Some of my fave:
A Bronx Tale - Not Generally considered a mafia movie, but I like it cuz I think that this movie shows how a very young life can become attracted to the gangster-lifestyle by a mentality that is formed in kids in mob-influenced neighborhoods.
Resevoir Dogs - The first thing that everyone thinks about this movie are the hit-men/thieves in the warehouse. However, the scenes of the initial planning/ set-up of the heist by mob-head Joe Cabot
& the planning of the infiltration by the undercover cop by Mr. Orange & Holdaway are pretty cool, too.
The Godfather lll - I know, I know.... everybody thinx this one sux. However, the Godfather Trilogy didn't come to me til much later in my life. Therefore, the 1st. Godfather film I ever watched was this one. So I got to see it without the comparison of it's 2 predecessors. And, IMO, on it's own, it's a very good mobster movie. Obviously, it can't compare to the 1st. 2, but, in the genre of mob-flicks, it kicks it's own particuler brand of mafia ass. Plus, with it's redemption-themed, politically-charged corporation/Vatican storyline,
it's a pretty goddamn smart movie, too.
Now, if only Sofia Coppola would've gotten shot at the beginning of the film instead of the end, maybe this flick would get a little more respect.
Casino - Goodfellas, Las Vegas style. Or as Co-Host might say, "Goodfellas 2, Electric Boogaloo".
Road To Perdition - Paul Newman & Tom Hanks as gangstas. Fuckin' 'ey, man, that's all any movie needs.
Donnie Brasco -Al Pacino in the mob, but this time, on the opposite side of the heirarchy. A low-level aging hitman who can't get no respect. One of the few times Al gets to expand his acting muscles as opposed to just flexing 'em with a loud performance, which, though he's good at, has sorta become his standard.
For me, a great gangster movie isn't just about "wacking" people. It's when it shows the inner-most details of how the mob works. This one goes towards the very lowest part of the totem & shows us how the "cogs" grind thru a living in hopes of someday climbing that mafia ladder.
Bugsy - Bugsy is a film that doesn't even try to compete with other mob flicks. And therefore, it succeeds as a gangster movie that stands out on its own. It almost completely removes the realistic-type dialogue & the grittiness that is usually associated with this genre. I can almost sense the same sheen that the old black & white mafia films used to use to screen over the mobster characters & give em that "romanticized" look that they became famous for back then. For all their ruthlessness, the major players in this story come off as very likeable people. And you can't beat the acting by Warren Beatty, Annette Benning, Harvey Keitel, Ben Kingsley, Elliot Gould & Joe Mantegna.
Goodfellas - You just can't beat this gangster movie for charismatic energy. Scorcese pays close attention the minute details that the mafia engage in for the sake of maintaining the lifestyle that they have become accustomed to. Also, the director shows how that type of self-contained lifestyle can only eventually crumble as the outside world continually changes & evolves.
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Right now, all I'm wearing is a mustard-stained wife-beater T-shirt, no pants & a massive sombrero.
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