Pardon Me While I Bleed!

Rating: 9/10 (28 January 2010)

I've been trying to see a lot of seminal films when possible. This is one that had me turning my head from time to time because of all the gore and disregard for human life. It starts with this great restaurant scene, Diner on steroids, where Steve Buscemi proves to be the selfish, cheap SOB that he plays throughout the film. I could watch this guy and his neurotic tics forever. I love films that put us at a point in time and then reconstruct the events leading up to it. Add to this, career criminals, some of whom are totally lacking in conscience. We have Harvey Keitel who is one of our greatest actors playing character with a little moral sense. He wants to find a little good. The characters all go by colors so they won't be able to identify each other if they are captured. Again, Buscemi gets into one of his gratuitous discussions when it is decided that he will be Mr. Pink. There is so much violence here, but the movie is at times funny and outrageous in a really insane way. Each guy is a powder keg and they maneuver for position. And, of course, there is "the scene." I really like the taut nature of this film, a mere 100 minutes. It moves neatly to its conclusion (well, perhaps, "neatly" isn't the best word), and things are tied up well in the end. Despite the huge amount of violence, I can see why people gravitate toward this film.