Film The Redcafe Movie review thread

Goodfellas

I'm gonna get a lot of shit for this but: meh! Decent movie, but nothing special. Granted, I generally don't like these Italian mafia movies.

It's ranked 17th on IMDB and 68th on TSPDT so I thought that there was going to be something particularly great about this, but I just don't see it. You never really feel tense about people getting whacked as the only characters you care about is the protagonist and his wife, but even they are a bit annoying. Also, they aren't really in any danger until the last 20 minutes of the movie.

The rest of the characters are quite one-dimensional or simply uninteresting. Joe Pesci plays a really convincing hot head and does bring some fun to the movie, but it's not enough to save it for me.

The best scene is
Spider's death
The parallel between him and the protagonist is great.
 
Salt Bailly said:
Just been browsing their top 1000 movies of all time and was surprised to find the Caf's most hated, Avatar, nestled comfortable in the mid 700s
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Shite movie, but also an important piece of movie history, I guess :p Sometimes that seems to be the only criteria.
 
OleBoiii said:
Goodfellas

I'm gonna get a lot of shit for this but: meh! Decent movie, but nothing special. Granted, I generally don't like these Italian mafia movies.

It's ranked 17th on IMDB and 68th on TSPDT so I thought that there was going to be something particularly great about this, but I just don't see it. You never really feel tense about people getting whacked as the only characters you care about is the protagonist and his wife, but even they are a bit annoying. Also, they aren't really in any danger until the last 20 minutes of the movie.

The rest of the characters are quite one-dimensional or simply uninteresting. Joe Pesci plays a really convincing hot head and does bring some fun to the movie, but it's not enough to save it for me.

The best scene is
Spider's death
The parallel between him and the protagonist is great.
Click to expand...
Honestly, I can see where you're coming from. Goodfellas was stylish but not particularly gripping. Personally I prefer The Godfather.
 
I think Joe Pesci stole that movie, and after 20 or whatever movies since, its less impressive. Been a long time since i watched it but i would have thought its still his best performance and worth watching for that.
 
VorZakone said:
Honestly, I can see where you're coming from. Goodfellas was stylish but not particularly gripping. Personally I prefer The Godfather.
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It's been ages since I saw it and I always feel I should probably watch it again and see what I may have missed - but same here. I wasn't all that impressed. Comparable to Casino for me.
 
goodfellas is my favorite movie of all time. Pesci is fantastic and can join in at any part of the movie and still watch and enjoy it
 
Cheimoon said:
It's been ages since I saw it and I always feel I should probably watch it again and see what I may have missed - but same here. I wasn't all that impressed. Comparable to Casino for me.
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I loved it at the time but watched it again recently as I was a bit underwhelmed which was disappointing.
 
Primal - Nicolas Cage battles an assassin and jungle animals on a cargo ship in the middle of the Atlantic. Watching this movie is an experience in itself. Famke Janssen is so botoxed up her she can barely move her lips and slurs her way through the film. Kevin Durand has gone full hammy joker and Nicolas Cage obviously gave up trying to act a decade or so ago. So watching those three interact with one another really is something.

The movie is ok - a standard Nic affair.
 
Riders of Justice

One of the better revenge movies in my opinion, good humour, not such a generic ending. Good mix of characters and all their stories were told(briefly).

8/10

&

3:10 to Yuma

Watched this before but not for a while. I love a western. Some really good performances, unsprisingly. Decent story.

8/10

& Goodfellas is great.
 
OleBoiii said:
Shite movie, but also an important piece of movie history, I guess :p Sometimes that seems to be the only criteria.
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Yeah that's my issue with lists. I've seen 8 out of their top 10 and the only two I'd say are still relevant in some way are Vertigo and The Godfather.

Films like Tokyo Story, The Rules of the Game and The Searchers are only interesting if you're invested in history and the times they portray.

/Controversial Onion
 
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Training Day.

Watched this again last night after not seeing it for a few years and what a great film it truly is. Denzil Washington is such a presence as the corrupt narcotics officer with Ethan Hawke perfectly cast as the young sidekick doing the right thing.

The cast is stacked even down to Snoop Dogg as a paralysed drug dealer. Amazing soundtrack to go with this brilliant film.

9.5/10
 
Vidyoyo said:
Films like Tokyo Story, The Rules of the Game and The Searchers are only interesting if you're invested in history and the times they portray.

/Controversial Onion
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I actually haven't seen any of those 3, but I get your point and I agree.
 
OleBoiii said:
Goodfellas

I'm gonna get a lot of shit for this but: meh! Decent movie, but nothing special. Granted, I generally don't like these Italian mafia movies.

It's ranked 17th on IMDB and 68th on TSPDT so I thought that there was going to be something particularly great about this, but I just don't see it. You never really feel tense about people getting whacked as the only characters you care about is the protagonist and his wife, but even they are a bit annoying. Also, they aren't really in any danger until the last 20 minutes of the movie.

The rest of the characters are quite one-dimensional or simply uninteresting. Joe Pesci plays a really convincing hot head and does bring some fun to the movie, but it's not enough to save it for me.

The best scene is
Spider's death
The parallel between him and the protagonist is great.
Click to expand...
Yeah it is a decent film but personally I much prefer ‘Casino’ which is basically the same cast.
 
Sweet Square said:
State Funeral

Sergei Loznitsa uses documentary footage as a retelling of Stalin funeral. Genuinely beautiful and disturbing all at the same time. A must watch

10/10
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Is this available online somewhere?


Port Vale Devil said:
Yeah it is a decent film but personally I much prefer ‘Casino’ which is basically the same cast.
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I read somewhere ages ago that Scorsese himself prefers Casino, and that he kind of regretted making Henry Hill and not Jimmy Burke the main protagonist in Goodfellas.
 
2cents said:
Is this available online somewhere?
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It was on the mubi website but I think it's gone now. It might be watchable on the mubi amazon channel(Which is slightly different to the main website).

Sergei Loznitsa other Soviet film - The Trial(Same format as State Funeral but about the show trails)is on the Mubi website for the 2 days. It's a free 7 subscription.
 
Sweet Square said:
It was on the mubi website but I think it's gone now. It might be watchable on the mubi amazon channel(Which is slightly different to the main website).

Sergei Loznitsa other Soviet film - The Trial(Same format as State Funeral but about the show trails)is on the Mubi website for the 2 days. It's a free 7 subscription.
Click to expand...

thanks
 
Shoot Em Up: an over the top action film where everyone is constantly shooting at Clive Owen (even during the sex scene). The plot makes no sense and it suffers from the the typical 'only the hero can aim' syndrome (except when shooting at the master villain, of course); but otherwise it's an enjoyable piece of action trash, kept nicely short at 1h26 (which is really all you need of this). Paul Giamatti in a bad-guy role was also nice.
 
Sweet Square said:
Have yet to watch this(Its only just come out)but it looks very interesting. Mix of the Abel Ferrara and the Safdie Brothers(Stars Julia Fox from Uncut Gems).



Edit - Might be a tad NSFW
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Finally got round to watching this and yeah it was pretty great, it really captures the complete emptiness of the current western world for certain higher educated millennials. From the shite meaningless art to the fact every human interaction has been turned into some form of profit seeking. The characters have dreams or ideas about something larger but in the end they retreat back into themselves and to their most comfortable position(Behind a computer screen :nervous:).

Both Julia Fox and Peter Vack are brilliant as the two main leads. Fox plays someone with an actual talent but is trapped by having a job which dehumanise herself and those around her and Vack is great as a well meaningful and likeable guy but also someone who is deeply pathetic and self indulgent.

The film does have a little bit of the Ferrara/Safdie dread where things are going well but you can just tell something isn't right. Also if anyone is planning to watch it with someone else it's basically at times a soft porno.

Overall it's worth a watch.

8/10
 
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Just realised that by the end of the month I'll have been to the cinema 8 times in June :) ! And it's been busy every time, great to see following lockdown.

A couple of recent ones...


Fast & Furious 9

A standard F&F movie, doesn't really break any new ground either in the series or the genre overall.

Some of it, particularly towards the end is farcical even for Vin & co.

Baddie needs device for world domination, goodies try to stop him getting it. It's done relatively well but I want to see one of these movies break some new ground. 7.5/10


The Hitman's Wife's Bodyguard

As above really, just waiting for that big action (or action comedy) movie to come along with something original and hit a 9/10 but this wasn't it either.

It has some funny moments and moves along fairly enough, but it doesn't offer anything that the first movie didn't. 7/10
 
Fast & Furious 8.

Well that was pure shit. Never before I had to just throw all logic out the window and the absolute stupid scenes in this one. Normally you would be thinking about good dumb fun. But my god it’s just way to much of a streeeeeetch to even call it fun. I couldn’t even accept anything in it. Like it was super human stuff. Worst in the series imo.

4/10.
 
Port Vale Devil said:
Training Day.

Watched this again last night after not seeing it for a few years and what a great film it truly is. Denzil Washington is such a presence as the corrupt narcotics officer with Ethan Hawke perfectly cast as the young sidekick doing the right thing.

The cast is stacked even down to Snoop Dogg as a paralysed drug dealer. Amazing soundtrack to go with this brilliant film.

9.5/10
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Yeah going to watch this again now because of your review..
 
Tough ask but has anyone got any films a long the theme of Training Day that aren’t Departed?
 
Deery said:
Tough ask but has anyone got any films a long the theme of Training Day that aren’t Departed?
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Dunno about theme but try Harsh Times. Same director as Training Day I think, top Christian Bale performance set in the same crazy LA scene.
 
Deery said:
Tough ask but has anyone got any films a long the theme of Training Day that aren’t Departed?
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Could you be more specific? You want movies on corrupt cops or...?

Here's a couple:
  • Cop Land with Stallone
  • Prince of the City with Treat Williams
  • Pride and Glory with Colin Farrell
  • Brooklyn's Finest with Don Cheadle and Ethan Hawke
  • Internal Affairs with Richard Gere
 
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