Tag Archives: Robert De Niro

Biography, Crime, Drama

THE IRISHMAN (2019): New Official Trailer For The Latest Martin Scorsese Movie Starring Joe Pesci, Robert De Niro, Al Pacino…

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The Irishman (2019), Robert De Niro, Netflix
The Irishman (2019), Robert De Niro, Netflix

Read my spoiler-free movie review of The Irishman (2019).

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.

The Irishman Release Dates: November 27th, 2019 (US)…

Happy Film Loving,

G

Crime, Drama, Thriller

JOKER (2019): New Trailer From Joaquin Phoenix, Zazie Beetz, Robert De Niro…

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Joker (2019), Joaquin Phoenix, Warner Bros. Pictures
Joker (2019), Joaquin Phoenix, Warner Bros. Pictures

Read my spoiler-free movie review of Joker (2019).

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 and 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.

Joker Release Dates: October 4th, 2019 (US & UK)…

Happy Film Loving,

G

Comedy, No Spoiler Reviews

THE COMEDIAN (2016): The Thing I Liked…

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The Comedian (2016), Robert De Niro
The Comedian (2016), Robert De Niro

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 movie can 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.

I say watch it if you must but only if you must.

Happy Film Loving .

G

Drama, TV

THE WIZARD OF LIES (2017): New Trailer For Bernie Madoff Movie Starring Robert De Niro, Michelle Pfeiffer, Hank Azaria, Alessandro Nivola…

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The Wizzard Of Lies (2017), Robert De Niro
The Wizzard Of Lies (2017), Robert De Niro

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 film 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.

I’m so ready for a good drama like this one.

The Wizard of Lies is directed by Barry Levinson.

The Wizard of Lies Release Dates: May 20th, 2017 (HBO)…

Happy Film Loving,

G

Comedy

DIRTY GRANDPA (2016): The Things I Liked…

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Dirty Grandpa (2016), Robert De Niro, Zac Efron
Dirty Grandpa (2016), Robert De Niro, Zac Efron

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 as an outrageous and expletive-filled senior citizen, the opposite of what he did most recently in The Intern (2015). I just wish the script had been better.

Dirty Grandpa (2016), Aubrey Plaza (r)
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 I can’t stop you.

Happy Film Loving,

G