Definitely in my Top 5

Rating: 9/10 (11 January 2011)

This is in my opinion the greatest of all the gangster movies and certainly the most underrated. I love the way the film slips seamlessly between their "childhood" to De Niro leaving prison as an adult. James Woods can not have had a finer performance in his career. The score is fantastic and fits like a glove to the action. The ending is as thought provoking as you can get and leaves you asking several questions. The rape scene is undoubtedly shocking but epitomises their relationship and De Niro's frustration and his descent in to madness. For me this is far better than the Godfather movies and slightly more enjoyable than the more modern Goodfellas.