A True Classic

Rating: 9/10 (7 December 2007)

The Untouchables is one of my favorite De Palma films and one of my favorite films of the '80's over all. Face it, the '80's was a poor period for cinema. There are only a handful of true classics from that time and this is one of them.
There's plenty of comedy, action, clever dialog, beautiful music and costumes present to make 3 good films. The best part of this film was probably the score. One of the best ones the master has made and definitely my favorite. He's reinvented movie scores in so many ways. The whole cast delivers a decent performance, with the exception of Sean Connery and Robert De Niro, who really lift this film to a higher level. I can't think of anyone more perfect to portray Capone than De Niro. Connery got the Oscar. Did he deserve it for this? Maybe, maybe not. Fact is he did deserve it for a great series of wonderful performances before 1987. He steals every scene in The Untouchables, like he does in so many of his films. One thing I can't fail to mention is the camera-work in this film. It may not be very modern but it sure is stylish. I loved it and would prefer a style like this always over modern camera-work à la Greengrass.
Many complain about the level of cheesiness, but I find many scenes charming and endearing rather than cheesy. I guess it depends on how you feel the movie personally. It's never meant to be as gritty as Carlito's Way or Scarface. People who expect everyone of De Palma's films to have the same atmosphere as his most famous works shall be disappointed. I personally like De Palma's variety in films.
'The Untouchables' is a True Classic and should be recognized for it. One of the few greats of the '80's.
8.8/10