This movie felt completely fresh, new and innovative. A pure intellectual challenge in all aspects of theatrical film.
I couldn't spot a single Hollywood-cliché. But maybe I'm wrong, did you notice a Hollywood-cliché? Which one?
haha i relish your sarcasm
shareYeah I was sure as hell sarcastic.
This movie was so annoying in it's lack of... i don't know... everything!?
I've seen too many movies.
Well the movie was a true story. What cliches? Italian gangsters being gangsters. I imagine they are like that. Their knuckle headed old school thugs that never really think or do anything original. This took place in the 70's, and I think they may have made the film worse by trying to NOT be cliched or unoriginal. They could have remade good fellas and the film might have been recieved better, but to say the film was unoriginal when it was based on a true story is just being naive. I will rewatch this movie several times to review it more critically, but after watching it once, I freakin loved it. they don't make enough movies like this.
They could have remade good fellas and the film might have been recieved betterI think they tried hard to remake it. So many scenes and the feel were lifted from Goodfellas: the voice over, the music and I fell out of my seat laughing when they blatantly stole the opening scene of the stabbing the prisoner in the trunk. The one exception is the stealing of the biker scene from A Bronx Tale.
Like I said before. Thugs and gangsters aren't all that original. Their methods, mannerisms, habits, and practices have been done long before Good Fellas set the bar for cliches. Some of you film guys spend too much time discussing cliches on your reviews. the term is tired. I would much rather see an over all critical review of a film. Perhaps since this was based on a true story they didn't take enough creative liberties with this movie. I think they were more concerned with being historically correct. The story this movie is based on took place in the 1970's. At least 13 years before the movie Good Fellas came out.
sharePerhaps since this was based on a true story they didn't take enough creative liberties with this movie. I think they were more concerned with being historically correct.
They took more then a few liberties with the truth, you realize. But lets look at the story cliches they drove into the ground:
The line where he's "the smartest guy in the bar" and has read the library of congress was one of the worst examples of bad characterization in a film I've ever seen.
The scene where he convinces a Mobbed up goon to drop his gun and fight man to man is maybe even more ridiculous. I doubt it happened in real life other then in Greene's imagination, but even if it did I highly doubt it was as cliche ridden or dialog leaden as that scene.
Vincent D'Onofrio's death scene. Not only is this historically inaccurate, but him dying in his arms was terrible. To say nothing of him saying "things are looking up" or whatever before he gets blown up. I thought I was watching the Simpsons the scene was so farcical.
Note I didn't say anything about the plastic paddyness of his parents not being born in Ireland, the stereoptypical Irish old lady (and her cringe worthy line "Every Irishman has a bit of good in him". She should have added "Except Bono")
or the clearly one day pay day roles of Paul Sorvino and Robert Davi.
Also, Goodfellas is literally based on a real story as well, told much better by a (clearly) superior director, and spans the time prior to the events in this film to the early 80s.
"LSD, golly gee,
DDT, wowee!
Daddy's broke
Holy smoke
My future's bleak
Ain't it neat?"
Let's not forget 'Casino' - The film opening with a car bomb. Then 'Goodfellas' or 'Casino' or 'The Departed' with the violence cut to rock music... I expected Val Kilmer to say: 'As far as I can remember, I always wanted to be in a good film.' (Yeah, yeah, he's been in good films, it's just a joke!).
All in all, if you have to copy someone, might as well be Scorsese, so I can't hate this film. But, yeah: pretty predictable. But also entertaining.
Greene taking off the "protective" symbolic necklace and giving it to child just before he carks it. Im sure that has been done before.......protective something, lucky charm etc is worn throughout movie, and when said character thinks he can live without it, then bye bye.
shareI hate you for pointing that out, as my hatred of this film just keeps growing like a raging Hulk.
"LSD, golly gee,
DDT, wowee!
Daddy's broke
Holy smoke
My future's bleak
Ain't it neat?"
I expected Val Kilmer to say: 'As far as I can remember, I always wanted to be in a good film.'
Take care of yourself.
I'm fine.
Seriously, watch yourself.
I will.
They walk to their respective cars and... BOOM.
yea i saw that coming. it did seem staged.
but other than that i am with the op. i agree there werent any cliches
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behold, sublime genius: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WXRYA1dxP_0
Couldn't agree with you more. My jaw dropped when I first read your post. Thank god you cleared it up with another one stating sarcasm. With the rating of this movie on IMDB and some of the other comments I wouldn't have been surprised to read your post without sarcasm. What a bad movie. Enough said.
shareDefinitely an overrate movie!
share[deleted]
This movie is great, I don't know what you guys expected, but the point of the movie was the story and the fact that it really happened. It's brilliant because the characters are real and not completely made up. I don't care about looks and effects as long as it has an interesting story.
shareIdiots. Wouldn't know a good movie if it walked up to them and hit them in the mouth.
shareWhat is with that Giant Mole on his neck? Ugh. Get rid of it!
shareIts a nice "Cook's Tour" of other movies, isn't it: The Departed, Casino, GoodFellas, The Sopranos(with at least one actor from that show) and A Bronx's Tale.
Its not like it doesn't KNOW that.
But the lead is certainly different: tall, strapping, handsome, Irish. A much BIGGER man, physically, than DeNiro or Pacino or Leo. Less fat than Tony Soprano.
I suppose gangster movies today are like Westerns back in the day. One went to see the familiar motifs reshuffled and used in new ways...but there was comfort in the "same ol', same ol'."