Mac's Movies

UK Release Date:  05 December 1997 Certification:  15 Director:  James Mangold Cast:  Peter Berg, Noah Emmerich, Harvey Keitel, Ray Liotta, Robert De Niro, Robert Patrick, Michael Rapaport, Sylvester Stallone, Frank Vincent Rating:   66% Review: 1997's Cop L and is a film of its time. Back when investigations into the police force were seen on screen every few months - Internal Affairs , L.A. Confidential and Training Day . Cop Land may lack originality, but for the most part it's a solid crime film.  The cast is stacked. Full of big name, A-list actors akin to that of one of Scorsese's works. Yet, it's Sylvester Stallone that steals the show with a terrific performance. Sheriff, Freddy Heflin, hindered by being partially deaf is portrayed superbly by Stallone. Emotionless, unwavering and torn by inner turmoil. The audience is continuously  rooting for Heflin despite his unadventurous persona. Harvey Keitel and Robert Patrick are both decent enough v...

UK Release Date:  12 April 2013 Certification:  15 Director:  Derek Cianfrance Cast:  Mahershala Ali, Rose Byrne, Emory Cohen, Bradley Cooper, Dane DeHaan, Ryan Gosling, Ray Liotta, Eva Mendes, Ben Mendelsohn Rating:   49 % Review:   The Place Beyond the Pines is a mess. The film attempts to tell three interconnecting stories during its 140 minute runtime - a crime thriller, an unravelling of police corruption and a political campaign. This could've worked if each section of the film was compelling but that isn't the case. The first hour of this film is superb in my opinion. The themes bleed through, the action is well choreographed and scenes feel impactful. Afterwards, the rest of the film is just dull, boring and a major disappointment. The characters aren't particularly interesting and I struggled to remain engaged with the plot.  Ryan Gosling is great in the supposed lead role of Luke Glanton. The struggles of his personal lif...

UK Release Date: 26 October 1990 Certification: 18 Director: Martin Scorsese Cast: Lorraine Bracco, Tony Darrow, Ray Liotta, Robert De Niro, Joe Pesci, Frank Sivero, Paul Sorvino, Mike Starr, Frank Vincent  Rating:   92 % "As far back as I can remember I always wanted to be a gangster." Review: Goodfellas is the ultimate crime flick. Despite the rushed conclusion (my opinion) Martin Scorsese's film, based on a true story, is often considered as one of the best of all time.  Criminally, this is my first viewing of a Scorsese feature. With instant classics like  Taxi Driver  and  Raging Bull  as well as modern classics like  The Departed  and  The Wolf of Wall Street , he's viewed as one of the greatest directors of all time. I think what makes him stand out is his reliance on returning actors (Robert De Niro and Joe Pesci back then and Leonardo DiCaprio since the 2000's).  What makes Goodfellas not only an iconic movie but an a...