From Russia With Love has to be the best Connery Bond. Almost Hitchcockian.
Film out on netflix called Nobody. Not a bad fight scene on a bus to kick it off but downhill after that.
It’s the best James Bond movie, hands down.
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Ha. I hadn’t seen it since forever, thought i’d have it on in the background while I cooked dinner and never left the couch. About to now microwave some frozen pies for dinner. I don’t resort to frozen pies for many Bond films so maybe you’re right.
Only One?
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The original Bond movies had a very distinct feel to them: big, bright colours, lots of light, simple and clear action, brassy music – and they were short. Well, short by today’s standards; 90-odd minutes, which for most of the history of cinema was the standard length of a feature movie. The new one is 2 hours 43 minutes. To me that just says it’s bloated.
A lot of talk about Heat on blitz. It’s been on my radar for a bit but the runtime prevented me from taking the plunge, finally did.
I had no idea how dumb this movie was going to be, and there’s plenty of hamfisted writing and plot points. It’s also a boatload of fun and once you switch your brain off it’s very enjoyable.
There’s multiple secondary plot points that are exceedingly half baked and anemic. (Waingro being a serial killer, the black ex con fry cook, Natalie Portman suicide, Hank Azaria piping Kilmer’s wife etc)
Pacino has zero chemistry with his wife, and she is terribly acted and written. She clumsily dumps exposition multiple times throughout the film, because this movie has to heavy handedly tell you what the characters are in dialogue rather than show you through craft.
De Niro likewise has zero chemistry with whoever his love interest was. I can’t remember her name because she is not a character, but a mere plot device created so that De Niro can enact his mantra of “never attach yourself to something you can’t walk away from in 30 seconds” at the end.
Pacino egregiously overacts in multiple scenes early on, shouting about ■■■■■ and borders on parody before thankfully settling down.
I’m not going to list all the other stupid things in this movie because once again, if you switch your brain off it becomes very enjoyable. (Also that would take a very long time)
The cast is fantastic, led by De Niro who kills it.
The cat and mouse dynamic is great.
The heist scenes are excellent.
The use of sound is top tier, in both its absence in certain scenes (spying on the second heist) and the omission of any score during the shootout. This omission allows the fantastic echoing street gunfire to ring out unsmothered, it’s rawness along with the firearm proficiency of the robbers elevates a bombastically stupid, fun scene to classic status.
Cinematography is also worth praise, particularly during the heist missions.
It also moves along surprisingly well for a near 3hr film riddled with subpar side plots/elements.
All in all a very dumb, but very fun movie.
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IMO, it’s the main reason Scorsese has only ever directed him once, & that was only recently, 45 years after his peak in DDA. I reckon since Scarface was made memorable by his overacting, he has stuck to the same formula
Al Pacino is not a good dramatic actor. Even in DDA it was just peak Pacino, albeit a lot younger. Godfather part ii was his best performance, and nothing else he has done in his career comes close. Id consider part ii to be an anomoly. Hes entertaining, but hammy as ■■■■.
People forget that Pacino does a lot of very quiet acting in Scent of a Woman.
They only remember ‘flamethrower.’
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I cannot stand scent of a woman. Hooooo ahh
My favourite pacino performance is devils advocate tho- move was made for him.
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Seymour-Hoffman is in it, therefore it is a good movie.
God Father 1 & 2, Serpico, And justice for all. You don’t think he was a good dramatic actor in those??
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Havent seen And Justice for All. I agree GF 1, 2, Seprico and arguably GF 3 he puts in thoroughly good dramatic performances. I think his theatre heritage really overtakes the majority of his movie performance, however. Would have been great to see him on stage.
Indiana Jones 5 been delayed again by a year
This movie sounds like a complete train wreck there will be time travel and supposedly going to replace Indy with a female by the end of the film
Umm Disney know there is already a female Indy right her name is Lara Croft
I think he was amazing when he was young.
He became a caricature of himself. De Niro did the same thing.
Pacino is brilliant in Glengarry Glenross. To say he’s not a good dramatic actor is insane to me. Yes he became a cartoon of himself but the dude is phenomenal when he wants to be.
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Absolutely, I think all actors as they age check out a bit and just cash in on being what people want from them, as opposed to actually putting anything genuinely new or exciting forward. Having said that, I think Deniro genuinely works in more comedic roles, even if they are a bit beneath someone of his talent.
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Yeah I dunno, maybe im a bit all over the shop, but glengarry glen ross did start off as a stageplay and I think it fits Pacino’s acting style very well, but its still very much just pacino being pacino.
And Glengarry Glen Ross is an absolutely god tier piece of fkg art.
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Who would you say is/was a great dramatic actor??
No right or wrong answer btw.