Goodfellas (Acting)

The movie Goodfellas, directed by Martin Scorcese, is one of the most well-known mobster movies of the late 1900s. Its success comes from many different aspects, but one key focus is on the acting. The three main characters have phenomenal actors in their roles. The first of which is known as Henry Hill who is played by Ray Liotta. Liotta does the voice over commentary and narration of the story. Scorcese must have most likely fallen in love with his voice, and thought it would be perfect in this situation. Liotta had also been in several other movies that dealt with drugs, guns, and crime, and has continued to do so in such films as Blow (2001), Slow Burn (2005), and Smokin' Aces (2006). The second and third men are Jimmy Conway played by Robery DeNiro, and Tommy DeVito played by Joe Pesci. What is very interesting and probably a big reason that everyone in this film worked so well together is that besides Liotta, the other two had already worked together in the past, and had even worked with Scorcese several times. This movie was a follow up to Mean Streets, which was a movie that DeNiro also played a part in, and was also a gangster type of movie. Also, it came out during the same time as Godfather Part III, so it was during a time when people were very appreciative of this genre of movie, and in addition, DeNiro was even in Godfather Part II. The Godfather movies were not directed by Scorcese, but he did direct some other notable movies. This included Raging Bull (1980), in which both DeNiro and Pesci played large roles, Death Collector (1976), a mafia movie in which Pesci starred (According to Filmsite.org, Pesci's specialty was gangster related roles, and his strong voice which involves a lot of swearing was perfect for the role in Goodfellas), A Bronx Tale (1993), and Scorcese's Casino (1995), both gangster/mobster movies in which DeNiro and Pesci were key actors. It is safe to say that these two actors had some experience with Scorcese, and Liotta was just another added piece to the puzzle that made this an even better acting performance for the movie.

DeNiro was nominated for best actor, and Pesci received the Oscar for best supporting actor. I would say that these actors are often stereotyped for the roles they are playing in all of these gangster movies and such, at least DeNiro and Pesci, and so they should be. They have had many wonderful performances throughout their careers. However, all three actors have also been in comedies, dramas, and a few other types of movies, which most people might not know about. The only problem is that they don't really perform the same way in these that they do in these stereotypical roles, and that is because they sort of are stereotyped, but that is okay because I would rather have them be acting in great movies rather than not spending much time on movies that don't have as much impact. These three actors, especially with the previous relations, must have gotten along really well on, and off the set and really got into the heart of their roles created by Scorcese because their acting was what made this movie so significant.

Film Review

White Heat by Raoul Walsh is one of the very best crime dramas of the film noir period after the war. This movie is simplistic and straightforward, but the characters are very complex, which is why it is so intriguing, entertaining, and just great to watch even though it might be before our time. People looking for action came to the right place with a large display of violence and brutality throughout the movie, however if they are looking for cool effects, realistic gun shots, and explosions, they might need to stay away from this black and white film.

The film received and Oscar in the category of “story.” This was the one great aspect of the film as written by Ivan Goff and Ben Roberts. In this movie, produced by Louis Edelman, the main actors are James Cagney, Virginia Mayo, and Edmond O'Brien. Cagney plays the role of Cody Jarrett, a violent, and psychologically twisted gangster who becomes dependent on too many people. He relies a lot on his mother, who is his main accomplice and femme fatale of the movie, his right hand, who ends up betraying him, and then he trusts an undercover cop who ends up screwing everything up. Mayo plays the part of Cody's wife, Verna, who benefits from all the money that Cody gets from his heists.

The movie takes places in California at Cody's house, his hideaways, on the road, and at prison. It begins with Cody and his gang taking control of a train, killing everyone, and stealing all the valuable goods that were being transferred on it. The police have trouble finding him, but when his mother slips up, they are able to track him down and he is sent to prison for what is suppose to be a couple of years. While he is there, O'Brien, the undercover cop gets info from him, his mother dies, and then escapes with several other cell mates. When Cody gets out he meets with his gang and they plan another robbery. They decide to pull a “Trojan horse” to sneak inside of a gas plant and steal the money from the banking office. Unfortunately, the undercover cop catches on and tells the police exactly where they are heading by sending signals through a radio he puts on the bottom of the car. The police track down their location and all hell breaks loose.

The movie is for the most part very fast paced, powerful, and melodramatic. It also enhances how tough Cody is at many points during the film. All of these aspects are accompanied wonderfully by the musical score of Max Steiner. Cody is well visualized with many low shots to show his power, but there isn't really that much emotion in the film causing there to really only be long and medium shots. This was probably a good idea because Walsh was focusing more on the action then the drama. The cinematography included many shady black and white moments normally in film noirs. The low key lighting played a significant role especially when Cody would plan out his missions and escapes. It was apparent that when people were conversing, the shots really didn't change at all, not showing any perspectives like shows and movies nowadays do a lot. This also affected the fact that there were really no closeups. However, when there was action, there were a lot of quick cuts and even some rhythmic relations, especially in the chase scene.

The variety of settings and characters were significant for how this movie turned out. The actors picked for the roles were perfect. James Cagney fits the criminal role magnificently. The dialogue in the acting was realistic, but it was almost hysterical to listen to Cagney talk. The movie is a little confusing at the beginning but it is very well structured. There aren't any flashbacks, but there is a lot of foreshadowing that creates a great ending worth watching. Everything is resolved, but not necessarily how one would expect it to end. The great acting and story line of White Heat are on par with some of the best black and white gangster movies of the time, and it is worth your time to take a look at it even if older movies make you cringe.

Critique The Critic: Rambo

This critic first basically sums up the whole movie, and compares it to some of the other Rambo movies, and things that Stallone has made before. In fact, this critic seems to rely a lot on his other works. The critic points out that Stallone is “at it again.” Basically saying that there is not much of anything new, but still Stallone is really the only actor that play this role. The critic really doesn't seem to pleased by the acting, script, or plot for that matter, but thinks that there wasn't really much more to expect than what was shown. Stallone's movies haven't really been about that part of films; they have been more about the action, and the critic says that there really is no shortage of that. The action is intense and great if you like that, but some of the bloodshed is over the top. The violence in the movie is what is needed to make the movie good, but some of it is chilling with explosions, gore, rape and blood all over the place making it almost disturbing. It would definitely not be good for a kid to see it, and there is a lot of foul language as well. It is rated R, but some of it is just nasty. The critic thinks that Stallone might continue after this as it seemed somewhat short, and there wasn't really a conclusive ending so to speak, but overall it was an alright movie. Nothing amazing, but not terrible either. I agree for the most part with this critic. It really was exactly what I was expecting it to be. I knew the acting would not be the best and the whole movie would be somewhat cheesy, but the action was some of the best I have ever seen. It was a little bit gory, but I am used to that kind of stuff. The movie was in two parts; one that described the plot, and the second half was non stop action, which was awesome. I didn't think it was the best movie either like the critic said. In fact, I would probably give it 2 and a half stars because it was a little short, and there wasn't much drama, which it could have used a little more of to make the characters more involved. I have seen some of the other Rambo movies, and I really like Stallone's character. It seems like the critic appreciates what he has been doing, and seems to think that he will continue to act, but as for me I don't think he will. I thought he would be done when he did the last Rocky movie. This critic seemed to think that all the violence was bad, and I agree, but the effects of when people died were some of the coolest, and probably the best that I have ever seen in a movie. That is the part of the movie that stood out to me. I don't think I will remember this movie in the future very much because it was just kind of an average movie that didn't really bring anything new to the table, but the gore effects were out of this world. In conclusion, I was satisfied with this movie, but just like the critic, I got what I expected from watching it, and therefore I guess it was not better that good.

Critic Review Link To Website

Movie Clip Analysis: Bourne Ultimatum

My Favorite Movie

My favorite movie is Ocean's Eleven.

What the critics say about the movie is that it can be somewhat confusing, but it is also very witty, and the personalities of the whole combination of all the characters in it make it interesting and intriguing.

I like this movie because it is very clever, interesting, and action packed. There are always surprises and it is a movie that not only makes you think, but also makes you laugh. There is also many good actors such as Matt Damon, Brad Pitt, and George Clooney that play the parts of these characters really well.

The movie is about a group of eleven people led by Mr. Ocean who design a plan to steal a bunch of money from a new casino.

Each person plays a specific role that helps them complete their objective, and eventually they come away with the goods completely fooling everyone.