Oh I'm sorry, Did I Break Your Conversation........Well Allow Me A Movie Thread by S&T

[macbk]

Filth leaked before it's even out in theaters in the States.

Noticed that. Truthfully never heard of this film until looking it up right now. Seems interesting, will have to give it a watch.

 

[Brownstone]

While we're on topic of snubs, Oscar Isaac should of definitely been nominated as well.. along with Phoenix. Replace Bale with someone, he did a good job but I don't think it stood out more than the first two mentioned.

Glad you enjoyed it as much as I did. I thought it was one of their best films for sure. I agree they both deserve nominations, but I thought bale was better than Leo honestly. His NY accent wasn't very convincing.

 

[Kimchi Papi]

I'm mentioned Goodfellas not to long ago on a previous post. Coincidently, the feds just handed out 5 indictments stemming from the 1978 Lufthansa heist at JFK mentioned in the movie...

http://www.cnn.com/2014/01/23/justice/new-york-organized-crime-arrests/index.html?hpt=hp_t2

Spoiler: Warning: Spoiler!

FBI arrests reputed mobsters on charges straight out of 'Goodfellas'
By Ray Sanchez, Tom Cohen and Chris Boyette, CNN
updated 6:05 PM EST, Thu January 23, 2014

CNN) -- They were "wiseguys" or "goodfellas," the federal government said Thursday of five reputed mobsters indicted in connection with a string of unsolved crimes, including the fabled 1978 Lufthansa heist at JFK International Airport.

In an indictment that reads like the script of "Goodfellas," alleged mob captain Vincent Asaro, 78, and other alleged members of the Bonanno organized crime family are accused of murder, racketeering, armed robbery, arson and extortion.

In the infamous Lufthansa robbery, a band of robbers stole about $5 million in cash and nearly $1 million in jewels from an airline cargo building in the largest cash robbery in the nation's history at the time.

The robbery was part of the story in Martin Scorsese's 1990 "Goodfellas" film about organized crime in New York. And Thursday's indictment opened with a primer on the hierarchical structure of the mob or "La Cosa Nostra" and one of its most notorious families, the Bonnanos, with explanations of the roles of its boss, "consigliere" or underboss, administrations, crews, captains, soldiers, associates and "goodfellas."

"As alleged, Vincent Asaro devoted his adult life to the Bonanno crime family, with a criminal career that spanned decades," Loretta Lynch, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of New York, said in a statement. "Far from a code of honor, theirs was a code of violence and brute force. Those suspected of cooperating with law enforcement paid with their lives."

She added, "Neither age nor time dimmed Asaro's ruthless ways, as he continued to order violence to carry out mob business in recent months."

Also charged in the indictment were fellow Bonanno family members or associates: Asaro's son, Jerome, Jack Bonventre, Thomas "Tommy D" Di Fiore and John "Bazoo" Ragano.

Four of the five defendants pleaded not guilty Thursday before U.S. Magistrate Marilyn Go, who said that no bail would be set now because of the violent nature of the charges.

Bonventre, who was not arraigned Thursday because his lawyer was unavailable, will be arraigned Friday. The defendant did not appear in court.

Vincent Asaro's lawyer, Gerald McMahon, arrived in the crowded courtroom with a large plastic bag filled with prescription drugs for his client, who, he said, had triple bypass surgery in March. The courtroom was filled with Asaro family members and federal agents.

"Vincent Asaro said that we are going to trial on this case -- there will be no plea," said McMahon, who joked that the indictment was giving Scorsese the basis for a sequel to "Goodfellas." "Short of a dismissal, there will be a trial.

McMahon said his client has high blood pressure in addition to the recent triple bypass.

"We're gonna try to put together a sufficient bail package so he can get bail," he said. "But he's not a very wealthy man, unfortunately ... My client isn't in the position to put $10 million on the government's table, either for bail or for some sort of a special deal."

Of his client's alleged involvement in the fabled heist, McMahon said: "Innocence. Pure, actual innocence. He didn't do it, had nothing to do with it. Pretty much all the people that did it got murdered ... So, the fact that my client didn't get murdered would suggest that he didn't have anything to do with it, so I'll start right there."

Vincent Asaro is the first accused mobster to face charges in the Lufthansa heist.

Ed McDonald, a former federal prosecutor who investigated the Lufthansa heist, told CNN that authorities were able to confirm at least eight killings reportedly connected to the robbery.

"You know at the time it was an extraordinarily big deal," said McDonald, who played himself in the film. "It was the largest robbery in the history of the United states. For whatever reason, the tabloids in New York took a fancy to this case. They were fascinated by it, and what was happening was that a lot of the people who were allegedly involved in the robbery in some form ... were turning up dead."

The only person convicted in connection with the JFK heist was Louis Werner, a Lufthansa cargo agent, McDonald said. Werner, who was arrested a few months after the robbery, was convicted of being the "inside man" who provided information that helped the robbers carry out the heist, McDonald said.

Other crimes described in the indictment also sound similar to events portrayed in the film -- a 1969 murder, burning a New York building and a racketeering operation that used threats of violence to extort money from victims.

"These 'goodfellas' thought they had a license to steal, a license to kill, and a license to do whatever they wanted," George Venizelos, assistant director-in-charge of the FBI's New York office. "However, today's arrests of the five members of the Bonanno crime family brings an end to their violent and ruthless ways."

 

[big j 33]

Even if you dislike Lawrence, it wouldn't be outrageous if she won.

She did very well in a supporting role and she has widespread support. It would be far down the list of unfair/undeserving Oscar wins.

 

[Kimchi Papi]

I'm kinda floored at the Leo stans in here. He's always a solid actor (he picks great films to work in), but he's never been spectacular which is the reason I think he hasn't won an Oscar. There's subtlety to characters I don't think he does well.

Take for instance with Bale & his role in The Fighter. Having been an addict & worked with recovering addicts for years I can say he nailed that role & it was all the subtle things like the look on his face when he got up from jumping out of the window. Classic crack head expression & movement. Also look at the look/expression when he's trying to break it off with Lawrence & she beckons him into bed. There is geniune range of emotions flashing across this face.

Another great example of subtlety is Laurence Fishburne as Ike Turner. Towards the end of the film when he's trying to convince Tina to come back instead of saying he's quit drugs, he says, "Now Anna Mae, I done quit that narcotic." Just the choice of words & the phrasing of how he delivered that line made me believe this was Ike talking not Fishburne delivering a monologue.

Leo does anger & desperation well, he makes it palatable but he doesn't do much outside of that.

 

[CP1708]

but he's never been spectacular

Not off to a good start here bruh.......

 

[Kimchi Papi]

Name a scene where he's shown an emotion that's not related to anger, fear, or desperation & let's chop the scene up. A scene where his face is expressing something other than the emotions I mention.

 

[youngdoc]

It's not even his best work but you could choose a number of scenes from Wolf

 

[awwsome]

Lupita need that Oscar b, she moved me emotionally with her performance in a way that's hard to put into words.

Love Lawrence and thought she was great in American Hustle but it isn't comparable to Lupita

Who cares though academy rarely gets it right and there are politics involved, wish there was a better borometer but history remembers the Oscars

 

[hymen man]

Name a scene where he's shown an emotion that's not related to anger, fear, or desperation & let's chop the scene up. A scene where his face is expressing something other than the emotions I mention.

"I'm the king of the world!"

 

[johnnyredstorm]

Yeah, I feel like Leo had some great facial expressions in Wolf. That scene where he's dancing in the tux, the whole cerebral palsy high, but overall I could see what's being said. Bale's expressions look so natural and real. They're both brilliant actors.

 

[Kimchi Papi]

It's not even his best work but you could choose a number of scenes from Wolf

WOWS was a solid flim & a solid performance from Leo but a standard performance from Leo (which is better than most actors). It wasn't spectacular. The movie nor his performance didn't blow me away.

I posted earlier stating I liked The Departed much better, the same way I liked Good Fellas better than Casino. WOWS & Casino are a little too long. For me the stories in both movies kinda meandered a bit.

"I'm the king of the world!"

You thought that particular scene was spectacular? To each his own I guess.

Leo's template for his career has been This Boy's Life, which was he spectacular in IMO. He hasn't strayed far from what he displayed in that movie. Gilbert Grape was also another great performance but he's never done anything remotely close to that. I liked him in that because he showed a different range.

 

[johnnyredstorm]

I thought goodfellas meandered after Hill really got into dealing blow. But I think I'm just mad that hill sold everyone down the river.

 

[Kimchi Papi]

I would agree with that but Casino was worse of the 2 for me.

Edit - when I say worse, I don't mean I don't like the film or that it's a bad film. Both a great movies, just that Casino was a bit too long IMO.

 

[hymen man]

I posted earlier stating I liked The Departed much better, the same way I liked Good Fellas better than Casino. WOWS & Casino are a little too long. For me the stories in both movies kinda meandered a bit.
You thought that particular scene was spectacular? To each his own I guess.

Leo's template for his career has been This Boy's Life, which was he spectacular in IMO. He hasn't strayed far from what he displayed in that movie. Gilbert Grape was also another great performance but he's never done anything remotely close to that. I liked him in that because he showed a different range.

You just asked for a scene with a different emotion than the ones you listed.

 

[lawdog1]

Leo is a very fine actor, but I would agree that he's a notch below certain other people who can roughly be considered his contemporaries, like Bale and Daniel Day-Lewis. He just hasn't shown the range that those other guys have. Bale has played, among other things, a psychotic killer, a superhero and an obsessed magician in a period piece and been convincing in everything. Leo doesn't have quite that resume, although he's been in lots of excellent films.

 

[awwsome]

Bale is truly god level as an actor, his résumé speaks for itself, guy is also insane which I think is a prerequisite to being a great artist in most cases

Day-Lewis is Bulls MJ

Leo is my guy though, he's like Durant, he will get there. He's still pretty young amazingly.

 

[johnnyredstorm]

The Machinist all Bale ate was like apple cores. What he's willing to go through for a role is what separates him from the world. Leo is too human in that case.

 

[Kimchi Papi]

I'm really torn about the best supporting actress but I'm going with my heart. I'd like to see Lupita Nyong’o win. First role or not. Here's her appearance on Fallon last night. Man, that's one beautiful woman. She has an aura about her.

 

[japanair21]

I'll agree that Bale has a better resume, but I look forward to Leo films more than Bale.

I have never really been excited for a film where Bale is the main focus of the film. Yet at the same time, he's never let me down.

 

[CP1708]

So What's Eating Gilbert Grape never happened?

When he had the Palsy high, he was acting angry or fearful?

Blood Diamond wasn't real?

Aviator was what?

Jesus, Growing Pains could show you where the kid was headed. Basketball Diary's.....


Bale is an elite actor, zero question, but to sit and act like Leo doesn't do MAJOR work at his craft is pretty confusing. The guy owns EVERY scene he's in. EVERY, scene. He doesn't take movies off, he doesn't write them in, he doesn't even make crap films, he just does his job.

Knocking him for not being Daniel Day Lewis is the same as knocking Magic Johnson for not being Michael Jordan. They're both elite, they both have different ways of being elite.

 

[IATT]

i mean it's admirable what bale is willing to do to his body for roles..

but yea, i'm not taking him over leo if we're talking solely just acting ability

 

[johnnyredstorm]

I'll agree that Bale has a better resume, but I look forward to Leo films more than Bale.

I have never really been excited for a film where Bale is the main focus of the film. Yet at the same time, he's never let me down.

You know that Cacther in the Rye quote about how you wish you were friends with the author after reading a book you really liked and could call him up, watching anything Leo's in is the equivalent to that.

He was solid in Body of Lies. I liked that character he played.

 

[lawdog1]

^^^ I'm not knocking Leo, so much as I'm praising those other guys.

 

[CP1708]

His Resume is a Gad damn joke, it's absurd.


What's Eating Gilbert Grape
The Basketball Diaries
Romeo & Juliet
Titanic
The Man in the Iron Mask (wildly underrated)
The Beach
Gangs of New York
Catch Me if You Can
The Aviator
The Departed
Blood Diamond
Body of Lies
Revolutionary Road
Shudder Island
Inception
J Edgar
Django Unchained
The Great Gatsby
Wolf of Wall Street


He damn near is the best part of almost every single film. And a few of them, he's every scene type. (Such as Wolf)

He has 2 "meh" films. Road and Romeo, everything else was solid as can be. Even J Edgar he was great in, tho the movie was not considered very great. He himself carried the role just fine.