Starring: Marlon Brando, Al Pacino, Diane Keaton
Directed by: Frances Ford Coppola
Plot: The aging patriarch of an organized crime dynasty transfers control of his clandestine empire to his reluctant son.
But is it any good?
Wow. I think it says an awful lot that despite watching it on a tiny computer screen, and having already watched so many […]
Starring: Morgan Freeman, Tim Robbins
Directed by: Frank Darabont
Plot: Two imprisoned men bond over a number of years, finding solace and eventual redemption through acts of common decency.
But is it any good?
Why is it that some adaptations of Stephen King stories are shit (all except the following three) and some are brilliant and beloved (The Shining, […]
Starring: Al Pacino, Robert de Niro, Diane Keaton
Directed by: Frances Ford Coppola
Plot: The early life & career of Vito Corleone in 1920’s New York is portrayed while his son, Michael, expands and tightens his grip on his crime syndicate stretching from Lake Tahoe, Nevada to pre-Revolution 1958 Cuba.
But is it any good?
It’s a bit unfortunate […]
Starring: Orson Welles
Directed by: Orson Welles
Plot: Following the death of a publishing tycoon, news reporters scramble to discover the meaning of his final utterance.
But is it any good?
This remains my favourite movie. Out of context it is a powerful biopic-style film of a media baron. In context it is a powerful biopic-style film of a […]
Starring: Kevin Spacey, Benicio Del Toro, Kevin Pollack
Directed by: Bryan Singer
Plot: A boat has been destroyed, criminals are dead, and the key to this mystery lies with the only survivor and his twisted, convoluted story beginning with five career crooks in a seemingly random police lineup.
But is it any good?
To be honest, I could leave […]
Starring: Alexandre Rodrigues, Leandro Firmino
Directed by: Fernando Meirelles
Plot: Two boys growing up in a violent neighborhood of Rio de Janeiro take different paths: one becomes a photographer, the other a drug dealer.
But is it any good?
I watched this movie (called City of God in English) a few years ago at an Auckland film festival, in […]
Starring: Henry Fonda + 11 Angry Men
Directed by: Sidney Lumet
Plot: 12 jurors sit in a hot room and argue about whether someone is guilty or not guilty. It starts raining.
But is it any good?
I knew nothing about this film and then made the mistake of consulting my weighty ‘History of Cinema’ book. It bloody well […]
Starring: Guy Pearce, Carrie-Ann Moss
Directed by: Christopher Nolan
Plot: A man, suffering from short-term memory loss, uses notes and tattoos to hunt for the man he thinks killed his wife.
But is it any good?
Memento is: Daring, original, smart.
Memento isn’t: An easy viewing experience. It’s not a date movie. You’ll be scratching your head for days to […]
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 […]