B+

100 Movie Challenge: #92 Goodfellas

Richard Mattox 4 Comments

B+

Goodfellas 1990
Goodfellas 1990

It’s our third straight crime-thriller and this one splits the difference. Martin Scorsese’s 1990 neo-noir gangster staple, Goodfellas, was one of those films on the list that inspired me to take the 100 Movie Challenge. As a fan of the ever-evolving gangster archetype, from the classical era to modern day, Goodfellas was a film I had always wanted to see, and it certainly did not disappoint.

Like last week’s film, The French Connection, Goodfellas is based on a nonfiction, true crime book,  by Nicholas Pileggi. The story follows the life of Henry Hill (played by Ray Liotta), an Irish-American born into a blue-collar family who managed to reach his dream of becoming an associate of the New York Italian mob family, the Luccheses. The film follows Hill as he works his way up the mob-hierarchy.

Liotta is complimented by a stellar supporting cast, including acting elite, Robert DeNiro, an Oscar nominated performance by Lorraine Bracco, and a show-stealing, Oscar-winning performance from Joe Pesci. Pesci’s performance was so good, it even outshined his other famously brilliant performance of 1990, as burglar Harry Lime in one of my favorite movies of all time, Home Alone. (How he missed a double nomination that year, I’ll never know).

The film simply has great scene, after great scene, after great scene. According to Pesci, the spectacular screenplay by Scorsese and Pileggi was enhanced by countless improvised lines. Whether it’s the brilliant dialogue of the “How am I funny?” scene or the brutally nonchalant manner in which heinous crimes are carried out, the script rarely displays a moment that is anything short of excellent.

Pesci's beloved
Pesci’s beloved “Am I funny?” scene

And it goes without saying, but the performances are masterful. From top to bottom, each actor delivers a compelling interpretation. The quality performances take an action-driven biopic and make it deceptively poignant.

My only gripe with Goodfellas is perhaps, partially, a byproduct of the film’s “based-on-a-true-story” foundation. The climax of the film falls flat for me. At risk of spoiling the ending, I’ll say only that it comes with an unconventional twist, which is drawn from the true life story of Henry Hill. My complaint isn’t with the twist, indeed it is what makes Hill’s story so interesting and offers a noteworthy question on liberty and loyalty, but after so many consecutive great scenes, one would expect the climax to blow you away. Instead it leaves something to be desired. The audience (or at least I) was left with the feeling that the greatest scenes of the film were found early on, while the rest were there simply to complete the story. It certainly didn’t destroy the movie for me, as I would still highly recommend it as one of the greatest gangster flicks of all time, but it is perhaps what kept Goodfellas in the 90s of our list rather than higher up.

Ending or no ending, Goodfellas earns a quality B+, and with a plot that addresses the underbelly of corruption and the breakdown of individualism, our #92 film ranks a 7 on the Liberty Scale. For the performances, the screenplay, the style, and the impact on the gangster paradigm, Goodfellas certainly merits its location amongst the greatest films of all time.

Our familiarization with acting’s elite continues next week with Meryl Streep in #91 Sophie’s Choice.

Are you a fan of Scorsese’s Goodfellas? Or does it shrivel in comparison to some of the other gangster-greats? Let us know!

To see the rest of the list click here.

100 Movie Challenge: #97 Blade Runner

Richard Mattox 7 Comments

B+

Blade Runner 1982
Blade Runner 1982

I know this might ruffle some feathers. Members of the Blade Runner cult are sharpening their pitchforks at the fact that it is not our first A+, and perhaps with good reason.  After all, the 1982 dystopian sci-fi holds a special and influential position in the film history hierarchy.  The concept is phenomenally inventive, the characters are extremely compelling and oddly relatable, the visuals are stunning and progressive, and the theme is one that leaves you questioning your worldview as you exit the theater.  Blade Runner is one of the first films to reach beyond the suffocating tropes of the science fiction genre and use it as a viable and effective means for telling a poignant story.  At this point, I have almost convinced myself that I rated it too low.

The story follows Deckard (Harrison Ford), a retired police officer who is forced to accept a mission to eliminate several illegal “replicants” (bioengineered humanoids).  The journey that follows combines thrilling action with a very compelling question: what does it really mean to be alive?

However, while all of the elements seem apparent, there is just a whiff of something missing for me.  It was the second time I’ve watched Blade Runner and, for whatever reason, I find the conversations that occur after watching to be far more enjoyable than the actual viewing experience.  I know I may be claiming my own private island here, but it can be slow at times

Daryl Hanna as replicant Pris
Daryl Hanna as replicant: Pris

and failed to keep me fixed to the edge of my seat. And it seems I’m not alone!  Blade Runner is one of a few members of the AFI List that struck out entirely at the Academy Awards, winning 0 Oscars out of only two nominations.  Now, this is not a perfect indicator of the film’s quality, especially since 1982 was simply a great year for movies (#91 Sophie’s Choice, #69 Tootsie, and #24 E.T. The Extra-Terrestrial from our list were all released that same year); but it seems as though much of the appreciation for Blade Runner has come in retrospect.

Harrison Ford as Rick Deckard and Sean Young as Rachel
Harrison Ford as Rick Deckard and Sean Young as Rachel

Still, it’s one of those movies you just have to see.  No film junkie’s vernacular is complete without the occasional reference or parallel to Blade Runner, and its impact on the future of film is extremely apparent.  For that, Blade Runner earns a solid B+, and a Liberty Rating of 7 for its commentary on the ways in which outside forces influence individual freedoms.  I won’t question it’s inclusion on the list, I just can’t say I’m as blown away as some of my peers.  Maybe I’m missing something.

Alrighty.  Are you keeping up?  Next is #96, Spike Lee’s Do the Right Thing.

  • 100. Ben-Hur
  • 99. Toy Story
  • 98. Yankee Doodle Dandy
  • 97. Blade Runner
  • 96. Do the Right Thing

Okay, bring it on.  How do you feel about Blade Runner?  Can you help me see the light? Or are you equally underwhelmed by the hype?  Let us know!

To see the rest of the list click here.

100 Movie Challenge: #100 Ben-Hur

Richard Mattox 9 Comments

B+

We begin our journey through filmmaking history with the 1959 epic, William Wyler’s Ben-Hur, starring Charlton Heston in his Oscar-winning role as Judah Ben-Hur.

Ben-Hur 1959
Ben-Hur 1959

To this day, Ben-Hur maintains the record for the most Academy Awards for a single film (now tied with Titanic and The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King), winning an unprecedented 11 Oscars out of 12 nominations.  This then begs the question, how could the most decorated film of all time only strike the list at #100?

It’s a good question.  Like the two other films tied for the Oscar record, Ben-Hur effectively melds a wonderful story and great acting with a superbly high production value (the $15+ million budget was the most ever seen at the time of production).  The film follows Judah Ben-Hur, a Jewish prince on a quest to rescue his mother and sister from unjust slavery.  The story is paralleled with the story of Christ, including a climactic scene at Jesus’ crucifixion.

Charlton Heston as Judah Ben-Hur in the famous Chariot Scene
Charlton Heston as Judah Ben-Hur in the famous Chariot Scene

While Ben-Hur certainly holds up over time, it is admired now primarily for its influence on the future of film.  The stunning biblical/historical epic defined a genre and re-established the bar as to what was possible in the world of film.  Scenes like the infamous “chariot scene” or the naval battle are as realistic today as ever, despite being made over 50 years ago (which is definitely some rare praise).

Ben-Hur earns a solid B+.  Perhaps it isn’t quite the life-changing movie now that it once was, but without it, films like Titanic, The Lord of the Rings, and, the upcoming biblical epic, Noah, may never have existed.  And on the liberty scale, Ben-Hur earns a walloping 9.5 out of 10.  The entire story is centered around the dream of attaining freedom, which is perhaps what makes Judah’s quest so noble.  For him, nothing compares to the notion of being truly free; a theme that rings just as true today as 2000 years ago.

Wyler’s masterpiece continues to prove why it holds a place as a film history juggernaut.  My only regret was not being able to see it on the big screen.  My tiny Macbook screen probably doesn’t do justice to the originally intended epic-widescreen experience.  (If you, for whatever reason, have the opportunity to see this in 35mm, do not, I repeat DO NOT miss that chance).  So why only #100?  I suppose that remains to be seen.  We’ve got a lot of movies to go.

That’s one down.  Next up: Disney-Pixar’s Toy Story.

  • 100. Ben-Hur
  • 99. Toy Story

What did you think of Ben-Hur?  Were you totally blown away?  Or were you snoring by the start of hour 3?  Let us know!