92. Goodfellas

"Paulie may have moved slow, but it was only because Paulie didn't have to move for anybody." - Henry Hill

Martin Scorsese (who will be referred to as "Martin" because... come on, that name) hit gold. Pure cinema gold with this film. He does that with most of his movies, but this one is quite fantastic. I'm pretty sure he got things rolling for The Sopranos producers while making this (which is a series I highly recommend.)

It all follows Ray Liotta's character, Henry Hill, and how he became a gangster at the age of 13. He doesn't become a boss or anything higher up though because apparently only full blood Italians are allowed to, and he is half Irish. There's not too much plot besides that but it goes into detail all the heists they pulled off and how he made his money. Robert De Niro was fantastic and Joe Pesci supplied numerous memorable lines that have been spoofed for as long as I can remember (You think I'm funny? Do I amuse you?). 

I can not begin to describe how exciting it was to see all the young Sopranos actors in this movie though! Not only that, I recently watched Repo! The Genetic Opera and saw Paul Sorvino go from greedy organ CEO to father figure mobster and I loved every second. Samuel L. Jackson also plays a small role. Come on, SAMUEL L. JACKSON playing a minor role has to tell you just how many big names are in this film.

It uses a narrative throughout the movie, which I love because the narrator can let you in on things that normal dialogue would do no justice and lets the imagery do most of the talking. 

Now, don't get me wrong, they were all vicious mobsters, but they were so good and pretty badass that you couldn't help but root for them and hope nothing bad happens. The soundtrack follows a timeline so that wherever the plot is taking place (or, whenever) the music matches it. This is a pretty well known technique, but it really strengthens the film's intent and makes sure that you are pulled into the movie. THAT is what makes a great movie. If you are sitting on the couch, watching a movie, and you notice your television is crooked, or check your cell phone from time to time or space out and halfway listen... the movie is not doing its job. You can not be aware that you are currently watching a movie in your living room, you have to really feel the movie and be really involved with what your watching.

It keeps you entertained.

I recommend Goodfellas.

Next Movie: Sophie's Choice (1982)

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sophie%27s_Choice_(film)

93. The French Connection

"You put a shiv in my partner. You know what that means? Goddammit! All winter long I got to listen to him gripe about his bowling scores. Now I'm gonna bust your ass for those three bags and I'm gonna nail you for picking your feet in Poughkeepsie" - Jimmy "Popeye" Doyle.

ACTION ACTION ACTION ACTION ACTION ACTIONATOIANASOIASDOINOINSDFJNHDSF

That sort of sums up my thought process while watching The French Connection. Let's get the plot ball rolling here...

It is the semi-true story of two undercover cops who work in narcotics and bust pill poppers on a daily basis. For fun one night, they trail a guy who has connections to drug dealers and ultimately leads them to his FRENCH CONNECTION (haha! get it? The dealer is from France and he is their connection and.....yea). The movie then follows them as they follow the small fish and ends following the main French fish.


I feel pretty guilty for not enjoying it more... and it was only after Wikipedia-ing for a while did I get to understand just what made it stand out, and that was the car chase.



That exact car chase. The song is called "Black Magic Woman" and it didn't play in the film. But this was the song the entire chase was edited in time with it. Again, it didn't play in the film, so it was like WATCHING the song. (For anyone not really familiar with movies in the 70's, they rarely used music. Coincidentally, this time period has been deemed as the greatest era of film mainly because of these huge periods of silence. I think I discussed this in an earlier post, but when you think about it, compared to modern film, we need something happening nonstop but all sound is taken away when something is emphasized or important, it helps concentration... coincidence? I think not.)

In any case, this chase set a higher standard for action films because it is still good to this day. It may even look familiar as Christopher Nolan based a good majority of his chase scenes in the new Batman series on this one scene. You can find tons of fun facts about it too, because who doesn't eat them up?

- They did not have permission
- They hit one or two civilian cars but paid for the damage.
- An actor in the film actually performed the stunts in the car surrounded by mattresses
- Traffic was NOT under control, hence the wrecks which were unintentional, but left in the film

THIS is what happens when you get creative folks, and it does leave an impression for action films today. That being said, I... sort of like action movies, but not really. I probably won't watch it again but if you are an action buff, I believe this would be one of those things you're required to watch. If you do feel the need to watch, here are a few more fun facts to help ya out:

- A straw hat in the back window means undercover cops are on duty.
- The "Do you pick your feet in Poughkeepsie?" line is just...a line.
- Don't expect too big of an ending.
- Based on a true story but not TOO true.

Next movie: Goodfellas (1990)
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Goodfellas