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Movie Reviews, & Film Industry Commentary
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1987 – R – 119 min.
Director: Brian DePalma
Primary Cast: Kevin Costner, Sean Connery, Charles Martin Smith, Andy Garcia, Robert DeNiro, Richard Bradford, Jack Kehoe, Brad Sullivan, Billy Drago, Patricia Clarkson
Stars **** 1/2 (of 5)
Popcorn **** 1/2 (of 5)
Film Type(s): Drama, Gangster, Action, Urban, Prohibition
Synopsis: In 1930 Chicago Al Capone (DeNiro) was making money and gaining power hand over fist. The Treasury Department sent in Elliot Ness (Costner) to take him down. The only problem is that after Ness’ first raid fails because of leaks within the Police force he doesn’t know who to trust until he meets beat cop Malone (Connery). Ness then takes a handpicked team of men who will not take bribes, making them ‘untouchable’ by Capone, and works to take Capone down. The question then becomes “What are you prepared to do?”
Review: Based on the popular 1950’s Television show (which used no gore or violence), this film from Brian DePalma explores the true story of honorable Elliot Ness and his mission to rid 1930’s Chicago of Al Capone and the violence he caused using a team of hand picked agents. The well-structured script from playwright David Mamet is full of scenes that are shot like they are innocent enough, but are always full of unyielding character. The opening bombing scene tells us right off that this is not going to be your standard adaptation from TV. It’s going to be subtle in some ways but brutally violent in others. The acting is excellent throughout the film, with Sean Connery as the experienced no-nonsense Malone (as role for which he won the Oscar for Best Supporting Actor) and Robert DeNiro as a flamboyant and dangerous Al Capone (making himself an imposing force throughout the film with a minimum of screen time) are standouts in a talented cast. Probably the most infamous scene of this film is the train station steps sequence, which many agree to be a tribute to a similar scene in the silent Russian film Battleship Potempkin. Another great thing about this film are the production design and Ennio Morricone’s percussion heavy score, making only scarce use of his then signature woodwinds (like he used in 1986’s The Mission) with the exception of a lone saxophone. This film is an interesting companion piece to DePalma’s equally violent interpretation of Scarface (1983). Billy Drago makes an excellent Frank Nitti, with a fittingly creepy stare to match. “Here endeth the lesson.”
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