Alternate Best Supporting Actor 1973: Results

5. Max von Sydow in The Exorcist- Sydow has a limited role but properly gives the weight and power to his role.

4. Edward G. Robinson in Soylent Green- His film is not much but Robinson gives a heartfelt performance that brings weight to a film sorely lacking in it otherwise.

3. Robert De Niro in Mean Streets- De Niro gives an effectively manic performance that infuses a childlike enthusiasm that works perfectly for the part.

2. Robert Ryan in The Iceman Cometh- Ryan gives a powerful performance piercing through the film by realizing his character's cynicism brilliantly by always managing to show that this comes from his broken dreams.

1. Robert Shaw in The Sting- Good Prediction Lezlie. This was a difficult choice to make as Ryan and Shaw are both incredible Ryan realizing his complex character brilliantly, but Shaw making so much more out of a part that is so little. For the moment the win goes to Shaw showing why he is my favorite supporting actor ever tearing into scenes with such conviction, and giving a striking villianous turn.

Overall Rank:

1. Robert Shaw in The Sting
2. Robert Ryan in The Iceman Cometh
3. Robert De Niro in Mean Streets
4. Edward G. Robinson in Soylent Green
5. Max von Sydow in The Exorcist
6. Harold Gould in The Sting
7. Hal Holbrook in Magnum Force
8. Michael Lonsdale in The Day of the Jackal
9. Jeff Bridges in The Iceman Cometh
10. Robert De Niro in Bang the Drum Slowly
11. Charles Durning in The Sting 
12. Barry Dennen in Jesus Christ Superstar 
13. Lee J. Cobb in The Exorcist
14. Fredric March in The Iceman Cometh
15. Bob Bingham in Jesus Christ Superstar
16. Kurt Yaghjian in Jesus Christ Superstar
17. Vincent Gardenia in Bang the Drum Slowly 
18. Lee Marvin in The Iceman Cometh
19. Ray Walston in The Sting
20. Tony Roberts in Serpico 
21. Otis Young in The Last Detail
22. Randy Quaid in The Last Detail 
23. Robert Earl Jones in The Sting
24. Yul Brynner in Westworld 
25. John Houseman in The Paper Chase
26. Richard Romanus in Mean Streets
27. Joe Don Baker in Charley Varrick 
28. Larry Marshall in Jesus Christ Superstar
29. Jack Gilford in Save the Tiger
30. Philip Toubus in Jesus Christ Superstar
31. William O'Malley in The Exorcist
32. John Vernon in Charley Varrick
33. Bob Dylan in Pat Garrett and Billy The Kid
34. Andy Robinson in Charley Varrick
35. James Brolin in Westworld 
36. Don Gordon in Papillon
37. Warren Oates in Badlands
38. Josh Mostel in Jesus Christ Superstar
39. Jack MacGowran in The Exorcist
40. Yaphet Kotto in Live and Let Die
41. Robert Deman in Papillon

Alternate Best Supporting Actor 1973: Robert De Niro in Mean Streets

Robert De Niro did not receive an Oscar nomination, despite winning NSFC, for portraying Johnny Boy in Mean Streets.

Mean Streets is an effective film about a low level criminal Charlie (Harvey Keitel) who has trouble succeeding particular due to his impulsive friend.

Robert De Niro portrays Johnny Boy, Charlie's impulsive friend who is more than a little bit of trouble for Charlie's reputation as a respectable sort of mafia man. Johnny Boy is a character in the film who comes in and out and is almost like weight on Charlie's attempt to do anything else. De Niro here plays Johnny Boy as a bit of an idiot who doesn't have any self control. Early in the film when Charlie first confronts him over his debts, De Niro is great in showing that the name Johnny Boy is quite apt in that he is basically is just a boy in a man's body. This particularly effective when he tries to side step the debts by saying, just like a kid would, that it is just not a big deal.

Something that De Niro does importantly here as Johnny Boy is that he does not really portray him as thuggish as many actors might have done. Johnny Boy does some criminal acts as well as gets involves with some of the activities run by Charlie, but he is not really a career criminal by any means. De Niro importantly gets down the characterization of Johnny Boy perfectly. He is capable of violence like getting into fights, he will even blow up things, but I think De Niro expression after blowing up the mail box shows the most important thing about Johnny Boy. His expression is not of cunning, or of an enjoyment of violence. It instead is the face of a not particularly smart man having some fun, nothing more than that.

De Niro finds just this right tone for the troublesome Johnny Boy who consistently gets into trouble through his manic behavior, which De Niro portrays really well with a great deal of manic energy. Whenever he gets into a fight or is partying around in some what De Niro has an effective youthful enthusiasm into the role that is fitting of Johnny Boy as a man who never grew up. I mention his child like behavior again because it is really important to him being at least somewhat likable, and the fact that he does not portray Johnny Boy's antics as that of a truly lowly criminal, makes it far easier to like him at least to some degree.

The likability of Johnny Boy is essential because it has to be believable that Charlie would bother to stand by him despite all the trouble he causes for him. De Niro makes it acceptable that Charlie would keep making excuses for him, despite being such a problem. He and Harvey Keitel have a certain chemistry that really works together. Although they never state their friendship out loud the two manage a nice camaraderie in their scenes together to properly suggest that they go way back. This camaraderie between the two reinforces this idea that Charlie would keep getting himself into bad situations simply because Johnny Boy gets in these situations.

Robert De Niro gives a strong performance here as Johnny Boy that offers just the right type of dynamic with Keitel's more controlled performance as Charlie. He adds nicely to the film throughout making Johnny Boy the crazy variable he should be, that builds nicely to the moment near the end when he really breaks down even more. De Niro handles these final scenes well because he built to them with Johnny Boy's increasing frantic behavior throughout the film. De Niro gives a realistic portrayal of Johnny Boy, who could easily have been played far too flamboyantly. He leaves a remarkable impact on the film, and makes Johnny Boy one of the most memorable aspects of the film.

Alternate Best Supporting Actor 1973

And the Nominees Were Not:

Robert De Niro in Mean Streets

Robert Ryan in The Iceman Cometh

Robert Shaw in The Sting

Max von Sydow in The Exorcist

Edward G. Robinson in Soylent Green

Silver Linings Playbook

They say a critic shouldn't get personal and should maintain a sort of distance from a particular movie in order to remain objective and not to get too passionate about certain things. What I think is wrong with this particular expectation is that it forgets that the reviewer is also a regular moviegoer when it comes to a particular film and their opinion receives more attention because they have better terms to describe what others feel about a picture.

So, should I aspire to become a "good critic" and give up being passionate about a certain film just for the sake of more appreciation? It’s true, I’m closely affected by the subject of Silver Linings Playbook and that can cause two things, depending on how I react to it: a) I completely reject it because I feel that the way the movie portrays its subject is way out of reach, over-the-top and theatrical, b) I develop a sweet spot for it instantly because I get more of the „inside jokes” of it. In this particular case, it’s more of the latter: there came a certain point in the movie after which I couldn’t maintain that distance from the movie and was immediately taken by its beautiful way of telling the story of Pat, a bipolar man who tries to find a new beginning in his life after a horrible incident by getting back to her wife.

What I instantly impressed me about Silver Linings Playbook is the delicate way David O. Russell approached this subject: you can feel that the story is personal for him and he didn’t turn to cheap theatrics even in the most over-the-top scenes in the film. The directing, writing and the editing add up to a dazzling, unbalanced and bizarre experience, surprising you way too much. The whole roller coaster feeling of the film makes it one extended, haunting manic episode.

However, Russell holds this chaos together thanks to the outstanding work of an exceptional cast, led by an amazing Bradley Cooper who reached an unexpected (to many) career high with the character of Pat. He has two key scenes in the movie, which could have become standard meltdowns made for an Oscar clip, but instead they are both extremely terrifying and heartbreaking (I’m talking about the one at home and the one in front of the cinema). The way he shows the over-the-top hysterics of the character, while also crying for help silently in his eyes is astonishing. If people weren’t so snobbish about romantic comedies as they are today, this character would become just as iconic as Alvy Singer, but alas, people look down on films like this. Moreover, the frequent criticism of gender inequality is constantly proven wrong by Cooper who clearly puts an emphasis on how much Pat also depends on Tiffany.

Since I’m going to review Jennifer Lawrence very soon, I’m saving my lengthy comments on her performance, but let me just say that she’s an essential part of an amazing ensemble whose every member is able to create three-dimensional characters, even with their limited parts. De Niro gets the most showy part and uses all the opportunities to have fun and also prove that he didn’t lose his acting chops somewhere around Meet the Fockers. And I’ll have to defend Jacki Weaver’s nomination: her character’s caring and loving presence undeniably uplifts the movie and provides us with some of the loveliest moments. I don’t think she’s worse than her fellow nominees (in my opinion, she captures a mother’s love way better than our actual winner-to-be). Even Chris Tucker is able to display his skills in small part, which he rarely gets to do. The members of the cast should really win that SAG Ensemble Prize come Sunday for their contribution to creating the bittersweet and yet magical atmosphere of Silver Linings Playbook.

However, to embrace and enjoy all of the aspects of the movie you really need to leave behind your cynicism and try to believe that a movie with a “silver lining” can actually be just as worthy of being considered a masterpiece as one about decaying human beings. After all, cinema has to capture reality and reality always offers us a silver lining. And why couldn’t Silver Linings Playbook become that particular silver lining? 

What do you think?

Best Supporting Actor 2012: Robert De Niro in Silver Linings Playbook

Robert De Niro received his seventh Oscar nomination for portraying Patrizio "Pat Sr." Solitano in Silver Linings Playbook.

Robert De Niro has spent over ten years being in random films many of very poor quality, and he himself giving performances of no note. If De Niro had given more descent performances recently he very well might not have been nominated for this film which has been considered a return to form, although this seems to be to soon as his upcoming films in no way suggests he is going to stop being in mediocre to terrible films. Anyway though this being his best performance in years really does not say a lot considering the sort of performances he has been giving lately.

In this film Robert De Niro gives a very supporting performance in this, in that he is mostly there for support. He portrays Pat Sr. the father of the troubled Pat Jr. (Bradley Cooper). The main aspect of Pat Sr.'s character is his constant attention to football games and his favorite team the Philadelphia Eagles. He is always very concerned about things that create the necessary Karma for a game victory, especially since he is always gambling on the games as well. De Niro honestly does not really get any scenes to himself, and his moments are always at least someone else especially Bradley Cooper who is almost in every scene of the film.

De Niro is weaved throughout the film in the scenes as both a helpful and hurtful factor for Pat Jr. in basically equal measure. De Niro really just takes a realistic approach with his part. He combines well the various factors that weigh on Pat Sr. when it comes to his interactions with Pat Sr.. Importantly De Niro does show the proper warmth and love in their scenes together. De Niro is very understated about it, but he does successfully portray it with a great deal of effectiveness. When Pat Sr. fights with Pat Jr. for Jr's sometime very violent behavior, De Niro does not portray it with any hatred just rather as a gut reaction from Pat Sr..

Where Jennifer Lawrence as troubled young widow Tiffany who befriend Pat Jr., and Bradley Cooper as Pat Jr. are quite diagnosed about their mental problems De Niro's Pat Sr. play really an not identified obsessive compulsive. De Niro takes mostly downplays this even partially playing it for a little bit of humor. It is not that De Niro portrays it in any sort of parody actually, instead he just sort of plays in a lighter fashion which shows it as something that most certainly affects him, but in a manner that does not seem problematic for the most part. De Niro handles it well by having it just natural part of Pat Sr. than it almost hidden as him just being too intense of a football fan.

De Niro moves through the film well in the variations of Pat Sr. caused by his problems with his son or his problems with his gambling. He is very good by hitting the randomness of it all, and realistically conveys how quickly how Pat Sr. can be trying to be friendly to his son and the next moment be chewing him out. The two biggest moments of his performance are these two pulls one being when he lashes out at Pat Jr. for supposedly messing with his Karma, and later encouraging Pat Jr. to do the right thing. Both times De Niro plays them well, they are short moment, but De Niro makes them sweet through his honest depiction of Pat Sr.

This performance by De Niro is not on the same level of his work in the 70's by any measure. It is really a lesser work from an actor that can make far more of an impact in a film than he does here. That being said though he does fulfill the role of Pat Sr. the best he can. This is not a performance that steals scenes but instead it appropriately adds to them. He is likable when he needs to be, he is unlikable when he needs to be, he is charming when he needs to be, he is mean when he needs to be. He absolutely succeeds in all aspects of the character even if that is not all that much overall it definitely is a performance I liked that adds nicely to his film.

Best Supporting Actor 2012

And the Nominees Are:

Alan Arkin in Argo

Philip Seymour Hoffman in The Master

Tommy Lee Jones in Lincoln

Robert De Niro in Silver Linings Playbook

Christoph Waltz in Django Unchained 

Silver Linings Playbook

Silver Linings Playbook, 2012
Directed by David O. Russell

Pat has just been released from a mental ward after spending 8 months there. A full grown man, Pat is sent to live with his parents under court orders, and set to take medication and go to therapy. While Pat is happy to be out, all he wants to do is see Nikki, his wife. But no one will talk about her, or let Pat see her. Pat has become an optimist, a true believer in "silver linings". So he tries to better himself, physically and intellectually for Nikki. But then he meets Tiffany, another girl with problems. And when she offers to deliver a letter to Nikki, Pat ends up making a deal with her, to dance with her at a local dance competition, something she's always wanted to do.

I read the book, by the same name, by Matthew Quick back in the winter in anticipation for this film. Having only read the summary of the film IMDB gave me, it sounded funny, and tracked down the book at my local library. And of course, it was such a phenomenal book. It was hilarious, and real, slightly cliche, but original at the same time! The only hindrance to reading a book and falling in love with it as that you'll expect the movie to be the book and sit through it being like "why did they change that? what was the point of that?"

Thus is kind of what happened upon seeing Silver Linings Playbook over the weekend. However, I will not talk too much about the pointless changes they made, the movie was still incredibly well done and well acted and funny.

I have never had a lot of hope in Bradley Cooper. He's never acted in anything to really give me much confidence in him as a serious actor. When I saw he was cast in SLP, I was a little "meh" about it, but got over it. Having now seen the movie, I'll say for the first time something I didn't think I'd say: "Bradley Cooper really impressed me in this movie!" He really captured Pat so well. He gave him the right sensitivity, but balanced with enough wit and humor to make him real. His emotional scenes, mostly the ones with him having breakdowns and slowly descending into hysteria, where wonderfully done. I'm really impressed with him!

Also, Jennifer Lawrence was not someone who I'd have cast. Tiffany is supposed to be in her 30s in the book, and supposed to be (if I remember correctly) Veronica's older sister, not younger. However, upon seeing her acting in this film, it's so clear why Lawrence was cast. She really captured Tiffany. Tiffany could've easily been some sort of cliche character with not a lot of depth, but Jennifer Lawrence was able to give her depth and humor, but also that we were able to sympathize for her. Additionally, I had been nervous that the age difference between Lawrence and Cooper (15 years difference, by the way) would be really weird. But Cooper was able to seem much younger (I already didn't believe he was 37 when I just googled his age), and Lawrence seemed much older than her mere 22 years.

I could easily keep going on the acting in this film. Robert De Niro gave Pat's father depth, and played him so well. Jacki Weaver was also great and was a nice addition to the cast.

Overall, the movie was well made, the script was well written and it was cute, quirky and funny. It has bits for everyone. It has romance for rom-com fans, Jennifer Lawrence (for Hunger Games fans, and  for the guys), Bradley Cooper, football, dancing, and humor. It's an unconventional romantic comedy that David O. Russell only could've done.

While I need a second viewing to really believe in this film as a film, and not keep thinking about "why?" when they changed things from the book, it was a really great movie.

Jennifer Lawrence will definitely be big competition for Leading Actress, and seems to be the current front runner. Robert De Niro is also expected to make it into the top 5. While I'd love to see Bradley Cooper get some love for his role as Pat, we'll see whether this will happen. This film is almost gauranteed to make the Best Picture Nominations, having won the People's Choice Award at TIFF. Will also probably crack into the Adapted Screenplay nominations and could swipe into Director, anything else is really up in the air.

8/10

SILVER LININGS PLAYBOOK

SILVER LININGS PLAYBOOK
Written and Directed by David O. Russell
Starring Bradley Cooper, Jennifer Lawrence and Robert De Niro

Pat Solitano: She is my friend with an F.
Danny: Capital F.
Pat Solitano: Yeah, for friend.

The one thing I took away from David O. Russell’s SILVER LININGS PLAYBOOK is that you have to deal with the bad in order to get to the good stuff. Always focusing on the silver lining never gives you the opportunity to face your demons and allows them the chance to grow while you’re looking the other way. Russell makes an apt point here as applying this theory to watching this film is really the only way to enjoy it.

There is one other thing I learned while watching this film, that Bradley Cooper has the potential to take on stronger, more dramatic parts. Cooper plays Pat Solitano, whom we meet moments before he exits a mental facility, where he is being treated for bipolar disorder, convincing himself aloud that he’s better now. It is never really clear to either of his fantastically fussy parents, played by Robert De Niro and Jacki Weaver, whether he truly is any better but they take him in regardless. Meanwhile, it never needs to be made clear to Pat’s new friend, Tiffany (Jennifer Lawrence), because she is often just as messed up as he is. Together they learn to heal each other ... through amateur dance?

Considering how visceral Russell went last time out with his Oscar-nominated work on THE FIGHTER, I am genuinely surprised by how tame SILVER LININGS PLAYBOOK is. A fantastic ensemble elevates Russell’s screenplay, with moments both touching and amusing, but never to the point where it breaks free of its more conventional trappings. But when you weigh the film’s faults against it’s own silver linings, its still worth the experience.

Alternate Best Actor 1984: Results

5. Eddie Murphy in Beverly Hills Cop- Murphy is funny in his funny scene but quite lacking in his dramatic scenes.

4. Steve Martin in All of Me- Martin gives an enjoyable performance as at first a straight man, than later very  entertainingly as a man with another person sharing his body.

3. Philip Baker Hall in Secret Honor- Hall shows how one should portray Nixon in his effective performance that makes for an outstanding one man show.

2. Robert De Niro in Once Upon a Time in America- De Niro carries this epic by powerfully portraying both the violent youth, and the haunted age of a career criminal.

1. Harry Dean Stanton in Paris, Texas- Harry Dean Stanton gives a great subtle performance as a man trying to rebuild himself. It is a quiet but deeply moving performance that shows his abilities as an actor goes far beyond the usual small parts he is given.

Overall Rank:

1. F. Murray Abraham in Amadeus
2. Haing S. Ngor in The Killing Fields
3. Harry Dean Stanton in Paris, Texas
4. Robert De Niro in Once Upon a Time in America
5. Philip Baker Hall in Secret Honor
6. Tom Hulce in Amadeus
7. Steve Martin in All of Me
8. Bill Murray in Ghostbusters
9. John Hurt in 1984
10. Albert Finney in Under the Volcano 
11. Sam Waterson in The Killing Fields
12. Christopher Guest in This is Spinal Tap 
13. Victor Banerjee in A Passage to India
14. Harrison Ford in Indiana Jones and The Temple of Doom 
15. Anthony Hopkins in The Bounty
16. Michael McKean in This is Spinal Tap 
17. Ralph Macchio in The Karate Kid
18. Michael Biehn in The Terminator 
19. Matt Dillon in The Flamingo Kid
20. Mel Gibson in The Bounty
21. Eddie Murphy in Beverly Hills Cop
22. Howard E. Rollins in A Soldier's Story 
23. Lance Guest in The Last Starfigher 
24. William Shatner in Star Trek III 
25. Arnold Schwarzenegger in The Terminator 
26. Christopher Lambert in Greystoke 
27. Zach Galligan in Gremlins
28. Jeff Bridges in Star Man

Next Year: 1960

Alternate Best Actor 1984: Robert De Niro in Once Upon a Time in America

Robert De Niro did not receive an Oscar nomination for portraying David "Noodles" Aaronson Once Upon a Time in America.

Once Upon a Time in America is a great film about a the journey of a group of friends who go from young thugs, to bootlegging kingpins, and eventually meet their ends.

Robert De Niro portrays the lead of the small group of kids and later men who slowly rise the ranks in a bootlegging operation during Prohibition in New York City. De Niro was not nominated here even though he certainly is a very popular actor with the academy having won twice and being nominated many times before and after this performance. This film though was unable to get a single nomination. This is probably due to the fact that it was a box office flop, as well there was a bit of a controversy over the short version which apparently was very poorly edited into a mess of the film.

De Niro is no stranger to gangster roles, and as he did in The Godfather Part II and later in Goodfellas he shows prowess in this role as Noodles. De Niro in the scenes that take place after Noodles is released from prison and he joins his friends to rise not only in the organization but as well in the power structure of the city portrays the part of Noodles very much to the point most of the time. De Niro makes it clear that Noodles is very very ready to be a gangster to the fullest extent and does not have any qualms about pushing right forward with his friends to the top no matter what it takes.

De Niro as usual has a certain suaveness in the role. He does not overplay though as there are certain scenes which would contradict the rest of his characterization. De Niro though effectively shows that Noodles is a competent capable man right for his time and place. In these earlier scenes there is always a certainty within De Niro though expresses well the passion behind Noodles that pushes himself and his friends forward in the underworld without much hesitation. He presents Noodles as a skillful and capable gangster as he pushes through the film.

There is something that De Niro does not avoid in this performance though, which is muck of being the criminal. De Niro is very blunt in his performance in this regard. There is not any hesitation shown in Noodles whether he is killing a man, committing any sort of horrible violent, and to some degree even raping women. De Niro makes it clear that Noodles is very much into his amorality. It frankly would have been easy to try to gain more sympathy, but De Niro does this instead giving what is probably a far realistic portrait of a gangster. This does not mean that he portrays Noodles one dimensionally though.

There is some sort of conscious that De Niro puts in just the right glint that he brings into his performance. This never stops him from committing any of his acts of violence though, instead De Niro is able suggest only that Noodles does think about his actions at times, after the fact not before, particularly in the scene where he rapes his old sweetheart. De Niro is good becuase he does not go and just show Noodles to be guilt stricken, Noodles is still very much into his behavior as a career mobster, but he effectively does portray just the smallest speck of regret in his acts, only the smallest though, although this works well with another part of his performance.

This hint of his morality comes in a far deeper fashion in the scenes that take place after Noodles returns to town after having informer to the police on his friends, seeming like he needs to settle some of score although he is quite unaware of what that is. De Niro is very strong in these scenes showing a very changed man in Noodles. He is a different man, and De Niro effectively shows that that small bit of morality has grown on him turning him into a far more somber man than before. De Niro crates a moving portrait of this aged gangster who violent history is far behind him, and he is only left to reflect on the mistakes that he had once made.

These scenes later in Noodles life De Niro is very very quiet in them and reflect well the haunted feeling he has over his past actions. De Niro very best scene is when he confronts an old friend, and it is a particularly powerful moment. There would have been many ways to portray the scene as it could have been far more anger filled, or anguish filled. Instead De Niro leaves a much stronger impact by showing that any feelings like that are far past Noodles. It is a heartbreaking scene because De Niro only shows Noodles as really understanding what has happened more than anything else. He truly presents a grown and properly sorrowful poignant portrayal of this man.

I suppose I should mention that this film does not portray the three time section of Noodles's life in chronological order. It jumps around between the segments therefore De Niro is shown to be instantly in the two roles of the differently aged Noodles. There is not any sort of disconnect between the two. It is the same man in both places. De Niro though makes this memorable through the fact that he shows that this is the same Noodles, but even though it is not directly portrayed he vividly brings to life just how changed Noodles has been over his experiences. De Niro effectively carries this powerful epic with his great performance.

Alternate Best Actor 1984

And The Nominees Were Not:

Steve Martin in All of Me

Eddie Murphy in Beverly Hills Cop

Harry Dean Stanton in Paris, Texas

Robert De Niro in Once Upon a Time in America

Philip Baker Hall in Secret Honor

LIMITLESS

Written by Leslie Dixon

Directed by Neil Burger

Starring Bradley Cooper Abbie Cornish and Robert De Niro

Carl van Loon: So Eddie Morra, what's your secret?

Eddie Morra: Medication.

Drugs are bad. While that is generally the rule, how can anything that allows you to access the full potential of your brain actually be bad for you? Well, it can if the mere idea of it inspires a film as base as LIMITLESS. This Bradley Cooper starring vehicle (Cooper also executive produced the project) certainly places the budding Hollywood star front and center for all to see and admire, but when you’re surrounded by as much garbage as Cooper is in this film, you eventually stink just as bad.

Cooper plays Eddie Morra, a writer who doesn’t write, a man who barely appears to shower. Through happenstance, he runs into a former in-law and former drug dealer, only the latter is actually not so former. This is how Eddie comes to start taking NZT. He thinks its F.D.A. approved so we can’t really judge him, but he quickly finds out there is no way this drug is ever going to make it to market. NZT allows you to tap into the 80% of your brain that goes unused every day. The resulting clarity allows Eddie to take everything he’s ever taken in, in his entire life, and make perfect sense of it in seconds. Needless to say, Eddie never intends to get off these drugs and soon finds out he might not have a choice in the matter.

Director, Neil Burger, coasts through LIMITLESS and rarely attempts to access any of his own greater potential. Visual trickery meant to signify the depths of Eddie’s thought processes and amplified abilities come off as not only gimmicky but tacky as well. All the same, the talent is passable (Robert De Niro and Abbie Cornish have scant parts compared to Cooper) and the moral question behind taking the drug to begin with is intriguing, but the climax of this film is so ridiculous and off-putting that it went, for me, from a time-filler to a complete waste of time. It’s ironic really how a film about untapped intelligence could be so utterly stupid. Or perhaps even more so, how a film called LIMITLESS could feel so limited.

Best 10 Films of Martin Scorsese

When Scorsese finally won a best director Oscar®, for The Departed, he said "I think I want a recount", making fun of the 2000 Presidential election, and the fact that he had never won an Oscar®

Ranked by my order of preference, click for my review

Raging Bull (1980) best actor Oscar® for Robert De Niro, No. 75 on the IMDB top 250, 21 awards overall [This is my favorite boxing film, and one of

RAGING BULL

Written by Paul Schrader and Mardik Martin

Directed by Martin Scorsese

Starring Robert De Niro, Joe Pesci and Cathy Moriarty

Jake LaMotta: Hey Ray! Never went down man. You never got me down, Ray.

When Martin Scorsese’s RAGING BULL was released theatrically in 1980, it was actually not as well received as you might think. Scorsese’s sixth feature film is generally today considered to be one of the best American films ever made but at the time, it was a bit much for many. Today, we are accustomed to unlikable protagonists. In 1980, to kick back and enjoy a film about Jake LaMotta (Robert De Niro), a boxer who fights just as hard with himself, and the people in his life, as he does with his opponents in the ring, was likely just as jarring as any given boxing match would be for a non-boxing enthusiast. Shot in stunning black and white, Scorsese does not pull any punches with RAGING BULL, allowing all the abuse, violence and overall paranoia that consumed LaMotta’s life to take center stage on screen. After 10 crazy rounds, its hard not feel knocked out.

Jake LaMotta is a Bronx born fighter. He began his professional boxing career at the age of 19 and would go on to win the middleweight championship before retiring in the 1950’s. After leaving boxing behind him because of injuries, he went on to a life as a nightclub owner and moonlighted as an actor and comedian. In his entire life, he has been married six times and has four children. In RAGING BULL, his first marriage is essentially glossed over, allowing the majority of the focus to be placed on his second wife, Vikki (Cathy Moriarty) and their tumultuous time together during Jake’s boxing years. The film also focuses heavily on Jake’s relationship with his brother, Joey (Joe Pesci), whose character is essentially an amalgamation of Jake’s brother and his best friend, Pete, for simplicity purposes. While it may be based in truth, adapted from LaMotta’s own memoirs, it is definitely not a biopic in any traditional sense.

Scorsese has credited RAGING BULL and De Niro in the past for saving his life. It was De Niro who convinced Scorsese that he needed to kick the cocaine habit that had put him in the hospital in the late 1970’s after an overdose. It was also De Niro who convinced Scorsese that RAGING BULL was the perfect project to return to filmmaking with. And while Scorsese’s direction in the film is certainly some of his finest ever, in many ways, RAGING BULL is more De Niro’s triumph than anyone else’s. De Niro had wanted to make the picture ever since he read LaMotta’s book while making THE GODFATHER PART II and it is easy to see why. By playing a character as complex as LaMotta, De Niro is able to explore every facet of human emotion, from love and anger to pride and humiliation. He wears LaMotta’s demons like a second skin, even going so far as to put on sixty pounds to portray LaMotta in his later years. His passion for the project, which also included casting influence and uncredited work on the script, certainly paid off, as he took home the Oscar for Best Actor for his performance.

Of course Scorsese and De Niro were a team back then; RAGING BULL was their fourth picture together. (They would go on to make seven in total.) As good as De Niro is in the film, it is Scorsese’s deliberate filmmaking choices that frame the brilliant performance and make it into an iconic one. While Scorsese must have known the film would stand out just based on the violent nature of it’s subject matter, he chose to film it in black and white in order to further differentiate it from other boxing films in production at the time. The lack of colour is also more appropriate for the period and tones down the blood in the fight sequences. Scorsese also plays with the speed of the film at times, slowing down certain moments as if they are being burnt in LaMotta’s brain for all eternity. These moments range from a close-up of Vikki’s feet splashing in a pool the first time he sees her to the gloved fist of another fighter coming down on him during a pivotal match. The skill with which Scorsese brings this chaotic story to its close is unmatched by many even to this day and you can feel him fighting for it just as hard as LaMotta does at all times.

As unnerving as RAGING BULL is, it is a far more quiet and introspective experience than one would expect it to be. And as much as it is a boxing movie (albeit there is only truly ten minutes of actual fight footage), it is much more of a character study, and an unforgettable one at that. LaMotta, or at least his screen incarnation, is a small-minded man, afraid that he will go through life without getting his supposed due. He fights for notice and when he has it, he doesn’t know how to hold on to it without crushing it or fully abusing it. He wants to do everything on his own and, in doing so, ends up completely alone. And once a bull has stopped seeing red and finished running everyone out of the streets he has always known, what is he meant to do with all that pent up rage?

(Courtesy 20th Century Fox)

Tribeca Film Festival Going Online

Check this out - this was in a eMail I just got from the Tribeca film festival; they're going to show a lot of free films online this year. The festival can be found at http://www.blogger.com/www.tribecafilm.com


New York, NY [March 21, 2011] – The 2011 Tribeca Film Festival (TFF) today unveiled the Tribeca (Online) Film Festival supported by founding partner American Express. The pioneering

Multiple Acting Oscars®

These actors and families have won more than one Oscar®

Four
Katherine Hepburn (Morning Glory, Guess Who’s Coming to Dinner, The Lion in Winter, On Golden Pond) - I would argue that they missed her best early peformance in Adam's Rib, while only Golden Pond was a standout among her wins.

Three Each
Ingrid Bergman (Gaslight, Anastasia, supporting for Murder on the Orient Express) - I think they