Category Archives: Epic

1990 Films, Epic, Guy Films, Mob

The Godfather: Part III-1990

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The Godfather: Part III-1990

Director Francis Ford Coppola

Starring Al Pacino, Diane Keaton

Scott’s Review #533

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Reviewed December 3, 2016

Grade: B+

The Godfather: Part III, released in 1990, has traditionally drawn criticism for not living up to the two preceding epics.

Sofia Coppola, who plays Mary, Michael Corleone’s daughter, in particular, has borne the brunt of the attacks.

No, The Godfather: Part III isn’t on the level of the others, but it is pretty damned good on its own merits and a capable mob epic that concludes the franchise satisfyingly.

The film’s central themes are Michael’s continued desire to leave the mafia and religion, and the role a the Catholic Church.

Some backstory on the film’s making: Coppola had a non-expiring offer to create a third installment of the saga ever since 1974, when Part II was released.

After a financial crisis, Coppola agreed to do the follow-up in 1990.

Julia Roberts was to play the ever-crucial role of Mary (now a coming-of-age young lady), but she dropped out. Winona Ryder was then cast and bailed at the very last minute.

Out of necessity, Coppola’s daughter, Sofia, was cast and had little time to prepare or much acting experience (she would later become an acclaimed director, which better suited her talents).

a with the other epics, a major event launches the film: Michael (Pacino) is named Commander of the Order of Saint Sebastian in a lavish ceremony at St. Patrick’s Old Cathedral.

Michael is approaching age sixty and semi-retired, leaving his business dealings mainly to Joey Zasa in New York, who has ravaged what the Corleone family once built.

Many characters, Kay, Mary, Tony, and Connie, are reintroduced, and new characters such as Vincent Mancini (Andy Garcia) and Don Altobello (Eli Wallach) appear in a flurry of new storylines.

It is like a big, grand soap opera, with wonderful, rich writing.

I was immediately impressed by the neat cinematography; the camera captures wind-swept leaves and an artistic introduction to the film, as well as characters from the first two films, either in cameo roles or as small characters, a great touch for continuity and history.

Coppola does a fantastic job of providing little updates on these characters during a party.

For example, we learn that Vincent is Sonny’s deceased, illegitimate son, and that his mother, Lucy Mancini, appears in a scene. (Clever viewers will remember Sonny and Lucy’s torrential affair in the bathroom during The Godfather (1972), and it is suggested that this produced Vincent).

The film mentions that Tom Hagen (Robert Duvall) has died, though his wife and son appear, and Coppola treats us to a myriad of flashbacks (Apollonia, a young Michael, and Kaye).

These nuances make The Godfather: Part III a film filled with cool little aspects that warm the loyal viewer.

The main story, Michael takes Vincent under his wing and tries to steer the family clear of criminal ties, is interesting, if not spectacular.

Connie rises from a battered mafia wife, raising kids, to a major player in the family, just as women progressed from the 1940s to the 1980s when the story takes place.

She even feeds her godfather a poisoned cannoli!

Michael, Vincent, and Connie get involved with the Catholic Church, bail it out (the real-life Papal banking scandal is linked to the story), and strike a deal for a major stake in the real estate company Immobiliare.

In-fighting between the major crime mob bosses leads to several bloody massacres throughout the film, on the streets, in Atlantic City, and finally, in the Sicilian Opera House.

The pairing of cousins and lovers, Vincent and Mary, never really works, nor does Bridget Fonda’s one-two-scene appearance as Grace Hamilton, a brief dalliance for Vincent.

Also, the exclusion of the loyal family attorney, Tom, is a glaring omission.

So the film does contain a few negatives.

In a nutshell, The Godfather: Part III (1990) is a very good, epic crime drama even without the Godfather name. To measure up to the glory of Parts I and II is impossible.

With the rich Corleone family history and the intricate relationships between the characters, it’s a treat for fans.

There has been a Part IV, nor should there ever be, as the film’s conclusion provides a satisfying wrap-up to the saga.

Oscar Nominations: Best Picture, Best Director-Francis Ford Coppola, Best Supporting Actor-Andy Garcia, Best Original Song-“Promise Me You’ll Remember”, Best Art Direction, Best Cinematography, Best Film Editing

Golden Globe Nominations: Best Picture- Drama, Best Director-Francis Ford Coppola, Best Actor-Drama-Al Pacino, Best Supporting Actor-Andy Garcia, Best Screenplay, Best Original Score, Best Original Song-“Promise Me You’ll Remember”

2015 Films, Action, Adventure, Drama, Epic, Guy Films, Western

The Revenant-2015

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The Revenant-2015

Director Alejandro G. Iñárritu

Starring Leonardo DiCaprio

Scott’s Review #371

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Reviewed January 27, 2016

Grade: A

The Revenant is a fantastic 2015 film filled with intensity, great visual camera work/direction, and the acting talents of one of modern cinema’s dynamic performers, Leonardo DiCaprio.

He shines every minute he’s on screen.

Almost all the filming takes place outdoors (the American frontier period), and it is a revenge tale, which only adds to the film’s excitement and beauty.

Set in the 1820s, the film opens by introducing us to a large party of hunters and trappers in remote Wyoming.

Right off the bat, I was struck by the picturesque scenery.

We are treated to a compelling (and bloody) battle between the trappers and a tribe of Native Americans. The Louisiana Purchase has just passed, heightening tensions between various parties and spilling blood.

The hunters are decimated, so the survivors must flee on foot, hoping to reach safety hundreds of miles away.

The main character, Glass (DiCaprio), later receives a terrible injury, and the main crux of the story develops as we embark on a tale of his desperation to survive and exact revenge on the men responsible for leaving him to die.

The film is a lesson in endurance. Glass is arguably put through almost every punishment imaginable, and we wonder what more he can endure.

The film belongs to two actors. Dicaprio, and Tom Hardy as the villainous John Fitzgerald, a hunter with a major rivalry with Glass.

The film parlays into a revenge tale between the two characters.

DiCaprio is a gem in this film; not only is he compelling from a physical standpoint, but he also looks broken, battered, and bruised, and DiCaprio gives a performance that I am fond of.

He acts non-verbally.

In one crucial scene, Glass is unable to move or speak as a violent act is committed. He is desperate yet helpless.

DiCaprio’s emotional range is astounding. The pain, hurt, and frustration are evident on his face, and we sympathize greatly.

DiCaprio delivers a powerful performance.

Tom Hardy is compelling in his own right as the scoundrel he portrays. We despise this character and all his dirty deeds, and Hardy successfully pours all his energy into this grizzled role.

Hardy, quite handsome in real life, is transformed into a partially scalped, dirty man.

His fate at the end of the film is a clever touch that makes The Revenant more than a typical run-of-the-mill western.

The infamous “bear scene” is second to none. I don’t know how they shot this compelling scene, but the result is a realism I have seldom seen in film. The scene is so prolonged and violent that you wish it would end quickly.

A surprise comes that rivals any horror film.

Directed by Alejandro G. Iñárritu, it follows a vastly different type of film (Birdman, 2014) and does a wonderful job.

The Revenant is arguably a “guy’s movie”.

It features almost no women, and the ones who do are not treated well, which is unfortunate; sadly, that was likely true of the time.

Interesting to note, though, is that Iñárritu decided to have a female victim enact revenge on her abuser in a satisfying (though squeamish moment for the male viewer.

I found The Revenant to have definite left-wing leanings.

The age-old controversy of the white man taking the Indian’s land is explored, and the film has a way of bringing this up more than once, as well as not making the Indian tribes “bad”, but rather sympathetic.

Especially since Glass marries an Indian woman and has a son with her.

Gorgeous cinematography meets a wonderful, intriguing story, peppered with brutality.

The Revenant (2015) succeeds on every level and sets an important precedent for a film about perseverance in the face of hopelessness.

Oscar Nominations: 3 wins-Best Picture, Best Director-Alejandro G. Iñárritu (won), Best Actor-Leonardo DiCaprio (won), Best Supporting Actor-Tom Hardy, Best Sound Editing, Best Sound Mixing, Best Production Design, Best Cinematography (won), Best Makeup and Hairstyling, Best Costume Design, Best Film Editing, Best Visual Effects

2014 Films, Drama, Epic, Science Fiction

Interstellar-2014

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Interstellar-2014

Director Christopher Nolan

Starring Matthew McConaughey

Scott’s Review #277

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Reviewed September 25, 2015

Grade: B-

Interstellar (2014) is an interesting film to review.

It’s a science-fiction/futuristic epic with a run time of nearly three hours, and it’s complex and intricate.

It is the latest offering by director Christopher Nolan.

I cannot say I loved the film; however, I did appreciate and marvel at its visual and technical aspects, which completely overshadow the convoluted plot, which is difficult to follow because it jumps between worlds and galaxies.

The film reminds me of Inception (2010), with an obvious homage to 2001: A Space Odyssey (1968), the latter directed by Nolan, but it’s not quite as compelling from a story point of view as Inception.

The complexities of different entities, worlds, and layers of worlds are featured and, admittedly, mind-blowing, which is the weak part of the film.

Making the film arguably too intelligent, it loses the audience’s attention.

By too intelligent, I mean too complex. As I review the film, I see two halves-the story side and the visual side. In Interstellar, both are essential components, and one fails while the other marvels.

The story goes something like this.

Matthew McConaughey plays Cooper, a widowed, former space expert stuck in a small town in the Midwest, where he begrudgingly runs a farm, living out an unsatisfying existence.

The Earth’s food and crops are slowly running out, and the planet is dying. His two children, daughter Murphy and son Tom, face a bleak world.

One day, a dust pattern with coordinates leads Cooper and Murphy to a secret NASA team intent on finding other worlds and attempting to save Earth.

Dr. Brand, a college professor and science wizard, leads the team, played by Michael Caine.

Cooper, naturally, is chosen to lead the venture, which could take him away from his family for years. He accepts, much to Murphy’s chagrin.

Once in outer space- assisted by Amelia Brand (Dr. Brand’s daughter)- the team embarks on an endless mission leading them to different planets and one strange encounter with a rebel astronaut (played wastefully by Matt Damon).

Years later (on Earth, anyway), Murphy and Tom (now grown and played by Jessica Chastain and Casey Affleck) assume their father Cooper is dead.

Critically, the story is way too much to comprehend. I let go of the story instead of focusing on the visual spectacle I was treated to.

The plot eventually meanders off track as the team traverses through a space wormhole created by an alien intelligence and travels fifty years without aging.

Life has gone on on planet Earth. Some characters age, others do not.

To summarize, the story is convoluted and impossible to follow.

Speaking of the story side of Interstellar, the writing contains an irritating wholesomeness, especially in the early stages- pre-outer space.

McConaughey was given this tough, machismo side to him that screams of Hollywood traditionalism- almost like “I am a man- I save the family”. Haven’t we seen this too many times in film?

I also found the relationship between Cooper and his young daughter, Murphy, incredibly saccharine and screaming Hollywood schmaltz.

McConaughey was given and succeeded in delivering one great crying scene.

Interstellar’s visuals are a spectacle and far better than the story, especially in the final third of the film.

The sheer grandeur is astounding. When the crew lands on Miller’s planet, an ocean world, a great tidal wave topples their spaceship, killing one of the team.

The tidal wave looks monumental in size and ferocity. Later, when the crew lands on an icy planet, the immense cold and the planet’s shape work perfectly, and it feels like they are in outer space.

The scene where Cooper attempts to contact a character through a bookshelf is inventive and creative. The scene is set up like a maze with different periods, colors, and shapes; the way it blends them is impressive and artistic.

Visually, Interstellar has similarities to the 1968 epic 2001: A Space Odyssey. Its grandiose, artistic, experimental, and epic style, along with the obvious space theme, makes the two films comparable.

However, while 2001: A Space Odyssey is about life and carries a clear, powerful message, I didn’t find the same in Interstellar. Instead, I did not find a message, only a confusing story, mixed with spectacular visuals.

Oscar Nominations: 1 win-Best Original Score, Best Sound Editing, Best Sound Mixing, Best Production Design, Best Visual Effects (won)

1952 Films, Best Picture Oscar Winners, Best Picture-Drama Golden Globe Winners, Circus, Drama, Epic

The Greatest Show on Earth-1952

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The Greatest Show on Earth-1952

Director Cecil B. DeMille

Starring Charlton Heston, Betty Hutton, James Stewart

Scott’s Review #204

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Reviewed December 14, 2014

Grade: B+

Considered by some critics to be one of the worst Best Picture winners of all time, The Greatest Show on Earth (1952) is quite an impressive Hollywood spectacle.

It tells the story of the world’s largest railroad circus as it launches a tour across the United States, with plenty of drama throughout.

The film stars Charlton Heston, Betty Hutton, and James Stewart as the general manager, acrobat, and clown of the show, respectively.

The film used over 1,400 real Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey employees and hundreds of animals in its production, giving it an authentic circus feel.

Unfortunately, the film also has a schmaltzy quality and lacks strong acting, which, surprisingly, does not bother me and, strangely enough, works in a way.

Various characters have affairs with each other or fall in and out of love rather quickly- it makes for good drama, anyway.

Of course, the main appeal is the extravagant show. While the drama sometimes takes center stage, the lavish production and actual circus events shine through.

My favorite character, and arguably the only interesting character with any depth, in The Greatest Show on Earth is Buttons the Clown, played by James Stewart.

Buttons wears his clown costume, complete with full makeup, at all times. He is kind and mysterious. We learn that he “mercy killed” his dying wife and has joined the circus for protection from the police.

A wonderful human being, he was once a Doctor and tends to anyone in the circus troupe who needs assistance. Later in the film, he plays a vital role after a tragic accident.

His heartbreaking, tender conversation with his elderly mother, whom he only sees in secret once a year for a few seconds as she tearfully and discreetly visits him in the audience, is painfully sad to watch and such a sweet scene.

The Greatest Show on Earth’s best scene by far, still impressing today, is the massive train wreck near the conclusion.

The special effects and direction in Cecil B. DeMille’s 1952 film are brilliant. The train perfectly derails one night—it collides with an oncoming train and derails, highly effective in its enormity.

The scene does not look silly.

The way all the drama comes together in this scene—Harry, the crooked midway concessionaire and vicious elephant trainer; Klaus, who is responsible for the accident; Button’s true identity being revealed; and a significant character in peril—makes it top-notch and a satisfying conclusion to the film.

The stories involving Brad, Holly, Sebastian, and Angel are soapy and melodramatic, making them the film’s weakest point.

As a viewer, I couldn’t care less which character lusted after which or who wound up in bed together, but the movie itself is a spectacle, which is my main enjoyment.

The brightness, the revelry, and the circus performances are all wonderful.

Oscar Nominations: 2 wins-Best Motion Picture (won), Best Director-Cecil B. DeMille, Best Story (won), Best Costume Design, Color, Best Film Editing

Golden Globe Nominations: 3 wins-Best Motion Picture-Drama (won), Best Director-Motion Picture-Cecil B. DeMille (won), Cinematography-Color (won)

1956 Films, Epic, Western

The Searchers-1956

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The Searchers-1956

Director John Ford

Starring John Wayne

Scott’s Review #148

Reviewed August 5, 2014

Grade: B+

The Searchers (1956) is a classic film considered one of the greatest ever made. It took me a few viewings to appreciate, but I now admire it more and more with each subsequent viewing.

I understand why it is on many Best Films of All Time lists.

I do not think it’s great, but I understand its outstanding qualities. And while admittedly, I am neither a fan of the Western genre nor of John Wayne, both are top-notch in The Searchers.

It tells the story of a Civil War veteran (Wayne) named Ethan Edwards, whose brother and his sister-in-law, whom Ethan is in love with, are brutally murdered by a Comanche Indian tribe.

Ethan’s two nieces are kidnapped, and for the remainder of the film, Ethan, along with his best friend, searches for the missing girls.

Two aspects that initially bothered me about the film were the overt racism involved in this film towards any Indians- the treatment of one Indian woman is cruel, and my disdain for the character of Ethan.

The fact that I am not a fan of John Wayne- way overrated in the acting department, in my opinion, may have something to do with this. But the character of Ethan is racist, and it is tough to root for a character like that.

One could make the argument that he is also self-loathing due to lusting after his sister-in-law.

Over time, though, I have come to appreciate this Western drama more and more, mainly due to John Ford’s direction, the sweeping Old West cinematography, and the now-understood complexity of Ethan’s character.

He is confident, masculine, and even mean, but wounded and, in some way, sympathetic to viewers.

The Searchers (1956) also captures what the real West was probably once like.

An epic western that I have grown to admire.

Golden Globe Nominations: 1 win-New Star of the Year-Actor-Patrick Wayne (won)

2013 Films, Biography, Comedy, Crime Drama, Dark Comedy, Drama, Epic

The Wolf of Wall Street-2013

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The Wolf of Wall Street-2013

Director Martin Scorsese

Starring Leonardo DiCaprio

Scott’s Review #33

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Reviewed June 17, 2014 

Grade: A

Martin Scorsese’s latest offering, The Wolf of Wall Street (2013), is a tale of overindulgence, chaos, and debauchery in the world of stockbroking during the 1980s.

The film is superb.

It is a drug-filled, sex-filled, over-the-top, loud, testosterone-fueled, frenetic extravaganza that works on so many levels.

Humorous, jaw-dropping scenes occur throughout the film.

The casting is flawless- Leonardo DiCaprio and Jonah Hill deserve the praise and Oscar nominations heaped on them.

The supporting actors are perfect- Rob Reiner, Matthew McConaughey, Jean Dujardin, and Kyle Chandler.

With Scorsese, you get an intelligent film, though it’s very R-rated.

It’s similar in style to another of his masterpieces, Goodfellas (1990), as it is narrated by the main character (DiCaprio).

Comparisons to the 1987 film Wall Street are silly. This film is much deeper, grittier, and frankly, much better.

Do not let the unfathomable running time of three hours discourage you- the time goes by very fast.

Oscar Nominations: Best Picture, Best Director-Martin Scorsese, Best Actor-Leonardo DiCaprio, Best Supporting Actor-Jonah Hill, Best Adapted Screenplay

2014 Films, Adventure, Drama, Epic, Religious

Noah-2014

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Noah-2014

Director Darren Aronofsky

Starring Russell Crowe

Scott’s Review #3

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Reviewed June 16, 2014

Grade: B+

Learning that Darren Aronofsky, a very dark director (Black Swan-2011, Requiem for a Dream-2000, and The Wrestler-2008), would be tackling a religious film piqued my curiosity.

Those expecting an uplifting, happy film about “god” will be disappointed.

This film is generating controversy from the religious folks, which I find interesting, but nobody wants me to go off on a tangent.

The film tells the story of the biblical figure Noah and his quest to do God’s will through the signs he is given.

It takes incredible talent to make a film like this not seem silly, and Aronofsky, Russell Crowe, and Jennifer Connelly pull it off.

The film is quite dark, and at times Noah comes off as more of a madman than a savior.

The visual effects and the musical score are wonderfully effective.

Noah (2014) has a few plot holes but is a nice fantasy/apocalypse-type film.