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Capone says RIGHTEOUS KILL has the best ham of 2008!!
Hey all. Capone in Chicago here.
If you grew up in the '70s or '80s or maybe even the early '90s, and were a massive movie fan, the dream was to see Robert De Niro and Al Pacino in a movie together — the Godfather early model and the Godfather late model. Seeing them sit face to face in Heat was a great start, but it didn't really drive away the urge to see these guys really chew up the scenery together. Thirteen years after HEAT, the two are thrust together in a very different kind of film, a lesser film, but by no means a terrible one. As directed by Jon Avnet, the man who proved that Pacino could humiliate himself just a little more than we once thought in 88 MINUTES, RIGHTEOUS KILL has an absolutely stellar cast working from a solidly average script by Russell Gewirtz (INSIDE MAN) and still finding ways to breathe a little life into it.
De Niro and Pacino play detectives who are on the trail of a serial killer who seems to be targeting criminals who somehow beat the system by getting off on a technicality or otherwise slip through the cracks in the law. Most of the victims are men who the world would definitely be better off without, and it just so happens that they were all involved in cases investigated by these two officers. It's easy to deduce from the film that the victims know their attacker, and that the attacker knows his victims' movements and patterns quite well. The killer also leaves a customized poem for each dead man. It doesn't take long for those investigating to determine that there's a good chance the murderer is a cop.
Without giving too much away, I figured out the film's big "twist" about halfway through without really understanding why this was the twist. It's impossible to know the why because we simply aren't given enough information. But here are some things to think about. Beginning early on the movie and revisited as the plot unfolds, we see highlights of what appears to be a videotaped confession by one of the main characters, so already I'm suspicious. Second, we actually see a couple of the murders take place, but we don't see the face of the killer. Now ask yourself, if we supposedly know the killer's identity from the videotape, why aren't they showing us the killer's face during the commission of the crimes? Movies do this all the time, but it's done so often in RIGHTEOUS KILL that it's distracting.
The supporting cast here is terrific, from John Leguizamo and current New Kid Donnie Wahlberg as younger detectives co-investigating the serial killer murders with their elder brethren; Brian Dennehy as the police captain (one of the more cliché parts in the film); Carla Gugino as De Niro's forensic expert girlfriend, who likes it rough in bed; and Curtis "50 Cent" Jackson as a club owner/drug dealer. I was especially impressed with Gugino turn as the brains and body of this movie. She plays the only one character outside of Pacino and De Niro who seems somewhat fleshed out (so to speak), and I'm not sure that's because of the script. She just knows how to play the smart and sexually forward professional extremely well.
In the end, RIGHTEOUS KILL feels incredibly overblown and puffed up well beyond its modest seams. Both leads are given ample opportunities to show us prime examples of the kind of perfectly drawn performances that have made them legends; they're also given way too much leeway by Avnet to go well past the point of believability or subtlety; believe it or not, there was a time when both of these actors knew how to be subtle, and there are times in this movie where they remind us of that. But more often than not, this film is about fully loaded emotions, screaming, near violence, and overacting (and that's just the scenes between the cop characters). In other words, it ranks the highest on the Ham-O-Meter for 2008. It's kind of scary to think that 50 Cent turns in the film's most subtle performance. Still, keeping all of that firmly in the front of my mind, I still like seeing these great method men do their thing. As I and millions of others have always known, they play well together. Hell, there's hardly a scene in this movie that they aren't both in. If the film works at all, it works despite a whole lot of mistakes and missteps on the part of the screenwriter and the director. The actors save the day, and isn't that a fact that lets us all sleep easier at night?
-- Capone
capone@aintitcoolmail.com
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Sep 12, 2008 7:25:51 AM CDT
I'm waiting for "What Just Happened" to see DeNiro act
by blindambition238
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Brother, you are going down.
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I am a writer on a crime TV series and Heat is what I go back time and time again. I think the coffee shop scene is enough - if you have two awesome actors in one scene they cancel each other out. De Niro and Pacino - Heat, Bale and Ledger - TDK, Abbot and Costello - Lots of awesome fighting movies in the 80's
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suck it bitches !
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By casting them together, it just draws instant, and probably unwanted, comparisons to Mann's masterpiece; which is kinda sad since even though they only had 2 scene's in that film, people will most certainly remember that collaboration more.
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Watch HEAT then watch TDK - Ledger is channeling "crazy " Pacino - hooooooooah!!
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Well Nolan did repeatedly say Heat was his inspiration for TDK. I wouldn't be surprised if he screened it for cast/ crew the way he did Blade Runner for Begins. Hell, TDKs bluish tint was pretty similar to Heat as well in retrospect.
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it's Dexter then ? Sounds like a complete waste.
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heat is solid. this looks iffy during the trailer.
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yeah I remeber him saying Heat was the inspiration - I guess Ledger paid close attention - who better to emulate than one of the best actors ever.
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fuck you too
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heat was 13 years ago? really? fuck im getting old
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bit of a stretch isnt it?
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gorgeous
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Okay, great idea for a movie here. Pacino playing DeNiro. DeNiro as Pacino. Face/Off 2: Electric Boogaloo.
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Who wants to bet that if anyone posted spoilers in this talkback without labeling them, no one would care - unlike the Burn After Reading talkback.
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She likes it rough in bed? That pushes the film past mediocre for me. Though, I'm guessing we don't SEE that she likes it. That woman continues, after years, to need a breakout role.I swear that Pacino's yelling later in his career stems from the selective yelling he'd do in the old days. But back then, it was a shocking break from the subtler performance. In Godfather II, when he blows up at Kay, yells and shoves her, it's great moment because he's calm and collected otherwise. Also, his ranting in Dog Day Afternoon was liked, and his temper in Scarface was the same way. Just later on, he started basing characters around that. My other problem with Pacino is he's obviously had some kind of work done and colors his hair, etc. DeNiro's actually allowed himself to age.
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the serial killer is Jodie Foster.. she didn't kill enough scum in The Brave One.. she's baaa..accck!!!
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I want to fuck carla gugino
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I love that idea .. just love it.. at least we would watch that movie and not be able to guess the twist
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Plus, Pacino and DeNiro are too old to be cops. The twist is just silly. We know Pacino is the killer from the outset. Because if it's not DeNiro, you know it's Pacino. Ugh. A shitty film from a shitty director.
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What many consider "over the top" fit that character perfectly. There are "over the top" people in real life.
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.. even the "good" reviews are pretty cool. I'll see it of course, but I don't have high hopes. The story sounds like a dull retread of a dull retread. Waste of talent.
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They'll be hard pressed to make a hammier cop movie after that armageddon hits.
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He was damn good in those days.
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Please don't fuck Carla Gugino...that would spoil 'er. And I want her for my very own.
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Sep 12, 2008 9:44:11 AM CDT
Both Bobby and Al look rickety and old in the trailer
by grandmufftarkin
They both needed more makeup, and looked like they're suffering from arthritis.
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Pacio hasn't stopped yelling since "Devil's Advocate" because he can't hear shit and DeNiro looks sleepy all the time.
"zzzzz...drifting...or being pushed?...zzzzz"
Maybe this is a reboot of the Grumpy Old Men series? -
and another thing who on earth would believe someone as hot as Gugino would hop in the sack with an old-ass DeNiro? Is this a fantasy flick too?
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Meh. De Niro And Pacino are just Snorlax material now. Will cinema chains hand out pillows for patrons of Rightous Kill?
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And you got your HEAD...ALL THE WAY UP IT! Maybe that's ham...but dammit, I love it.
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So.. I think I'm gonna see it. Thanks Capone
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..now I approach it with cautious optimism. Love to get these two guys together with Scorsese directing.
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what a crock of shit.
seems like everyone involved expects this to be some breakout moment in film history, like having these 2 guys onscreen together is important in itself.
newsflash to Gewirtz, Avnet and the producers: not with this script !
who wants to see these old guys strut around playing caricatures of themselves?
geez, why didn't they just see if Jack Nicholson was available too? -
CASTRO THEATER, SAN FRANCISCO, new print, DTS...just saw I and
II. -
.....its the only thing that can potentially keep us distracted from the amount of make up and hair product they have to use on his cryptkeeper like face
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Thank you Capone
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We need a sequel where Pacino is still the devil and DeNiro will play God and it'll be like HEAT meets Constantine.
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Given the opportunity to do this? I mean he hasn't really done anything worth while. Sure Red Corner was ok. Well looking at the premiere stills Al and Rob look old and haggard, they probably
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ill always choose pacino because despite deniro having a more cinematic face and his toughguy persona, that's all he has. pacino always has greater potential when he tries. even in their comedies deniro plays the same toughguy act, pacino played a single dad in author author similar to hoffman in kramer vs. kramer. deniro could never pull that off. and then the next year he immediately does scarface. Why does no one talk about DeNiro's non-Scorsese movies? becuase when scor isnt holding his hand he acts in pretty much two dynamics throughout. in the 70s and early 80s no one, NO one was better than pacino in whatever role he took no matter the movie's quality you would always get an A fucking plus performance from him.
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...are so old...and dying off or soon to be dying off. Pacino, DeNiro, Newman, Nicholson, Hoffman...that generation is on their way out...
Who do we have? Heath Ledger?
Seriously though, I guess I'd say Daniel Day-Lewis, Johnny Depp, Ed Norton, Downey Jr...is that it?
How do they match up against the previous greats? -
Okay, that wasn't really a spoiler - except to my friend Dave who thought I was going to watch it with him. Boy, is Dave gonna be mad!
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The guy is criminally underlooked whenever people are talking about great actors and I'm not referring to his Oscar performance.In the last few months the movies I've watched include "Transiberian", "Elegy", "The Wackness" and you know what? The guy is mesmerizing in each one, can master different accents and is flawless whether his performance is supposed to be terrifying, dramatic or comedic.I'll admit that some of his choices are a little poor ("The Love Guru"?) but you only have to see "Sexy Beast" to realise this is one of the greatest actors of our generation.Long live Ben Kingsley!
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I have a feeling with Al "HooHaa" Pacino and Robert "ya talkin to me?" DeNiro, all an actor has to do is stand still next to them to give a subtle performance.So plotwise, this is Dexter from the cop's view?
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Scarecrow is a great underlooked Hackman (and Pacino) film, that caught them at the height of their mid-70's careers. Hackman knew he wasn't traditionally handsome like his contemporaries. I think he even referred to his face looking like a potato. In my opinion, an acting parallel to Hackman nowadays would be James Gandolfini. But, I fear that he will always toil under the shadow of Tony Soprano..and won't get the big roles because of it.
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...you are absolutely correct on your assessment of Sir Ben Kingsley. Have you seen House of Sand and Fog? Brilliant...
But he is still part of the generation of actors who are on their way up and out. I will admit though, that Kingley has been pulling much more solid work lately than even Nicholson or DeNiro. -
Ryan Gosling and Joseph Gordon-Leavitt are two to watch.But that group of actors from the seventies, lets call them "Sons Of Brando", will be hard to duplicate.
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But i really want to.
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Both great actors. I admire Leavitt's movie choices a touch more than Goslings though.
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Two old guys
Playing cops
Past their prime
Stars of flops
Horrible script
Ridiculous plot
Let me assure you
“Heat” this is not
Predictable twists
Obvious turns
The whole movie
Crashes and burns
Russell Gewirtz
One-hit wonder?
For this is
A major blunder
Script should have been
Torn asunder
More howling lines
Than “Tropic Thunder”
Lazy writing
Tells, not shows
This stupid movie
Really blows
Ending steals
Straight from “Heat”
Weak climax
These guys look beat
50 Cent
Can’t act at all
Why’d his agent
Get a call?
Carla Gugino
Makes me erect
Shame Jon Avnet
Can’t direct
Only hit
Was “Green Tomatoes”
His career is fried
Like French potatoes
Avnet produced
“The Mighty Ducks”
Too bad this movie
Really sucks
De Niro and Pacino
Gone to waste
I wish they had
Better taste
“Righteous Kill”
So bad it’s funny
Go rent “Heat”
And save your money
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Roeper creamed all over The Lookout when it came out (kinda like The Bank Job, he must loove heist flicks), but it is a fine little film, and Leavitt carries it.
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Both Pacino & De Niro were too old for cop roles a DECADE ago. Even in Heat, they seemed Too Old For This Shit. Think about it...how many police detectives are there past the age of even their mid-50's?
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That movie would be AWESOME. make it so.
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You can't fuck around with Scarface, Dog Day Afternoon, Serpico and Scent of a Woman. WOOOOHAH!
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I still don't appreciate you spoilers. Movie sucked, btw.
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Godsend, Hide and Seek, Showtime (with Eddie Murphy). Need I say more.
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hasn't done anything good since Insomnia. Which is, sadly, more recent than anything worthwhile from Deniro.
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...Would actually be a pretty fun fucking movie. Christ, give these two guys a challenge, they've been phoning it in for two decades.
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Yeah the TV show. Dexter is really the killer, then shows up at crime scenes and pieces all the clues together. That's what they were doing in Righteous Kill. Only they lead you on, making you think it was DeNiro.
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