Product: Mean Streets (1973)
Rating: 5.0
Give it up for Scorsese, Keitel, and De Niro!
I am a big fan of gangster flicks (The Godfather Trilogy, Casino, etc.) and crime dramas (Heat, Collateral, etc.). It's not the violence that fascinates me, but the characters and their motives & personalities. So it's no surprise that I fell in love with Martin Scorsese's Mean Streets. It's quickly becoming one of my all-time favorite films. Made in 1973, this is a classic independent film that's full of violence, rage, love, friendship, and criminal business. The violence isn't very disturbing when compared to Goodfellas & Casino, but it's still well-done and it's still relevant to the plot. The characters are all interesting, even the minor ones. The shots of New York City are riveting and lovely to look at. But, of course, the best thing about this film is Robert De Niro as Johnny Boy. Even though everyone else gives brilliant performances (especially Harvey Keitel as Charlie), a majority of moviegoers seem to always remember De Niro the most in Mean Streets, and there's a very good reason. He really embodies the character of Johnny Boy, he's got the right looks, the right amount of rage, and the right amount of black humor. This really is his breakout role, and it's a wonder why he didn't receive an oscar (but it's great that he won for The Godfather Part II). I'd say that Mean Streets overall is one of Martin Scorsese's more compelling films, and it's rightfully a classic in the independent genre.Grade: A- (because of a few occasions of awkward editing)