Ten years after Brian De Palma and Al Pacino made Scarface, they came back with Carlito‘s Way, another gangster epic and classic action-thriller. Carlito Brigante is much quieter and wiser than the raging Tony Montanna in Scarface, but he still chases a dream with a speeding bullet right behind him. Carlito’s dream, however, isn’t a pot of cocaine or power and wealth, like […]
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Do you ever get that fuzzy “after-taste” feeling when you finish watching a captivating movie? That feeling of awe, relief and a sudden craving for fictional characters in your real life. Kicks gives you all these feelings and more. Newbie director Justin Tipping draws emotion from his cast to generate tension and to express his vision. Only […]
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There’s no shortage of great heist movies – all of which might inspire you to round up your mates to pull off a grand-slam robbery. (I’m joking. Don’t do this.) Watching the workings of criminals is a fun escape from everyday life, and heist films are in full throttle, with Baby Driver and Logan Lucky being […]
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You’d be forgiven for thinking Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri was going to be straightforward. It seems like a simple revenge tale. But it’s not. It’s more a tale of how life can hurt, heal and transform people in the strangest ways. Right from the off, it completely denies you the comfort of an easy viewing. If you […]
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Inherent Vice has a rambled plot which is secondary to characters, incidents and drug-fueled comedy. How do I even begin to review a movie that’s so chaotic? It’s a detective tale and it’s completely riveting in its manic storytelling. It has a one-of-kind style and it’s all about mood and vibe. This is a big […]
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FBI agent Joe Pistone (Johnny Depp) goes undercover to infiltrate the New York Mafia, under the name Donnie Brasco. Veteran gangster Lefty (Al Pacino) brings Donnie into the mob and schools him on the ways of the wise guy. Donnie must take the gang down, but – gasp! – he becomes genuine friends with Lefty. One false […]
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What happens to a good cop in a rotten system? Frank Serpico (Al Pacino) found out the hard way. Serpico is a classic 1970s film dealing with police corruption and it’s based on a true story. Beyond his hippy looks and rogue street tactics, Frank Serpico represents justice. He epitomises a brave and law-abiding person, standing up […]
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A History of Violence doesn’t try to be an action flick; it takes a hard look at violence in its many forms. Can violence ever be justified? Are you still heroic when you’re violent? I missed this film when it was released in 2005. I would have been ten years old at the time, so […]
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First of all, I’m surprised there has been next to no fanfare for Wind River. Its reception has been kind, but it didn’t get much mainstream hype. My theory is the plot makes it sound like a conventional murder mystery. So, it wasn’t able to grab the attention of a large audience. I suppose for some of […]
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There are crime films and then there are TRUE crime films. Zodiac falls into the latter category. It’s based on California’s notorious Zodiac killings, in which the killer in question took great pride in giving clues by sending letters to the press. Yet still, the cops hit brick wall after brick wall in their pursuit. “The Zodiac” was […]
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Taxi Driver: Travis Bickle (Robert DiNero) is a lonely cab driver working a night shift. He’s an insomniac. Cruising through the streets of NY City, he’s disgusted by the sleaze he finds. It drives him over the edge and so he goes wild as a nutty vigilante. 41 years later and this timeless film still has […]
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Good Time has seedy characters that make bad decision after bad decision. But it’s so fast-paced, their mistakes pull you deeper into the chaos. A chilling performance from Robert Pattinson, coupled with edgy crime-drama, and we’ve got ourselves a damn good film. It’s an adrenalised story that takes place over 24 hours. Pattinson plays Connie, who […]
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