Tag Archives: Robert De Niro

A&E, Isaac Mathewson

Favorite Film Friday: Goodfellas

Leave a comment
By Isaac Mathewson
Written and directed by: Martin Scorsese
Starring: Ray Liotta, Robert De Niro, Joe Pesci, Lorraine Bracco
Martin Scorsese has been known throughout the film world for his depictions of brutal and often bloody violence as well as social outcasts who want to make something of themselves even if they have to resort to crime. One of the most famous examples of these films comes from what has often been revered as one of the most influential mob movies alongside The Godfather.
Goodfellas, based on the book Wise Guys by Nicholas Pilleggi, tells the autobiographical story of Henry Hill (Liotta) and his rise and fall from grace within the mob. Robert De Niro plays his boss and best friend Jimmy “The Gent” Conway, Joe Pesci plays the aggressive Tommy DeVito, and Lorraine Bracco is Henry’s wife Karen. The first half of the film, leading up to the Billy Batts (played by Frank Vincent) murder, shows the good aspects of being in the mob and the second half after the murder shows the consequences of living a life committed to crime.
The film, like many of Scorsese’s movies, works like a documentary. It shows the life of Hill, from his eyes, from when he was a kid dreaming of a life of crime to when he is a coke addicted adult who struggles to live day by day to support his family. Scorsese does this in a way to help us understand and even sympathize with the main character.
One of the most famous aspects of this film is the filmmaking. Every shot and camera angle is absolutely stunning, especially in scenes where it shows Hill walking through a building such as a night club with Karen by his side. You get the sense that you have been transported to this time period and that you are there with the characters.
This film is also notable for its depictions of violence. From the opening scene that depicts the Billy Batts murder, you just know that this is a very different film than anything ever done before. The violence is not only very bloody but it is also very brutal. You can feel it every time someone is shot, stabbed, beaten, or strangled. This film really brought violence in gangster films to a whole new level and Scorsese would upgrade the violence in his movies further with Casino and The Departed.
The actors all fit their roles, but the one actor who stands out above all of them is Joe Pesci. His performance, which won him an Academy Award, is well known among gangster film fans all over the world. Although he is only 5’4 and stocky, he has a very violent temper and will kill anyone in cold blood if he feels insulted. Even though he is one of the protagonists, there’s no telling when he will get angry and suddenly turn violent. The most notable example is when he asks Hill, threateningly, how he finds him funny while they’re talking at a night club. It’s interesting how someone so violent and short tempered can be so close to his mother.
Many fans of this film have shown disappointment over the years since its release that it did not receive the Oscar attention it deserved the year that Kevin Costner’s Dances With Wolves was released. While that movie is no doubt beautiful and is too a landmark in cinema history, I would be lying if I didn’t say that this film really was truly 1990’s best picture. It is not only a landmark for mob movies, but for all films in general and to this day many filmmakers find inspiration in this film. It is one of the best mob movies of all time, as well as one of Scorsese’s greatest achievements.
A&E, Peter Hyle

‘Last Vegas’ does not live up to the cast

Leave a comment

By Peter Hyle

On Friday, the new comedy Last Vegas hit theatres with an impressive cast but a seemingly unimpressive plot. Starring Morgan Freeman, Robert De Niro, Michael Douglas, and Kevin Kline, all of which have won Oscars. I actually was not excited to see this movie. It seemed like an older version of The Hangover and I honestly expected one of the main characters to end up in the hospital. But I figured that since the cast was so talented, I had to give it a shot.

The story centers around four best friends coming to Las Vegas to have a bachelor party for Billy (Douglas), the last in the group (De Niro, Freeman, and Kline) to get married. Of course there’s drama and a love interest (Mary Steenburgen) added in, which helps distract from the occasional overused line or annoying scene.

I didn’t get 10 minutes into the movie without rolling my eyes. Parts of this movie are way too cliché for my taste, but thankfully they didn’t take up the entire film. It was sometimes painfully obvious that Last Vegas was made for a much older demographic.

The actors definitely saved this movie in more ways than one. They provide the film with a relaxed and good-natured feeling that made it watchable. The actors were comfortable on the big screen and made it funny, but not hilarious. The four main characters shared a comedic chemistry that made it somewhat more pleasant.

Despite the good acting, everything was predictable. Most of the jokes depended on the age of the cast rather than the creativity of the writing. It had a few minor twists that added to the overall depth of the plot, but everything still ended the way I expected it to.

Overall, this film lacked a lot of originality. It could have been much better, especially with such a talented cast. It is not necessarily a bad movie. It is entertaining and occasionally humorous, but it is yet another case where the actors are above their material. It was a warm and cliché film that can make you smile, but if you want any sort of depth or impact in the theatre then Last Vegas is not for you. 6/10.

Uncategorized

The Film That Got Away: Taxi Driver

1 Comment

By Christian DiMartino

Title: Taxi Driver

Genre: Thriller, Drama

Release Date: Feb. 8th, 1976

Rating: R

Leads: Robert De Niro, Jodie Foster, Harvey Keitel

Writer: Paul Schrader

Director: Martin Scorsese

Is it difficult to believe that Martin Scorsese, the master behind Goodfellas, Raging Bull, and Gangs of New York, did not win an Oscar until 2006 for The Departed (my personal favorite of his)? Believe it or not, it is true. The academy did not send Scorsese home with the gold for decades, becoming a victim of what I like to call “Oscar Crimes.” Though many Oscar crimes have existed in the past, none are quite as surprising as this. In fact, Scorsese’s Oscar Crime history dates all the way back to his breakthrough, the 1976 masterpiece Taxi Driver.

Sure, prior to Taxi Driver, Scorsese directed Mean Streets and Alice Doesn’t Live Here Anymore, both of which were very well received. In the end though, it was Taxi Driver that put him on the radar. Why? Well, it is his first masterpiece. In fact, it was the first of seven Scorsese’s films to be nominated for Best Picture. It also made an even bigger star out of its leading man, Robert De Niro (who had already won an Oscar for The Godfather Part II). Back in the day, Scorsese and De Niro were a dream team, and this is one of their finest accomplishments.

De Niro, who was nominated a second time for this movie, gives one of his finest performances as Travis Bickle, a lonely New York taxi driver who really does not like his city. Night after night, he drives all of these despicable people around, and he is sick of it. So when a crooked politician and a very young prostitute named Iris (Jodie Foster, who was also nominated), Travis decides to take matters into his own hands: he becomes a vigilante.

When watching this movie, the viewer is left to make a decision: Is Travis actually a good guy? In the synopsis above, the so called “crooked politician” is not really a bad guy, but Travis does not agree with him, so he plans to kill him. Scorsese, De Niro and writer Paul Schrader (who later collaborated with Scorsese on another masterpiece, The Last Temptation of Christ, and a few others) brought the ultimate anti-hero to life. Travis is sort of insane, but the audience roots for him… for some reason.

Schrader’s script is at times funny, but most of the time very bizarre. What exactly is the message of the movie? Not entirely sure on that one. With that said, does that always matter? Taxi Driver is simply a very entertaining movie without a particular message. It works well enough without it.

De Niro is amazing here. As mentioned above, Travis is not necessarily a guy we should root for. Here is where De Niro’s magic comes in. He manages to make this guy likable. Do not ask why. It simply has to be seen to believe.

Nearly 40 years have passed since the release of this movie, so in a generation has a new iPod coming out every week, some of the movie looks a bit outdated. The perfect example is the final showdown. Though it is somewhat outdated, it is still a great movie. It is very well written and acted, and consistently entertaining. It is hard to find movies like this now days.

Taxi Driver has aged well and has gone on to become a classic, even though I have not met a single person at FC who has seen it. Which leads to why it is a film that got away. It is this fact, and the fact that some of the films key ingredients went unrecognized. The film was nominated for four Oscars, including Best Picture (the award went to Rocky), De Niro for Actor (the award posthumously went to Peter Finch for Network), Foster for Supporting Actress (did not win) and Score (also did not win). Guess what? The Academy got it all wrong.

If you sat Sylvester Stallone in a room and left him to watch Rocky and Taxi Driver, guaranteed he would tell you Taxi Driver is better (though Rocky is good). De Niro not winning is understandable, considering Finch is amazing and well, how could he beat the dead? Also, where on earth was Scorsese’s and Schrader’s name on that ballot? Both of them were snubbed? What? What sense does that make? This is their movie and they went unaccredited? Ridiculous is what it is.

Taxi Driver is not Scorsese’s best film, but it is one of them, and one of a few that deserved Best Picture. What other ones are on that list? Raging Bull, Goodfellas, and The Departed. Though two of those films did not win, I chose to write about this one because this film went home empty handed. Taxi Driver is a strange tale of justice, and justice will not truly be served until it is seen by all.