The Comeback Trail (2020): Robert De Niro, Zach Braff
Directed and co-written by George Gallo; The Comback Trail is the latest action/comedy starring Robert De Niro, Morgan Freeman, Tommy Lee Jone and Zach Braff.
De Niro is one of two movie producers who owe money to the mob. So, to save themselves, they set up their ageing movie star (Jones) for an insurance scam. Only all does not go according to plan…
The humour and great cast are my reason. Looks like it’s going to be fun watching De Niro, Jones and Freeman share the screen.
Patrick Muldoon, Michelle Maylene, Malcolm Barrett, Eddie Griffin, Natalie Burn, Vincent Spano, Nick Vallelonga and Leslie Stratton also star.
Joker (2019), Joaquin Phoenix, Warner Bros. Pictures
I’ve liked Joaquin Phoenix ever since his brilliant performance in Ridley Scott’s much loved Gladiator (2000). I therefore had no doubt he’d deliver a truly memorable performance as Joker, Gotham City’s most iconic villain.
Watching Aurthur Fleck’s journey from social outcast to psychopathic murderer is a viewing experience I enjoyed for more than just Phoenix’s brilliant physical and emotional performance. Before Joker, I don’t think I’d truly paid attention to the lyrics of Frank Sinatra’s That’s Life. The clever use of this song, the film’s musical score and soundtrack is another key highlight.
Joker (2020), Joaquin Phoenix, Warner Bros. Pictures
Joker is undeniably a good film. Yet, for me personally, there is something about it that meant I found myself not particularly overly enthusiastic post viewing. One might even say that Joker is quite depressing because it’s almost ‘too real,’ when compared with what’s been happening in the US. Another reason it seemed something of a downer is the film’s heavy focus on people who are, to put it lightly, ‘unpleasant’. I of course understand director Todd Phillip’s reasons considering the nature of the story being told. Yet it’s never easy for me when the protagonist is also an anti-hero of the most insane and murderous kind, particularly when there’s no humour involved.
Overall, what I like most about Phillip’s film, is how well mapped Joker’s journey from victim to anti-hero is. From powerless to fully empowered and in control. From ‘how much more can he take?’ ‘Where can he go from here?’ to ‘There it is’. ‘The camel’s back has completely snapped and there’s no going back’
Lastly, I can’t deny that my colour loving self rather enjoyed the red suit, yellow vest, plus green shirt and hair look. Especially while Joker was on those famous stairs.
You’ve probably already seen it. If not, do it for Phoenix’s performance and all else that’s good about it.
I was never going to forego watching celebrated director Martin Scorsese’s latest, The Irishman; even with the arguably ‘offensive’ three and a half hour runtime.
Starring Robert De Niro, Al Pacino, Joe Pesci, Harvey Keitel and centred around a mob hitman’s recollection of his possible involvement in the killing of American Labour Union leader Jimmy Hoffa in 1975; the dialogue, style and great performances are all reasons why I find The Irishman most memorable.
As De Niro’s Frank Sheeran (the Irishman), who’s now living in a retirement home recalls his story, there’s definitely a high volume of information shared; some of which you’ll likely soon forget; in part because of the pace of events. Nevertheless, the story, acting and editing still managed to keep me engaged. And just before the one hour, thirty minutes point, that’s when things get especially interesting. It’s when all the great performances start to reveal themselves fully.
The Irishman (2019), Robert De Niro, Netflix
Pacino as the incredibly stubborn Hoffa and Stephen Graham as the equally stubborn Tony Pro are two of my favourites, and their scenes together are among the very best. However, the most memorable performance and my overall favourite thing about The Irishman is De Niro’s turn as Frank. I particularly appreciated the moments Frank didn’t have to speak for the audience to grasp a fair amount of the depth of his experience. So impactful were these quiet moments that I can’t hide my disappointed that De Niro didn’t get an acting Academy Award nomination.
I like how Scorsese’s film provides a kind of ‘inside look’ at the life of a mob hitman. The daily realities, the impact on family and the weight of loyalty. Still, a part of me wonders how different The Irishman would be had Scorsese taken the mini-series or multiple part feature film route instead of squeezing so much into one feature. I wonder.
The Irishman is a film to watch because of the great film making team and for a handful of truly memorable, high tension and often humorous scenes that will remind you of just why Scorsese is so highly celebrated. Just make sure you’re fully rested though, plus ready to watch and truly listen before committing to the hefty three hours and thirty minutes.
The new official trailer for The Irishman, the latest Martin Scorsese movie starring Robert De Niro, Joe Pesci and Al Pacino is finally here.
The Irishman tells the story of a hitman’s recollection of his possible involvement with the slaying of Jimmy Hoffa, an American former Labour Union leader.
I’m quite certain that this is one of the most highly anticipated Netflix releases. With Scorsese’s track record and a cast of absolute legends of cinema. I look forward to seeing how well this turns out.
Anna Paquin, Jack Huston, Bobby Cannavale, Ray Romano, Jesse Plemons and Stephen Graham also star.
Starring Joaquin Phoenix, Zazie Beetz and Robert De Niro, Joker is an exploration of Aurthur Fleck, a man disregarded by society and eventually driven insane until he become’s Gotham City’s best known psychopathic murderer.
Directed by Todd Phillips (The Hangover (2009), other key cast includes Bryan Callen, Shea Whigham, Frances Conroy…
I’m going to start by addressing the rather humongous and certainly beautiful elephant in the room. ‘Heath Ledger, Heath Ledger, Heath Ledger, Heath Ledger. The Dark Knight , The Dark Knight , The Dark Knight, The Dark Knight.’ OK. I’m done.
To clarify, my intention is certainly not to take anything away from Phoenix who I also appreciate, especially since his great work in Gladiator (2000). However, I just had to do the above because Ledger’s performance was pure magic and permanently fixed in my memory as one of the best performances I’ve ever seen.
I’m still definitely looking forward to watching this deep-dive into Joker’s journey, from failed comic to psychopathic murderer. Additionally, I actually can’t wait to compare both Phoenix and Ledger’s performances – just to see which I prefer.
Glenn Fleshler, Brett Cullen, Marc Maron, Douglas Hodge and Josh Pais also star.
I recall someone saying that The Comedian, a comedy starring Robert De Niro, Harvey Keitel, Danny DeVito and Leslie Mann wasn’t great. This surprised me considering the very talented cast. I of course watched it anyway and can say that there were moments where I laughed and smiled.
Directed by Taylor Hackford and with De Niro playing a sort of lovable rogue in the shape of an ageing insult comic named Jack Burke, I wouldn’t call this film one of the most memorable movies in De Niro’s filmography. It reminded me a little of what I love most about Larry David’s Curb Your Enthusiasm; a situation comedy series where Larry David plays a version of himself. David’s character says what he truly thinks and does precisely as he wishes even if it makes everyone around him, especially his loved ones extremely uncomfortable therefore keeping them in an almost constant state of ‘suffering’ – to great comic effect.
The Comedian is no where near as funny as Curb but it was tolerable enough for me to watch the entire thing. If anything about this moviecan be described as forced, it’s perhaps the comedy element. When considering the events that take place in the film and how they unfold, I certainly wouldn’t describe much of it as ‘bursting at the seams with cliches’ at least not from my pesrpective – and that’s a good thing.
Robert De Niro, Michelle Pfeiffer, Hank Azaria and Alessandro Nivola are the stars of The Wizard Of Lies, an HBO movie about Bernie Madoff and his Ponzi scheme. A scheme specifically known as the largest financial fraud in United States history…
Of course I’ll be tuning in! De Niro is as watchable as ever, I’m excited to see Michelle Pfeiffer in a movie again and the story is so very intriguing. Even more so because I didn’t really pay close attention to the news when Madoff was all over it back in 2008.
Dirty Grandpa is a comedy about a lecherous grandfather and his uptight grandson who go on a road trip that one of them really wishes wasn’t happening.
Starring Robert De Niro, Zac Efron, Aubrey Plaza and directed by Dan Mazer, this is one of those movies that has a good number of funny moments. The only thing is, those great moments are unfortunately followed by a few ill-advised scenes with dialogue and story development that needed more work/editing.
I enjoyed watching De Niro in the role of an outrageous and expletive filled senior citizen, the opposite of what he did most recently in The Intern (2015)but overall, the writing script down.
Dirty Grandpa (2016), Aubrey Plaza (r)
As for the other characters, ‘Caricaturish’ is sadly the word that comes to mind for Julianne Hough’s role as Meredith. I don’t know if my objection is to the type of person she portrays, the way she played her, or both. Lenore, (Plaza) is probably the only one that didn’t make me cringe in parts. I’m not quite sure what some might think that suggests about me; hopefully it says that I enjoy language and love to see it used creatively.
Dirty Grandpa, for me, is a story of bonding between a grandson and grandfather. I thought there was no need for the clichéd young romance. But then again, I’m not a teenager, or a Zac Efron fangirl.
It’s probably fair to say that the actors did the best they could with the material at hand. I certainly wouldn’t tell someone looking for a really great comedy to make time for Dirty Grandpa. But, if you’re a big fan of at least one of the actors, even I know that I can’t stop you.
The Movie My Life 