Posted on 12/03/2019 12:38:51 PM PST by Rummyfan
A lot of movie stars are on the short side — Robert Redford, Sylvester Stallone, Richard Dreyfuss. Despite being only about 5-8;, Paul Newman always managed to get himself described as “lanky.” Al Pacino is one of the few who always seemed shorter than they were. (About 5-7;, I think.) Maybe that was because Pacino always seemed to be fighting uphill, having to try harder than anyone else. Even in the Godfather pictures, he was the little squirt of the family. Until he wasn’t. He wouldn’t have been Michael Corleone if he had been tall and imposing.
Being compact has proved critical to Pacino’s success. His combustibility, his pugnaciousness, his scorching sarcasm, his intelligence, and his toughness all played off against his tortured hangdog eyes, his mild speech impediment in the early films, his vincibility. Along with Jack Nicholson, Pacino is the most essential American actor of his generation, endlessly watchable even in shameless-hambone mode, pumping electrifying craziness into his lines. Al Pacino has not always been blessed with great scripts but he always shows up for work. He pursues new variations on a theme. If nothing else, he makes you smile.
By contrast, consider a randomly chosen example such as, say . . . Robert De Niro. The two are frequently compared, but there is no comparison. De Niro ran out of acting ideas 30 years ago and has been coasting ever since.
(Excerpt) Read more at nationalreview.com ...
The Irishman is very good.
Pacino was great in Dog Day Afternoon.
DDA is a good movie.
I want to watch “Irishman,” but I’m afraid DeNiro’s recent nonsense will now make his presence an annoying distraction.
I’ve always enjoyed his work, but I don’t even know if I can watch Godfather II anymore!
My wife and I watched a half hour of the Irishman and turned it off. We had anticipated it for a while and were really looking forward to it.
That said, they were incredibly successful at making the characters look real in the flashbacks to their younger days. Deniro really looked like he did 30 years ago. I don’t know how they did it. It was a LOT better than the same effect in the Tron sequel with Jeff Bridges.
Matters in what way? He's an actor.
p.s. 'The Irishman' sucked and was hella boring. It wanted to be 'Goodfellas' but failed spectacularly.
I am actually watching Irishman as I type this.
Boring and predictable.
Since you have seen this movie, I have a sincere question.
I’m hearing glowing praises for The Irishman, but is there anything you saw that makes this movie very different than just another take on The Godfather or The Sopranos?
Maybe that demographic audience was just ready for a new spin on an old theme. That happens.
Pacino has been caricature of himself since at least “Scent of a Woman.” If he’s back to form with this, more power to him.
“I want to watch “Irishman,” but I’m afraid DeNiro’s recent nonsense will now make his presence an annoying distraction.”
I’ve seen it. It’s like Grumpy Old Men III. DeNiro was the worst! You can make an actor look old but unless they use the expensive process (don’t know the name CGI?) which they didn’t in DeNiro’s case, you can’t make an actor look young. Al Pacino was OUTSTANDING in his portrayal as Jimmy Hoff!
DeNiro ruins it for me. He only has one look. A mean scowl. To me he’s just a one dimensional actor who should have retired long ago.
Those lifts are made for walking!
When it comes out on 4K (or basic blu ray) I'll borrow it from my local library and hook up my headphones. Maybe I'll like it better the second time around.
Well, it's loosely based on a true story. In my wife's family, that makes it a "must see". Personally, I thought it was only fair, and the longest 3+ hour movie I can ever remember watching.
Now compare Robert De Niro to one of his contemporaries, Robert Duvall.
No you can't compare them. Duvall is head and shoulers above De Niro. Duvall has such a wide range and talent, playing everything from Boo Radley in To Kill a Mocking Bird to consigliere Tom Hagen in The Godfather, to the subtle roles like Mac Sledge in Tender Mercies. What a range of talent!
Agree on the Irishman, but watch Pacino. He does a great job. Deniro was terrible. The movie, overall was not up to Scorsese standards. I was also bothered by the ‘steals’ from The Godfather. ( the gun scene: you want it loud, to scare people, but not too loud so that the cops here it and the family comment: ‘it’s good you are close to your family) I am paraphrasing on both, but they were similar to scenes in The Godfather.
I loved him as Uncle Hub in "Second Hand Lions"..
LOL! Those shoes. OMG. You are such a fake De Niro!
I once had a neighbor who was a Teamster. He was once assigned to be DeNiro’s driver on a movie they were shooting here.
He found DeNiro to be cold, aloof, not very friendly.
As production wrapped my neighbor approached DeNiro and asked to take a picture with him. DeNiro refused. Finally my neighbor called up all of his pushy union assertiveness and said to him:
“Hey, you’re an actor! Can’t you at least ACT like you like me?”
At this DeNiro sheepishly relented and took the shot. It was atop my neighbor’s casket at his funeral a few years ago.
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