1980. dir. Martin Scorsese, starring Robert DeNiro, Joe Pesci, Cathy Moriarty, Frank Vincent.
Seen it before? No.
Ha ha, yes, I did mistake this movie for Kevin Kostner's Bull Durham and so I was shocked to see a black and white boxing match as the menu appeared on screen.
You know it's pretty bad that we've seen the more recent Scorsese films and are working our way back through his earlier films. I've seen Goodfellas and the more recent The Departed. And I hear there are a few more on the list that I haven't seen (get your gasps out now because I was [gladly] sheltered from Scorsese growing up) Once Upon a Time in America, Taxi Driver and Casino. I must say that if the films are going to be the same damn story set in different times and settings I'm going to be continuously disappointed. See, DeNiro and Pesce are brothers in this movie but their tempers are the same as in Goodfellas and it's really damn annoying. I hate how women are treated badly in Scorsese movies. I hate that they beat the crap out of each other instead of talking stuff out.
I kept on wondering where I saw Cathy Moriarty before. She was the chick in Casper (Bill Pullman and Christina Ricci). She's good but her character puts up with way too much of DeNiro's characters' crap! LaMotta is essentially a huge loser with a capital L. His brother was wise to not forgive him after he got the crap kicked out of him in front of his wife and kids.
Last thoughts - god I hope the rest of the Scorsese movies I haven't seen aren't this disappointing.
Watch it again? NO
Own it? HELL No
Showing posts with label Raging Bull. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Raging Bull. Show all posts
Sunday, February 21, 2010
Saturday, February 20, 2010
#55 Raging Bull: He ain't pretty no more.
1980. dir. Martin Scorsese, starring Robert DeNiro, Joe Pesci, Cathy Moriarty, Frank Vincent.
Seen it before? No.
This was funny: I turned on this movie, and a couple minutes in, my wife says "Why are they boxing? I thought this was a baseball movie." Uhh, no. That's Bull Durham.
(an aside: No movies about baseball on the list. Probably because so many of them are sappy or boring or ridiculous or just plain terrible. I think the best movie about baseball ever made is Major League but I think this is a minority view.)
And but so anyway. Robert DeNiro plays Jake LaMotta, a middleweight boxer with some pretty serious rage issues. He has a brother played by Joe Pesci and a wife, whom he conveniently discards for a better-looking and nicer woman (Cathy Moriarty). He wins a bunch of fights, but drives everyone away due to his insane jealousy. Oh and he throws a fight because the Mob makes him. (Hey! It's Billy Batts! Now go home and get your fuckin' shinebox.) The movie is (mostly) in black and white for some reason.
Movies like this are why I generally don't like biopics - it's just one thing happening after another, with no real overall story linking them. To quote Jerry Seinfeld, "If I wanted a long boring story with no point to it, I have my life." It is still worth seeing for Robert DeNiro's performance, and the meticulously re-created boxing matches, which are all based on real fights. The guy who plays Sugar Ray Robinson looks like he could mess you up pretty bad. The way the fights are shot are intense and visceral. Oh and apparently Scorsese stole Alfred Hitchcock's idea from Psycho and used Hershey's Syrup for blood.
Position on the list: 72
Movie that ripped off this movie's ending: Boogie Nights. Dirk in front of the mirror reciting his dialogue. But don't worry, there's no giant schlong in this movie.
Seen it before? No.
This was funny: I turned on this movie, and a couple minutes in, my wife says "Why are they boxing? I thought this was a baseball movie." Uhh, no. That's Bull Durham.
(an aside: No movies about baseball on the list. Probably because so many of them are sappy or boring or ridiculous or just plain terrible. I think the best movie about baseball ever made is Major League but I think this is a minority view.)
And but so anyway. Robert DeNiro plays Jake LaMotta, a middleweight boxer with some pretty serious rage issues. He has a brother played by Joe Pesci and a wife, whom he conveniently discards for a better-looking and nicer woman (Cathy Moriarty). He wins a bunch of fights, but drives everyone away due to his insane jealousy. Oh and he throws a fight because the Mob makes him. (Hey! It's Billy Batts! Now go home and get your fuckin' shinebox.) The movie is (mostly) in black and white for some reason.
Movies like this are why I generally don't like biopics - it's just one thing happening after another, with no real overall story linking them. To quote Jerry Seinfeld, "If I wanted a long boring story with no point to it, I have my life." It is still worth seeing for Robert DeNiro's performance, and the meticulously re-created boxing matches, which are all based on real fights. The guy who plays Sugar Ray Robinson looks like he could mess you up pretty bad. The way the fights are shot are intense and visceral. Oh and apparently Scorsese stole Alfred Hitchcock's idea from Psycho and used Hershey's Syrup for blood.
Position on the list: 72
Movie that ripped off this movie's ending: Boogie Nights. Dirk in front of the mirror reciting his dialogue. But don't worry, there's no giant schlong in this movie.
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