Mean Streets

This 1973 Martin Scorsese film is often referred to as a landmark film and highly influential as to how future movies of the genre were made. I was looking forward to seeing it.

In the movie Charlie played by Harvey Keitel is a young Italian trying to move up in the Mafia organization run by his Uncle. Charlie lives next to and is a good friends with Johnny Boy, played by Robert DeNiro. I think right after this part DeNiro must have got the part of young Vito in The Godfather II but I am not sure of the chronology of his parts.

The movie is lauded for it's symbolism. Charlie is a devout Catholic and the movie takes place with the neighborhood celebrating a Catholic festival, Charlie is trying to balance his duties to his belief in the church and his place in the Mob. His Uncle has paternal feelings for Charlie but cautions him against associating with Johnny who he feels is a two bit hood nor Charlie's sister Teresa who is epileptic and this to be shunned.

Little does he know that Johnny is Charlie's pal and little does he or Johnny know that he is sleeping with Teresa.

In the end Charlie tries to walk a fine line. Johnny is in trouble because, as he says, he has borrowed money from everyone in the neighborhood and paid no one back. Finally a shark is adamant about wanting his money and Charlie tries to intervene and keep Johnny from getting himself in deeper.

Charlie sets up a meeting with the shark for Johnny to show good faith. Johnny is seemingly incapable of playing it straight and insults the man to whom he owes money and pulls a gun on him. A gun he later admits was not loaded but the damage is done.

Charlie, Teresa and Johnny set off for Brooklyn so that Johnny can lay low for awhile. As they drive they are cut off by another car and shots are fired. It seems they have been followed. As he was driving Charlie was talking to God bemoaning his unsuccessful efforts to please everyone and as the movie ends and Johnny is taken away in an ambulance after being shot and Charlie has been shot in the hand the movie ends.

What does it all mean. I have no idea. I just was not that impressed with the movie. Keitel was fine and DeNiro played a punked up no brain as well as could be expected. The imagery was vague and unclear. The ending was muddy, we not only do not know what happens to the characters we do not really even know the point of the movie.

Not being sold as a day in the life the movie has no meaning.

Perhaps it is grittiness and realism it was influential for later, better movies but on it's own merit it is nothing special.

George Harrison: Living in the Material World

This Martin Scorsese directed biopic appeared in two parts on HBO last fall. As part of the new feature HBO GO I watched this on my Ipad this weekend.

Scorsese appears to be the leader in this type of movie as he continues to do these type of biopics on musical performers. This is a very well done show. It compares well with the Beatles Anthology that we saw years ago while focusing on George himself.

Harrison's interest in Eastern relgions is well documented. His relationship with Ravi Shankir was long and prosperous. His relationship with Eric Clapton and Patty Boyd and the whole Layla mess is shown in detail.

Outside of that however we see much about Harrison's musical career. It was very interesting to note that All Things Must Pass was the most successful of the Beatles first solo albums. Harrison had a stockpile of material. While Something and Here Comes The Sun highlighted Abbey Road the fact is that there was not much room for Harrison's material on The Beatles albums. Thus he was well prepared.

Harrison was a conflicted individual. As much as he embraced religion and explored Eastern ideas he also had a long and large experience with drugs. His concert for Bangladesh was the first large scale charity concert yet he was embroiled in many lawsuits with his fellow Beatles.

As we look at Harrison's later career his time with The Traveling Wilbury was a highlight. It is hard to think about a band with Harrison, Dylan, and Tom Petty. What an amazing group that was.

Harrison died too young. In watching the movie one will see perhaps the most interesting Beatle as he was very hard to paint. When Ringo breaks into tears when talking about the last time he was with George it is hard not to choke up yourself. Harrison was a strong character in our time.

The Aviator

Watching the Aviator on AMC I was struck by one clear thing. AMC shows too many commericals. Showing this as an AMC premiere, the movie stretched four hours with for the last three hours commercials every seven minutes. What a disqueting way to attempt to watch a movie, especially in contrast to viewing a movie on TMC with no commercials at all.

The movie itself was tremendous. A Martin Scorsece movie starring Leonardo DiCaprio as Howard Hughes the movie centers on the the glory years of the eccentric aviator and moviemaker - primarily the twenties through 1947. When his parents are both deceased he, at the age of 22, begins filming his debut movie Hell's Angels. Taking three years and millions to make, the movie is a success. John C Reily plays his harried business director who seems to have spent the time span of the movie saying " Howard we cannot do that."

Hughes sets speed records for flying, builds planes, and during World War II earns contracts to build spy planes and of course a very large transport plane, later dubbed The Spruce Goose.

Hughes has a long relationship with Katherine Hepburn. Cate Blanchett plays Hepburn, she won the Oscar for Best Actress and deservedly so. It is impossible to watch this movie and not be captivated by her performance. Anyone familiar with Hepburn, her mannerisms and ways, realizes right away that Blanchett nailed it. She was amazing.

Hughes deals with OCD his whole life and throughout the movie it gets progressivly worse. In today's world OCD is acknowledged and understood. It can be treated and helped. In Hughes day this was not the case. DiCaprio plays this part of the personality well and for the most part Scorsece does not overplay this hand.

The emotional highlight of the movie centers around the Pan Am, TWA flight. Hughes had purchased TWA and made plans to make TWA a competitor to Pan AM run by Juan Trippe. Alec Baldwin plays trip very well. Trippe using his crony Senator Owen Brewster played brilliantly by Alan Alda has a bill written which in the interest of the " people" Pan Am will be given a mononpoly on overseas commercial travel. Brewster bring Hughes before Congress to defend himself against charges of war profiteering.

Coming out of seclusion, having been lured out by Ava Gardner, another former lover Hughes fights back and fights back hard. He calls Brewster out on his being bought and sold by Trippe. The bill fails and eventually TWA becomes a worldwide power. This after having been on the edge of failure.

Hughes was clearly a flawed individual. The latter part of his life he was a recluse, all but crippled by the increasing effects of his OCD. Still for a twenty year period he was a figure of great import. It should not be understated.

A very good movie, filled notably with some incredibly strong acting performances. Alda and Blanchett both notably are Oscar worthy. Dicaprio is strong in his role but sonehow as good as he is these other two outshine him. A good movie. Great acting.

Raging Bull

Watched this movie tonight. I have heard references to it many times and decided that the time had come to watch it.

I liked the movie. It was good. Martin Scorsece is a great director and this movie, shot in black and white, tells the story of Jake Lamotta a middleweight fighter in the 40's and 50's.

Robert Deniro plays Lamotta and Joe Pesci his brother. Lamotta was a great fighter but a seriously flawed person with an, at least from the movie, an almost psychotic paranoia and lack of trust of anybody.

Watching the old classic movies however this movie as good as it was is more realistic perhaps, more language, more blood and guts but to me it becomes apparent that those new tools are crutches. Telling the same story with all character is much harder.

A very good movie. Well worth watching