Hugo - 2011 - Dir. Scorsese

This movie charmed the pants off of me! I originally didn't care to see it. Had absolutely no interest in it. The Poster, the Trailer... I just didn't give a damn. I understood that the movie was basically filled to the brim is cinema talent and it seemed to be received really well. People were talking up the 3D too... so I gave in and paid the exorbitant fee to see the movie. It was worth it! Or at least... I couldn't have been happier with it. It's just a movie that makes you feel all nice and warm. It's really nice looking. Everyone does a real good job. I personally dug all animate/inanimate themes, gears, clocks, and film history appreciation. Finding your a purpose. And the post-war European-ness of it all. It was all great! Even Sacha Baron Cohen, a man who I am getting pretty close to sick of, won me over. If anything, I was surprised to have not liked Chloe Moretz as much as would have thought. Maybe I set the bar too high for the young lady, but most of the things I've seen her in, she's been pretty awesome. But hey, can't win 'em all... perhaps it was her role. Constantly chirping on about adventure. She had some lines that were just tough sells and often rang untrue. It's use of 3D was nice. Scorcese manages to sneak so many nice layers into it all. Smoke, snow. Rather than just depth, it added to the atmosphere. All in all, I had a great time. I mean, anytime you have a plot involving an automaton, I'll be willing to jump in.

Ace Butts and B Kings.

Shutter Island - 2010 - Dir. Scorsese

Shutter Island is everyone doing what they do best. No one does a bad job in this movie. No one does a great job, either. This is just movie being the most moviest that it could possibly be. If I were to criticize anything, it's that Leonardo DiCaprio looks like a nutcase from Shot 1. We know the dish we're being served when we see that sickly looking motherfucker, we're going to spend the rest of the movie challenging his sanity. And you know... we do, but I think that's that major difference between this and The Machinist is that Scorsese never gives too much away. As crazy as DiCaprio is (We know he's a little deranged... a little obsessed. But HOW MUCH?), Scorsese doesn't let us write off the idea that this is all just a conspiracy taking advantage of a man under duress. And Scorsese can sell us that, I certainly bought it. And even though, the ending doesn't exactly come as a surprise, Scorsese makes it HURT. So yeah, it's well-crafted. Nothing really stands out EXCEPT: Ted Levine. WHO IS AWESOME. Like, his scene... man... I get so excited about that scene. It's just a perfect illustration of Ted Levine's ability to be a restrained nutcase. His character is almost completely useless (almost) in the movie, but man am I ever glad that he gets that one scene. Perhaps the movie runs a little long, as I think about it. But hey, I love a nice old fashioned nut house and I'll wander around it with everyone else as much as the next guy.

Oh no! I'm having a traumatic time with deceased wife... again...

Casino - 1995 - Dir. Scorsese

I didn't like Casino. Let me make that clear. First of all, I'm not sure I saw why that movie had to be three hours long. I suppose... he's concerned with telling a very whole and complete story. But I don't know... that story is pretty repetitive and boring. Everyone behaves exactly the way you would expect them to behave and they just do so for three hours. There's some neat parts. Some interesting parts. BUT MAN, I was waiting for the movie to end pretty early on. And when you get to the ending? I felt like my last reaction was a "Huh." No one is really ever likable. Not even charming really. Or even sympathetic. I could give a rats ass what happens to these people. It's not that they're immoral or violent. It's just that they act pretty stupidly for most of the movie. I don't understand how three people exploding in Vegas could be so dull. Sigh... I seem to be ragging on the movie. I mean, it's still Scorsese... so it's not all bad. On a standalone basis, there's some neat montages and bits. Some fine music as always. And there's a lot of it. The movie sometimes seems like it wants to get through the story as fast as possible. There's more voice over than I really cared for. Joe Pesci definitely held my attention, but with a character like that, it's to be expected. So yeah, CASINO.

Forget Sharon Stone! Who the FUCK is that guy and how does he look so good?

Mean Streets - 1973 - Dir. Scorsese

I saw Mean Streets back in high school feeling it necessary to watch all IMPORTANT films. I think that resulted in me SEEING a lot of films but not creating too many actual memories of them. I only remembered a young De Niro and a lot of red lights and a car crash. As the film began, I got totally psyched for what I was watching. I think in retrospect, Mean Streets feels like a huge step for the modern style of film making we see a lot of gangster and action movies we see today. And it's especially interesting to watch Scorsese beginning to do things that he would master in later years (like the walking through the club shot, although its at its most charming here) which would go on to influence others.. I think perhaps being how rough a lot of aspects of the film are and how damned youthful these guys are, there's a lot of energy in the picture. It feels rowdy. Even in comparison to Scorsese's later pictures, this one feels incredibly free. These aren't the moody Travis Bickles. They aren't as classy as the Goodfella characters. The plot moves about as wildly as the characters, with a specific direction but it's apt to take twists and turns. I also must get excited about David Carridine's silly ass/bad ass cameo. Perhaps what has been sticking in my head the most after seeing the picture is DeNiro's long pointless story to Keitel, trying to get out of trouble, at one point they both grow confused as to the details of the story and they both let loose a weird cheerful Mobbed up- "Hey!" It can be weird, confusing, and cheap, but damn is it charming.

OH NO! Keitel is turning into some kind of weasel!