GODfellas.
209 Mins. Starring: Robert De Niro, Al Pacino, Joe Pesci, Bobby Cannavale, Ray Romano, Anna Paquin, Stephen Graham, Jack Huston, Jesse Plemons, & Harvey Keitel. Director: Martin Scorsese.
Here in the above photo lies Al Pacino as Jimmy Hoffa. De Niro by his side for the first time since the 'Heat' was around the corner an hour and a half (and it takes them some good time like that here to get to it again) into that Michael Mann movie. Oh yeah and 2009's 'Righteous Kill' with 50 Cent too...but let's leave that where it lies. Except for the hilarious flashback were Pacino recalls, "slowly after that I lost my faith". To which-just in case the audience dumbstruck over this movie didn't know what he was talking about-was highlighted by Pacino at a pew in church leaning over to De Niro and telling him, "I think I'm going to go". All to one of Bob's trademark nods. Picture him doing an impression of your legs after you stand up after streaming this mob hit on Netflix for its 209 minute runtime with no chill. Getting his "just when I thought I was out, they pull me back in" kitchen sink collapse 'Godfather' on. Three and a half hours? I hear that's almost as long as one of those Avenger 'Endgame' Marvel movie theme park rides Marty. Or 'The Wolf Of Wall Street' rollercoaster of celebrated debauchery? Scorsese scores, painting houses with the 'Goodfella', 'Mean Streets' of his 'Taxi Driver', De Niro again like you heard. Even if he didn't have the last laugh to join him on the 'King Of Comedy' role reversal in DC's 'Joker' movie with Joaquin Phoenix doing his best 'You Were Never Really Here', Travis Bickle impression. And funny unlike that clown you know he had to bring Joe Pesci with him too and the 'Taxi', 'Streets' of another seventies gangster era icon in the legend Harvey Keitel. Just so he wouldn't do another Winston Wolf 'Direct Line' commercial (what must 'Pulp Fiction' director Quentin Tarantino be thinking? And is that why we have a trendy version of De Niro in car and Warburton adverts over here too? Someone needs to have a word) as meta hilarious as they can be ("Sandra! I'm here to take you out!"). This cast, like this director and these type of movies are timeless...especially now they can be digitally restored like a remaster. And from Boston to the Celtics, there's nothing like that old Irish in this gangster poetic, movie event of the year to end it all.
Way back. That's how far De Niro and Scorsese go...Pesci too. 'Goodfellas'. 'Casino'. 'Raging Bull'. Pesci the dynamo, dynamite 'Lethal Weapon' like playing it up with Gibson and Danny "I'm too old for this s###" pre-CGI era Glover (and if you want to talk about corny commercials that are actually anything but that and showing just how good the guys are at playing themselves up and having that much, "funny like a clown" sense of humour, how about giving this man a Snickers. Because he ain't him when he's hungry...or not in his 'My Cousin Vinny' element doing epic movies like this). Perfect in this piece that if it is the big threes swan song, then his show steal is going to be his redefining performance...and this is the wise guy who more than amused us in 'Goodfellas'...he scared the s### out of us more than 'The Exorcist'! Shining in the film our millennial generation as kids before streaming, before downloads, before CGI weren't allowed to watch ("NO WAY") by our parents like 'Terminator 2'. No wonder Macaulay Culkin went straight gangster on him in 'Home Alone'...we'd clap our hands to our faces too. Or like Keitel too. 'Taxi Driver', 'Mean Streets' that you don't dare run for your life down...let alone drive or hail a yellow cab...like the fleet that gets to sleep with the fishes here like Scorsese is trying to say or shed something about his best work as we all mourn like the Uber loss of many of New York's iconic yellow street walkers. Harvey just oozes cool in this ensemble of cats. Just like his Assemblage with the likes of Susan Sarandon and Zoë Kravitz in black and white for rock God Lenny Kravitz's photo gallery exhibit that has developed in big cities everywhere from London to Tokyo...and of course New York, New York. But it's the incomparable De Niro that is Scorsese's muse. And after a couple of mob hits together they've really hit the big time. Only 'The Aviator' and 'Shutter Island' of 'Gangs Of New York' Best Actor today Leonardo DiCaprio comes close. And the 'This Boys Life' incendiary co-stars starred together in 'The Audition' of Marty's short docu film on casinos. But Bob? 'Mean Streets'. 'Taxi Driver'. 'New York, New York'. 'Raging Bull'. 'The King Of Comedy'. 'Goodfellas'. 'Cape Fear'. 'Casino'. And now the two on film celebrating another duo in house get the paint cans together for one last coat in 'The Irishman' of Sheeran...and we ain't talking about Ed. And no matter the decade or age. Make-up or digital effects (the same they use to de-age the legendary likes of Kurt Russell, Michael Douglas and Samuel L. Jackson in yep Marvel movies...OK I'll stop. I don't want someone to have a word with me). It's all got nothing on how Robert De Niro holds his stage, evoking every emotion. And when unfiltered it's really him, you really get to see him. All it takes is a nod of the head.
Bringing those ol'blue eyes back in the contact with 'Casino's' De Niro et al getting the 'Gemini Man', Will Smith treatment, someone once said of the music to this mobs Rat Pack (sorry Clooney's 'Oceans'), that Sinatra is the Chairman of the Board. But to be Frank, when you're watching him do it his way your eyes suddenly veer to the left. They veer to the vino of Dino. Dean Martin...there's no one like him. I'ma name my first dog after him. Ama tell my kids this was God. If Bob is Frank...then Pacino is Dino. If De Niro is the heart...then Al is the soul. Schwarzenegger and Stallone. Magic and Bird. Batman and Superman. They all get compared to them. But can you believe just like they've only been on screen together three times (although they were both in 'The Godfather Part II', just in different spaces and timelines), that Scorsese has never directed Pacino before? Crazy. But thank the Hollwoodland Gods these two legends for to work on a classic together now before it's all too late. As Scorsese scored by The Band's Robbie Robertson beautifully in his emotional end that even in its epic runtime (that in reflection ebbs and flows like life) shows you how cruel life is with every mob hit that is-seemingly with little consequence on the outside-over just like that. Characters are introduced with credit obituaries like they are dead men walkin' here already. Pacino is prolific once again as Jimmy Hoffa...with a "SHE HAD A GREAT ASS" 'Heat' hothead (ferocious ain't he?) and 'Godfather' living room meltdowns. And this isn't just a history lesson about America and a man who went toe-to-toe with The Kennedy's aswell as real gangsters. It's one to be sure about Al too. Because 'The Godfather', 'Scarface', 'Serpico', 'Dog Day Afternoon', 'The Panic In Needle Park', 'Scent Of A Woman' and of course the original one with Bobby. Put this in the Hall of Fame as one of the G.O.A.T.'s greatest of all-time (and he's having quite the years best with this and Tarantino's 'Once Upon A Time..In Hollywood'). Just like the other two greats of all-time movies made. Because this is right with 'Streets', 'Driver', 'Bull', 'Comedy' and all those other fellas as the best of the best. And with a cast featuring the new goodfella of these movies Bobby Cannavale. A Ray Romano role everybody's going to love. Anna Paquin bringing gravitas and gravity to this grandiose picture. Scouse character actor great Stephen Graham who can master any accent, "f######" pair of shorts, or scene going one-on-one with the legendary Pacino, Netflix's 'Earthquake Bird' star and another 'American Hustle' character chameleon in Jack Huston (another Brit believe it or not) as Bobby Kennedy. Not to mention the king of all these type of supporting actors in the acclaimed 'Black Mass' and everything else of Jesse Plemons. This movie is about all the mob kings. Keitel. Pesci. Pacino. De Niro. Scorsese (make sure you watch Netflix's 'The Irishman: In Conversation' bar room confessional too). And what a hit to go out on. All good things and fellas come to an end...even bad guys die. But none as epic as this. TIM DAVID HARVEY.
Further Filming: 'Goodfellas', 'The Godfather', 'Once Upon A Time In America'.
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