Sleepers (1996)

Robert De Niro Film Fest Movie #15 

Synopsis: Catholic priest stands up against injustice by, um… committing perjury to allow a couple of drug-dealing killers to beat a murder rap? WTF? 

Blurb From the VHS Jacket: “The judicial system is supposed to protect them. But when a youthful prank in New York’s Hell’s Kitchen spins out of control, the punishment doesn’t fit the crime. Sentenced to the Wilkinson School for Boys, four pals are mistreated at will by a cadre of sadistic guards. Now, 15 years later, they have an unexpected opportunity to use that system – for revenge.”

What Did I Learn?: 1) "The street is the only thing that matters. Court is for uptown people with suits, money, lawyers with three names. If you got cash you can buy court justice. But on the street, justice has no price. She's blind where the judge sits but she's not blind out here. Out here the bitch got eyes." 2) "Hell's Kitchen was a place of innocence ruled by corruption.” 3)  “Nuns are such easy targets.” 4) “You gotta have rules and you gotta have discipline.” 5) Republicans aren't welcome in Hell's Kitchen.

You Might Like This Movie If: You really want to see a crazed hot dog vendor.

 

Really?: 1) See: “Synopsis.” 2) Wow – sleepers has a LOT of big-name stars: De Niro, Dustin Hoffman, Kevin Bacon, Brad Pitt, Bruno Kirby, etc… it’s a shame Bacon and Kirby never get to interact with any of the others. 3) Is it just me, or does it take a LONG time for the basic storyline (kids get into trouble and get sent to hellhole reform school) to get started? 4) So wait – the killers’ alibi is that they went to a basketball game with Father Bobby? Ok… I had a bit of trouble believing nobody would ask why he didn’t come forth before the trial, or why the killers didn’t mention it to the cops. 5) Is it plausible the DA would give the case to Michael (Pitt), based on his knowledge of the Hell’s Kitchen neighbourhood, even though he’s never tried a murder case before? I don’t know…

Rating: The latter half of Sleepers is a bit implausible, and it has a few other flaws (see: “Really?”), but it’s nevertheless a compelling, and well-written film. Check it out if you get the chance 8/10 stars. 

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0117665/?ref_=nv_sr_1

City By the Sea (2002)

Robert De Niro Film Fest Movie #14

Synopsis: Robert De Niro guest stars on this week’s episode of Law and Order. 

Blurb From the DVD Jacket: “Vincent LaMarca’s job is to arrest killers, but this job is different. The suspect he is tracking is his own son. As a cop, LaMarca must bring the accused to justice. As a father, he must find a way to save his son.” 

What Did I Learn?: You will not be well-received at a fast-food drive-thru if you ask the cashier for a cheeseburger and a blowjob. 

You Might Like This Movie If: Just like Vincent LaMarca, you know that living right by the sea is a bit over-rated.

 

Really?: 1) Hold on – a couple of junkies kill a drug dealer in the middle of nowhere, run away with his dope, and never think to search his person for cash? He was carrying four grand!! 2) So, um….what happened to Vincent’s relationship with Michelle (Frances McDormand)? It’s all rather unresolved at the end. 

Rating: City by the Sea isn’t bad for an evening’s entertainment, but it’s slow-moving and often feels more like a made-for-TV police procedural, right down to the casting of George Dzundza (the murdered police detective from Law and Order) as the protagonist’s murdered police detective partner, and John Doman (the hard-assed police boss from The Wire) as his hard-assed boss. It’s all pretty mundane, and we're never really given any reasons to care about Joey's fate, but I have to award City by the Sea an extra star for De Niro’s impassioned, and surprisingly moving speech to his son near the end of the film – it’s a good moment. 6.5/10 stars. 

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0269095/?ref_=nv_sr_1

Mean Streets (1973)

Robert De Niro Film Fest Movie #13

Synopsis: Two-bit gangster learns the hard way that providing second chances to fuckup best friend is a career-limiting move. 

Blurb From the VHS Jacket: “Mean Streets is an instant classic... It’s a story Scorsese himself lived, a semi-autobiographical tale of the lifestyles of the first-generation sons and daughters of New York’s Little Italy. Every raw situation in Mean Streets arises from Scorsese’s experiences or observations during his early years in ‘the neighbourhood.’”

What Did I Learn?: 1) The mob didn’t have a terribly enlightened view of epilepsy in the early 1970s. 2) “You don't make up for your sins in church. You do it in the streets. You do it at home. The rest is bullshit and you know it.” 

You Might Like This Movie If: You know that any street can be mean.

 

Really?: 1) I realize Charlie (Harvey Keitel) and Johnny Boy (De Niro) have been friends since whenever, but I had a hard time believing a go-getter like Charlie wouldn’t have ditched him years earlier. 2) Hold on – Michael has a (very!) legitimate beef with Johnny Boy, and wants to kill him, but couldn’t he attempt to do that when Johnny Boy is alone? Shooting at a car driven by Charlie – whose uncle is a big cheese in the local mafia, seems like an extremely dangerous move. 

Rating: If you enjoyed Goodfellas, it’s worth your while to check out Mean Streets, as the film is in many respects a powerful precursor to the 1990 classic. Keitel does a great job as the long-suffering Charlie, but De Niro basically steals the movie with a memorable performance. Highly recommended. 9/10 stars. 

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0070379/?ref_=fn_al_tt_1

Ronin (1998)

Robert De Niro Film Fest Movie #12 (Hmm….it’s also turning into a Jonathan Pryce film fest. J.P. was the star of Brazil)

Synopsis: it’s basically two hours of high speed car chases through narrow urban streets in France, punctuated with De Niro spouting smug wisecracks. 

Blurb From the VHS Jacket: “in a world where loyalties are abandoned and allegiances can be bought, a new and deadlier terrorist threat has emerged – free agent killers!” 

What Did I Learn?: 1) “Whenever there is any doubt, there is no doubt” is Lesson Number One. 2) “I don’t remember” is Lesson Number Two. 3) “No questions. No answers. That's the business we're in. You just accept it and move on” is Lesson Number Three. 4) “Either you're part of the problem or you're part of the solution or you're just part of the landscape.” 5) “Everyone's your brother until the rent comes due.” 6) “The map is not the territory.”

You Might Like This Movie If: You've sometimes asked yourself: "what's the colour of the boathouse at Hereford?"

 

Really?: 1) I had a hard time believing De Niro and Stellan Skarsgard could absorb that much punishment at the Roman ruins, and then run after each other like Ben Johnson and Carl Lewis in their prime. 2) The movie makes a plot point out of the fact that Gregor doesn’t have time to find an exact duplicate of the case, but come on – is it that hard to find a similar-looking stainless steel camera case? Is spray-painting a black case really going to fool anyone?

Rating: Ronin is an intelligent, compelling, and otherwise top-notch spy thriller. The movie features a great cast, and one of the most exciting car chases since To Live and Die in LA. Frankly, I’d love to see the 007 franchise use Ronin as a model for future films. My only complaints would be that De Niro’s witticisms get a little annoying, there’s a revolving door of villains, and Ronin is about 20 minutes too long. Still, highly recommended. 9/10 stars. 

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0122690/?ref_=nv_sr_2

Brazil (1985)

Robert De Niro Film Fest Movie # 11

Synopsis: Ever wanted to see George Orwell’s 1984 reimagined through a bad acid trip? 

Blurb From the VHS Jacket: “Brazil is a surrealistic nightmare vision of a ‘perfect’ future where technology reigns supreme. Everyone is monitored by a secret government agency that forbids love to interfere with efficiency.”

What Did I Learn?: 1) “An empty desk is an efficient desk.” 2) “Faces are a doddle compared to tits and ass.” 3) If the state has basically kidnapped a woman’s husband, tortured him to death and disposed of his body, there's a better-than-even chance she won’t be in a bubbly mood if you show up at her doorstep with a small refund cheque. 

You Might Like This Movie If: You'll watch anything that involves crappy old technology....and Brazil!

 

Really?: Um….what the fuck did I just watch?

Rating: I’ve never been a big fan of Terry Gilliam’s films, so it didn't surprise me when I took a strong dislike to Brazil. Sure, Brazil is highly imaginative and visually stunning (it obviously influenced a lot of later films, not to mention TV shows and commercials), but it’s also loud, difficult to follow, and at least 45 minutes too long. Moreover, even for a black satire, the film isn’t terribly funny, and Sam (Jonathan Pryce) isn’t all that likeable or interesting as a protagonist. I cannot recommend this movie. 3/10 stars.

Would It Work For a Bad Movie Night?: Maybe…take a drink any time Sam seems awkward... or any time we're treated to the sight of a giant tube. 

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0088846/?ref_=nv_sr_1