The Untouchables

The Untouchables (1987) starring Kevin Costner, Sean Connery, Charles Martin Smith, Andy Garcia, Robert De Niro. Directed by Brian De Palma. Crusading federal treasury agent Eliot Ness (Kostner) arrives in Chicago in 1930 to "get" Al Capone (De Niro). With the help of a small group of "untouchables" (Smith, Garcia and Connery), Ness has some early success at disrupting the illegal liquor trade -- and at arousing Capone's ire. The movie has plenty of action, with several notable shootouts and a rooftop pursuit. The only criticism I have is that De Palma has a bit too much of a taste for blood. Connery won a well deserved Oscar for his portrayal of Jimmy Malone, the honest cop who shows Ness how laws are enforced "the Chicago way."  I saw this film in a theater in 1987, and have seen it on video a couple of times since. It holds up rather well. (English subtitles are available, as well as closed captions.) Grade: A-

Once Upon a Time in America (DVD)

Once Upon a Time in America (1984) starring Robert De Niro, James Woods, Elizabeth McGovern, Tuesday Weld. Directed by Sergio Leone. Sprawling, violent epic of Jewish mobsters in the 1920s in New York. Directed by Leone and with a score by Ennio Morricone, it often has the feel of a spaghetti Western. It is told in flashback fashion, with De Niro returning 35 years after his heyday to do one last job. Extreme length of film works against it -- at three hours, 45 minutes, I can't imagine sitting through it in a theater. The subtitles are pretty good. Grade: C

The Godfather (DVD)

The Godfather (1972) starring Marlon Brando, Al Pacino, James Caan, Diane Keaton, Talia Shire, Robert Duvall. An American classic -- follows the organized crime Corleone family of New York through their travails in the late 1940s and early 1950s. Beautifully directed by Francis Ford Coppola. Memorable soundtrack by Nino Rota. Only flaw is length, which nears three hours. Grade: A-