Starring: Ray Liotta, Robert De Niro, Joe Pesci
Directed by: Martin Scorsese
Plot: Henry Hill and his friends work their way up through the mob hierarchy.
But is it any good?
I watched Goodfellas last night for the first time, reluctant as always to watch a mafia movie. Maybe it’s a girl thing, but I just don’t like them. […]
Starring: Gloria Swanson, William Holden
Directed by: Billy Wilder
Plot: A hack screenwriter writes a screenplay for a former silent-film star who has faded into Hollywood obscurity.
But is it any good?
Another unexpected gem on this list. In Sunset Blvd., a cynical screenwriter named Joe Gillis is down on his luck when he chances across a seemingly abandoned […]
Starring: Joseph Cotton, Alida Valli, Orson Welles
Directed by: Carol Reed
Plot Arriving in Vienna, Holly Martins learns that his friend Harry Lime, who has invited him, recently died in a car accident.
But is it any good?
Oh my god, yes! Shame on me for not having seen it earlier, considering I’m such an ardent fan of Citizen […]
Starring: Fred MacMurray, Barbara Stanwyck, Edward G. Robinson
Directed by: Billy Wilder
Plot: An insurance rep lets himself be talked into a murder/insurance fraud scheme that arouses an insurance investigator’s suspicions.
But is it any good?
I watched Double Indemnity for the first time last night knowing nothing about it, but I generally like Billy Wilder movies. This one […]
Starring: Morgen Freeman, Brad Pitt, Gwyneth Paltrow, Kevin Spacey
Directed by: David Fincher
Plot: Police drama about two cops, one new and one about to retire, who hunt a serial killer using the seven deadly sins as his MO. He’s always one step a-head (ahem) of them.
But is it any good?
Ouch. Se7en is not for the delicate-natured. […]
Starring: Humphrey Bogart, Mary Astor
Directed by: John Huston
Plot: Sam Spade, a private detective, gets involved in a murderous hunt for a valuable statuette.
But is it any good?
First, I must say I haven’t seen the 1931 version of The Maltese Falcon, which by a few accounts is superior to this version. This one had some contradictions […]
Starring: Kim Basinger, Kevin Spacey, Russell Crowe, Guy Pearce
Directed by: Curtis Hansen (who also directed 8 Mile)
Plot: A shooting at an all-night diner is investigated by three LA policemen in their own unique ways. Corrupt underbelly of ’50s LA is revealed.
But is it any good?
I re-watched LA Confidential last night for this first time since […]
Starring: Jack Nicholson, Faye Dunaway
Directed by: Roman Polanski
Plot: A private detective investigating an adultery case stumbles on to a scheme of murder that has something to do with water.
But is it any good?
This had been on my must-see list for a long time, but I must admit to being a little disappointed. It has a […]
Starring: Jean Reno, Gary Oldman, Natalie Portman
Directed by: Luc Besson
Plot: a 12-year-old girl is befriended by a hitman after her family is gunned down and he teaches her his trade.
But is it any good?
All I knew about Léon (called The Professional in the US) before I watched it last night was that Natalie Portman did […]
Starring: Paul Newman, Robert Redford, Robert Shaw
Directed by: George Roy Hill
Plot: In 1930s Chicago, a young con man seeking revenge for his murdered partner teams up with a master of the big con to win a fortune from a criminal banker.
But is it any good?
I’m not a huge fan of crime capers and require them […]
