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The Irishman (2019)
A Profoundly Moving Tale of Loyalty, Betrayal, and Guilt
Scorsese's mob films (I'll lump Wolf of Wall Street in with them) are harshly critical of organized crime and the destruction these criminals bring down on everyone around them. However, those sequences when the world comes crashing down around the main characters are explosive and fast, never leaving enough time for reflection on the crimes committed and the lives ruined. 'The Irishman' takes the time to focus on the guilt-ridden aftermath. That focus turns the film into a profoundly moving piece.
I will first say that the otherwise masterful editing is weak in the opening 45 minutes. The film inter-cuts too often between the establishing scenes and events that take place much later. Without any context, these edits struck me as awkward and pointless. This is a nothing complaint, just don't be too worried if the opening feels a little odd.
The foundation of the film is the moral struggle of De Niro's Frank Sheeran. Sheeran is both a trusted associate of the mob and a trusted friend of Jimmy Hoffa's teamster union. The tensions between Hoffa and the mob place Sheeran in the middle of two stubborn and powerful forces. De Niro's acting is subtle beyond belief. Sheeran is a cold hard professional, and any melodrama from the character would be a misstep. The film itself effortlessly sidesteps any cheap emotional frills where they easily could have surfaced. Nevertheless, we can always see into Sheeran's head and understand the moral questions he is facing.
The aftermath of the struggle is where 'The Irishman' shines though. We see what happens to these men in old age. Powerful mobsters don't often die of natural causes. Throughout the film, we are greeted with slightly comical blurbs telling how and when various mobsters died (often via violence). But what about those who live to see 80. These men didn't build lives to last, and so we see them limp on to deeply depressing deaths.
That is the point of 'The Irishman.' Even when mobsters live, they live only to see that their lives were pathetic. It is a reflection on the price that a mob life inflicts on those who live it, and those around them. That makes this the ultimate mob film. The sense of fun that lasted to the final scenes of 'Goodfellas' is overridden by somber reflection. There cannot be anything but a depressing ending.
Naked Gun 33 1/3: The Final Insult (1994)
Possibly the Goofiest Movie You'll Ever See
It's been a long time since I've seen a movie that made me laugh this hard. 'Naked Gun 33 1/3' is a non-stop barrage of ludicrous gags and silly one-liners. And unlike many other films of this type, the overwhelming majority of these jokes land (often with great effect). This can be owed in large part to the incredible deadpan performances from all involved (Nielsen's poker face must be unreal) and the unbridled goofiness of the filmmakers. Yeah its dumb, but should you really care when the movie is so damn funny? Hell no!
Joker (2019)
Disjointed, Cliched, Yet Effective
Don't listen to the unbelievably high average score, this is not a great movie. It leans on cliches, it struggles to communicate vital character details, but it manages to pull together a strong closing act to elevate an otherwise inconsistent film.
'Joker' stumbles out of the gate by throwing a plethora of "troubled loner" cliches at us. The scenes read almost as a list, giving the early stages of the film a disjointed feel that hampers any sense of immersion. The only aspect of our lead, Arthur Fleck, that seems original is his affliction. His sudden outbursts of laughter during tense situations are used to great effect several times throughout the first act.
As the story continues, 'Joker' wastes time on a sub-par subplot involving Arthur's neighbor. Another sub-plot, involving Thomas Wayne, is far more interesting and clever in its execution.
Ultimately, 'Joker' becomes a story of Arthur breaking free and flourishing in the chaos of Gotham. The final act revels in his now unrestrained insanity. However, the film struggles to convey a clear image of what exactly is happening within Arthur. Is he an idiot savant, or a brilliant mastermind set free of his bonds. You can go back through the film if you wish and identify plot points to either effect if you wish (the latter seems more likely in retrospect). However, this failure of communication lessens the impact of the film, leaving you somewhat disappointed.
Nevertheless, the final act is an exciting close to the film, though it probably should have ended about 5 minutes earlier than it did (the final scene is unneeded). Regardless, the result is a unique and fascinating comic book movie held back from greatness by a shaky start and questionable communication.
Miami Connection (1987)
So Bad it's Good?
'Miami Connection' is an odd movie. It has a laundry list of inadequacies. The acting is lackluster, the dialogue is a mess, the fight choreography is often awkward, and there are no shortage of scenes that seem to serve no purpose. It is bad.
At the same, I didn't walk away from this movie with the same feeling I have had with other supposed "so bad it's good" films. When you watch something like 'Samurai Cop', you are constantly laughing at the movie. In 'Miami Connection', I couldn't help but feel I was, at times, laughing with it. Maybe it was because it seemed like the actors were having fun in a self-aware manner. Maybe it was the ludicrous plot. Maybe it was the music scenes. Maybe it was the over-the-top friends forever sentiment. Whatever it was, it worked for me.
I think its this mix of laughable badness and heart-warming playfulness that makes this such a great bad movie. Sometimes it is pretty good, usually, it is awful. But it is always entertaining. I can't recommend it enough.
Chopping Mall (1986)
A Strong Start and a Lifeless Finish
I'm gonna go out on a limb here and say no one is watching this film expecting the next Halloween. You came here for a dumb, campy 80's horror flick. That's what you get, for the first act or so.
At first, the film seems to be wonderfully self-aware. The killer robots are comical, the dialogue is wonderfully cheesy, and some of the edits seem to be intentionally awkward for the sake of comedy. This movie knows its not going to be terribly intense. Nevertheless, as the film wears on, it takes on an increasingly serious tone. It tries to up the intensity and insert faux emotion. It just doesn't work.
What could have been a goofy, fun B-movie turns into a slog. The first half is entertaining enough to give it a shot, but don't expect another great bad movie here.