White Heat (1949)

A cop goes undercover to bring down the mob.

Starring James Cagney and Virginia Mayo.

Written by Ivan Goff, Ben Roberts and suggested by a story by Virginia Kellogg.

Directed by Raoul Walsh.

This is the third mob movie I've watched in a row and probably my least favourite.

I know it's supposed to be a classic but I don't get it. If I'd have watched it when it first came out I may have appreciated a bit more but for me it was just an okay, fun romp of a movie.

It's got practically the same plot as Donnie Brasco but of course came out many years earlier. I'd go as far as to say it's like Donnie Brasco with action scenes added. The action scenes are pretty good and the film kept my interest all the way even though it's quite a long one. But it is very dated and doesn't really stand the test of time that well. Not for me anyway. The acting is dated and so is the whole production.

I wasn't too impressed with James Cagney's performance. I found him quite wooden and hammy. The scene where he loses it in the prison dining hall just made me giggle it was so bad. I'm sure I'm on my own here because reading some of the reviews on IMDB it's heralded as the the finest mob movie ever made. But that's just the way I feel. It was an okay movie but nothing special. I'd be interested in watching some of Cagney's over stuff though.

And why was it called White Heat? Can anybody tell me?

7/10

Donnie Brasco ( 1997 )

            An FBI undercover agent infiltrates the mob.

Starring Johnny Depp and Al Pacino.

Written by Joseph D Pistone (Book), Richard Woodley (Book) and Paul Attanasio (Screenplay).

Directed by Mike Newell.

This is the second mob movie I've seen in a row and it's basically Goodfellas with a plot.

It perhaps lacks the overall polish and cinematography of Goodfellas but it makes up for it by having more plot and emotion. I didn't get to know each of the characters as much but that's probably because this is a shorter movie and based more on the relationship between the two leads as opposed to the the mob in general.

Al Pacino and Johnny Depp give good lead performances and their dynamic works well. It's my third Al Pacino film and probably my favourite. Likewise I've seen a few Johnny Depp films and this is the best performance I've seen. It's another side to him and it proves what a versatile actor he is as well as having the looks. And that's something you don't always see.

I still don't think Mob movies are really my thing but I'm enjoying catching a few and I have another one lined up. If anything I've learned a few things I didn't know before if the mob ever comes up in a pub quiz!

Just like Goodfellas this gets an 8 out of 10 but for different reasons. On a side note I was surprised to see who the director of this was considering the previous things he has directed. That's a weird one but he has done a good job.

Goodfellas ( 1990 )

"As far back as I can remember, I've always wanted to be a gangster." -- Henry Hill, Brooklyn, N.Y. 1955.

Starring Ray Liotta, Joe Pesci and Robert De Niro.

Written by Nicholas Pileggi ( Novel) and Martin Scorsese.

Directed by Martin Scorsese.

First of all I'll say that this isn't normally the kind of movie I watch. In fact I think ( apart from Bugsy Malone which probably really doesn't count) this is the first Mobster movie I can remember watching, It's a proper guys movie. I'm a guy but I'm not that blokey. This is probably to movies what Top Gear is to TV.

It's quite long but it did keep my interest all the way. The acting performances are decent without there really being any stand out performances. Ray Liotta and Joe Pesci ( is he really not related in any way to Joe Paquale?) were probably the pick of the bunch amongst this star studded cast of big nosed very Italian looking actors.Robert De Niro didn't really play a big part and for most of the movie it felt like he was just going through the motions and doing a pretty decent impression of himself, if that makes sense.

The cinematography was good and there there lots of laughs, shocks, blood and twists along the way which I'd expect from a Scorsese film. The big problem from my point of view is that there isn't much of a plot. It's very artsy but there isn't much of a plot to keep me that interested. And I prefer a plot to grab hold of. That's probably because its a true story and they didn't want to make up too much stuff in case they offended the wrong people. I mean would you want to piss off the mob?

Overall this is a decent movie if you like this kind of thing. It's not really my kind of thing but it's still worthy of an 8 out of 10.

The Evil Dead ( 1981 )

A group of friends spend the night in a cabin in the mountains 

                                     and it doesn't go well.

Starring Bruce Campbell, Ellen Sandweiss, Richard DeManincor, Betsy Baker and Theresa Tilly.

Written and directed by Sam Raimi.

I think my age has a lot to answer for.

I'm guessing that if I'd watched this as a teenager I would have loved it or at least enjoyed it more than I did now as an old bloke. It definitely had lots of creepy moments and funny moments.

But from an old gits perspective I was actually a little bored watching this. I suppose when it was first released this movie would have been cutting edge and the ultimate horror flick. But I got that bored feeling in my stomach that I get when I'm reading a really boring book that I can't wait to finish so I can start the next one. It was all so repetitive. One demon possessed person attacks and then another and then another and then another. there was nothing new here and it's all been done before.

The acting was okay but a bit hammy and the special effects ( although probably brilliant in 1981) showed their age.

I'm giving it a 6/10 but my teenage self would have given it much more.

Vanilla Sky ( 2001 )

A wealthy playboy businessman is disfigured in a car accident. But all is not what it seems. 

Starring Tom Cruise, Penelope Cruz and Cameron Diaz,

Written by Alejandro Amenabar, Mateo Gil and Cameron Crowe (Screenplay).

Directed by Cameron Crowe.

Weirdly this is one of those films I've always heard of but I always thought it was some kind of action movie involving fighter pilots. In reality it is totally not what I expected it to be.

It's a very bizarre movie that starts off quite normally but then turns into a sci-fi flick. It's full of strange twists and turns and flips itself on it's head quite a lot. For me it's too bizarre and confusing for my liking. I never really got a grasp of what what going on and then the ending was pretty disappointing. It felt like a movie that was trying to be too clever for it's own good and in the end it kind of failed. Don't get me wrong I usually love twisty sci-fi movies but this wasn't my cup of tea.

Tom Cruise was Tom Cruise. For me he's a good looking guy but I'm not convinced about his acting and so his performance was average. In fact there weren't really any fantastic stand out performances in this one. Penelope Cruz was hot. But Cameron Diaz was probably the pick of the bunch if I had to choose one.

Overall a pretty disappointing movie that didn't rock my world.

6/10

Beaches ( 1988 )

A chance meeting on a beach leads to a lifelong friendship.

Starring Bette Midler and Barbara Hershey.

Written by Iris Rainer ( Novel ) and Mary Agnes Donoghue ( Screenplay ).

Directed by Garry Marshall.

This is one of those movies that is both funny and sad. A great combination when it's done well and this is.

It's a great story that sucks you in from the very beginning and the acting performances by two leads are top class. It pulls at your heartstrings and gives you plenty of giggles along the way. The two children meeting on the beach at the beginning sets up the story well and is a perfect back story that sticks in your memory throughout.

I can't fault this film but if anything I think it could have been a little longer so that the final storyline could have developed at a slower pace but that is just nit-picking.

It's a great movie and I dare you not to shed a tear.

10/10

Tootsie (1982)

A struggling Actor dresses up as a woman in a desperate attempt to get a part.

Starring Dustin Hoffman, Bill Murray and Jessica Lange.

Written by Larry Gelbart, Murray Schisgal and Don Mcguire.

Directed by Sydney Pollack.

This is a really funny movie!

There's not a lot to not like at all. The acting is excellent and it's quirky and genuinely funny in all the right places. It's easy to understand why it has earned a reputation as one of the all time classic comedies. Dustin Hoffman plays the main role perfectly and Bill Murray is a suitably witty co star. I never knew he was in this movie and didn't realise he was acting in movies as early as 1982.

On a slightly negative note it does take a bit to get going and the cinematography isn't brilliant. Most of the film is obviously filmed in a studio and it did seem a bit low budget at times.

 But overall this is a belter of a movie!

9/10

Revolution (1985)

             A New York trapper and his son get caught up

                                                  in the American battle of independence.

Starring Al Pacino and Nastassja Kinski.

Written by Robert Dillon.

Directed by Hugh Hudson.

This movie could have been great but instead it was a let down.

On a positive note the cinematography, period costumes and attention to detail was wonderful. And I found it quite educational and interesting from a historical point of view. Although I'm sure many experts would be able to find a few historical errors.

What let this movie down was the quality of acting and the plot which didn't really go anywhere. Al Pacino and the two actors who played his son had bizarre accents which didn't help. I think he was supposed to be Scottish but it came out as rather a weird combination of Irish and some other made up mumble language. In fact I couldn't hear half of what he was saying which kind of ruined the big movie moments! And there were more bizarre accents amongst the many actors in this ensemble. Maybe Al Pacino was a victim of bad casting or bad directing or perhaps his heart wasn't in the movie.

I didn't mind Nastassja Kinski's performance. It was probably the best of a dodgy bunch. And she was pretty good to look at too. But on the whole Revolution was a bit of a borefest. There is a big scene towards the end where the main character and another guy are chased by a pack of dogs. That's exactly how I'd describe the plot of this. Like a pack of dogs chasing something but never quite catching it.

6/10

Sunflower (1970)

An Italian woman is convinced her husband survived World War 2

Starring Sophia Loren and Marcello Mastroianni.

Written by Tonino Guerra, Cesare Zavattini  and Giorgi Mdivani.



Directed by Vittorio De Sica.

This is my first foreign subtitled film of the year and it's pretty average.

There are no stand out performances and the story just about kept my interest but didn't have me on the edge of my seat. Sophia Loren is one of those actresses that was spoken about a lot in the seventies and eighties but as far as  know this is the first time I have seen her in anything.

We don't really get the chance to know any of the two main characters and the whole thing is very slow and never really gets going. On a more positive note the soundtrack by Henry Mancini ( another famous name from the seventies and eighties) is superb and the cinematography, considering this was made in 1970 was really good. I loved the location filming.

Overall a bit too slow for me.

7/10 mainly for the soundtrack.