork automaton that his father found before dying in a tragic accident.  While trying to steal parts for his automaton from a toy shop he is caught by the shop's owner Papa Georges (Ben Kingsley). Papa Georges forces Hugo to empty his pockets revealing a notebook with diagrams for the automaton.  Georges seems to recognize the drawings and takes the notebook from Hugo. Hugo desperate to get it back asks Georges' god daughter Isabelle (Chlöe Grace Moretz) for help. She agrees but in their search they start to uncover secrets about Papa Georges past and his connection with the automaton.  

We saw "Hugo" in the theater in 3D when it was first released. At the time, we didn't go to nearly as many movies as we wanted to, but we wanted to catch this one since it was nominated for Best Picture. We will say that it was visually spectacular watching it in 3D, something we could usually care less about, and this is probably the best use of the 3D technology we have ever seen, and yes, this is coming from people who watched "Avatar" in its intended form. One might worry that while watching at home, the film could lose some of its impact compared to the big screen, but now, even a few years later, watching it at home in plain ol' 2D, "Hugo" is still a beautiful and visually stunning film. It is a wonderful story and is so well shot that it translates amazingly and doesn't require a grand scale or 3D gimmick to enjoy, especially if you are cinephiles like we are. Director Martin Scorsese does an amazing job bringing this story to life. Atypical of his usual gangster fare, he made the film at the behest of his young daughter, who loved the book. It's a pretty big step away from what he is used to, but he wanted to do something that his daughter and other kids could enjoy (although, when they grow up, they should definitely see "Goodfellas" once or twice). It is also an homage to the silent film era, particularly the work of Georges Méliès, played excellently in this film by Ben Kingsley. In fact, pretty much all of the actors involved in this film put on good performances. Asa Butterfield, who was a relative newcomer to acting at the time, plays the titular role of Hugo, a charming boy who has had a hard life and simply wants to reconnect with his father. From there, a mystery unravels and the answers will not only uncover some unintended results, but it will change the lives of those involved.

"Hugo" wonderfully mixes fantasy and magic with film history in this underrated Best Picture nominee. Majestically unfolding right before your eyes, this movie is a stupendous poem to the days of yore in film history. Just because it is a movie intended for kids doesn't mean it can't be enjoyed adults, and just because it is a movie about cinematic history doesn't mean people won't identify with it if they aren't hardcore film lovers. Its whimsical animation and general enchantment make this movie one you should definitely see at some point in your life.

My Rating: 9/10
BigJ's Rating: 10/10
IMDB's Rating: 7.6/10
Rotten Tomatoes Rating: 94%
Do we recommend this movie: ABSOLUTELY YES!!!

Movie Review: "Goodfellas" (1990)

Image Source

Movie: "Goodfellas"
Year Nominated: 1991
Director: Martin Scorsese
Rating: R
Running Time: 2 hours, 26 minutes
Did It Win?: No.

All of Henry Hill's (Ray Liota) life, he wanted to be a gangster. As a teenager, Henry got the opportunity to run small errands for gangster Paul Cicero (Paul Sorvino), and from that moment on, this was the life he led. Henry and his ill tempered friend Tommy DeVito (Joe Pesci) are eventually taken under the wing of James Conway (Robert De Niro). They hijack truck shipments, sell the goods on the black market, pay their tribute to Paul, and live a decadent lifestyle. Of course, they have to commit the occasional murder and extort people from time to time, but that all comes with the territory. After a minor bust and short time in prison, Henry and his group get involved in dealing cocaine, even after being warned by Paul Cicero to lay low and stay out of the drug business because it brought too much heat. Things start to go really bad for Henry as he starts to regularly use cocaine. Combined with marital issues, disobeying Cicero, and a possible federal investigation, he starts to question who he can trust and if he has any real friends left. He becomes paranoid that his life could end any second, and he may be right.  

Based on the true life of mobster Henry Hill, this movie was nominated for Best Picture, as well as a string of other Oscars, and deservedly so. "Goodfellas" is a brilliant and gritty look into the mafia lifestyle in New York from the 1950's up to 1980's. It is full of amazing performances, most notably from Ray Liotta, who plays Henry Hill, the ambitious young man who fantasized about the mob lifestyle that was his eventual downfall. Other standout performances include the likes of the fantastic Robert De Niro as Henry's primary role model James Conway, who teaches him the ins and outs of the business. De Niro is a powerhouse and adds his signature gangster feel and flare to this movie. Loraine Bracco, who was nominated for her performance as Henry's wife Karen, goes from being the girl next door to completely accepting and deeply involved in Henry's criminal lifestyle. From there, she becomes the vengeful scorned wife, and her performance definitely deserved recognition. And, of course, there is Joe Pesci, who won Best Supporting Actor for his flawless portrayal of the hot tempered Tommy DeVito. He has one of the most memorable scenes in the movie, asking Henry, "What do you mean I'm funny?" Together, these people put on an exceptional and dominant ensemble performance for the ages and one that has still held up to this day.

We have to say, we are big fans of Martin Scorsese and this is certainly up there among his extremely long list of great movies. Whenever you see his name attached to a film, especially an R-rated film, you usually can expect a long, detailed and enthralling story, some stunning visuals and camera work, and violence, lots and lots of graphic violence. That's exactly what you get from "Goodfellas," and we love every minute of it. He was at the top of his illustrious career with this movie. Scorsese has this crazy ability to get into the depths of the mob lifestyle so extremely well and he captures not only how it was to be a mobster, but the style of the time period, too. You really understand the appeal this life could have for some people as it offers a level of camaraderie and a feeling of family that is sometimes not found in actual families. It doesn't shy away from the negatives either, showing without a shadow of a doubt that this lifestyle more often than not leads to an early death or prison sentence, and that "the family" is only really tight when it's good for business.

This movie is a classic masterpiece in American cinema. It is a quintessential mob film, and if you were writing a list of the greatest mafia films ever made, this would most certainly be on the short list, probably up at the top right behind "The Godfather" films.

My Rating: 10/10
BigJ's Rating: 10/10
IMDB's Rating: 8.8/10
Rotten Tomatoes Rating: 96%
Do we recommend this movie: ABSOLUTELY YES!!!
~~~~~~~~~~
One year ago, we were watching: "Her"