Reviews for the week starting on December 11, 1995

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MOVIES IN THEATERS

Merry Christmas folks! I've got some bad news for some of you. I'm taking a two week sabbatical this holiday season. I promise you I'll be back on the 8th of January with a brand new addition to my page. In the mean time, my last article before the holiday season is dedicated to one of the greatest directors of the past three decades, Martin Scorsese. I've reviewed his new film, Casino, as well as three old favorites. Enjoy and happy holidays!

Casino (1995)

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Scorsese's most recent film, this epic tells the story of a casino boss (Robert De Niro) and the underworld of Las Vegas. De Niro's lifestyle is occasionally interrupted by the violent acts of his childhood buddy (Joe Pesci), who has become the mafia boss of Vegas. Besides this major problem, De Niro also has to deal with his coke-fiend wife (Sharon Stone), who is going down a long road to hell and dragging her husband with her.

Great direction, good setting, a surprisingly impressive performance from Stone and the always good teaming of De Niro and Pesci, keep this three-hour tale interesting. A couple of major quips. The film is way too long. Considering the brutal subject matter, it should have wrapped up a lot sooner. The other thing is that there are too many similarities with another Scorsese film, Goodfellas. Take Pesci's character for instance. As the short-tempered mob boss, he's no different than the short-tempered hit man in the other film. Still, Pesci is so good in this type of role, I didn't really care too much. It's still worth going to see for De Niro, Pesci and especially Stone's performances. The camera work is excellent.

My Rating =

Rent

MOVIES ON VIDEO

Here are three films on video and/or laserdisc.

Mean Streets (1973)

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The film that brought Scorsese into film history: the story of gang members, living and dying in the streets of New York, is probably his masterpiece. Harvey Keitel is excellent as the two-bit hood, Charlie, who wants to leave his dangerous life, but he also wants to keep his eye on the self-destructive Johnny Boy (Robert De Niro, in his first major performance).

Scorsese uses a lot of things to hold the audience's interest. For one, the masterful performances of Keitel and De Niro-a truly memorable teaming! Another masterful touch is the street smart screenplay. And finally, Scorsese using the camera to show the filth and grime of street-life. One of the things I always liked about Scorsese was that he keeps you interested in people who you would never care for or give a second thought to in real life. That is probably the biggest asset of Martin Scorsese's first film.

My Rating =

Rent

Taxi Driver (1976)

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Here is one of many movies that has divided critics over and over again. As with A Clockwork Orange and Blue Velvet, it's hard to know if this is true art, or just one man's sick fantasy. It still shows an interesting portrait of hell, as seen through the eyes of demented New York cabbie, Travis Bickle (De Niro again). None of the characters seem to be very sympathetic. And yet, Scorsese shows sympathy for Bickle. He's a Vietnam vet who is dissatisfied with how his country has turned out in his absence.

Besides De Niro, one of the other more compelling performances comes from Jodie Foster as the 12-year old prostitute, Iris, who Bickle declares he must save from the slimy world of pimps. Her performance is just a prelude of the great performances to come. The breakfast scene with her and De Niro is a classic. Even though it's violent and depressing, it still is one of cinema's most compelling works ever to be put on screen.

My Rating =

Rent

The Age of Innocence (1993)

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This is an amazing picture. Based on Edith Wharton's novel of New York's high society of the 1870's, it is like nothing Scorsese ever did before. In this rather cold and distant society, a well-bred young man (Daniel Day-Lewis), who is set to marry a well-bred young woman (astounding performance from Winona Ryder), falls in love with a sumptuous beauty (Michelle Pfeiffer), who is in the midst of a messy divorce.

Everything, from the costumes to the minor performances, are superb. When I first went to see this, I though I'd be bored to death with yet another costume soap opera. Instead, I found a tragic love story, directed by none other than the master of gritty realism, Scorsese. Of all of Scorsese's films, I recommend this one the most, out of any of his violent urban dramas.

So long for now. Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!

My Rating =

Rent

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