Harvey-Keitel Movie Reviews
VHS movie reviews for "Harvey-Keitel" sorted by average review score:
Bugsy
Released in VHS Tape by Columbia/Tristar Studios (01 May, 2001)
Starring: Warren Beatty and Annette Bening
Bugsy represents an almost miraculous combination of director, writer, and star on a project that represents a career highlight for everyone involved. It's one of the best American gangster movies ever made--as good in its own way as any of the Godfather films--and it's impossible to imagine anyone better than Beatty in the movie's flashy title role. As notorious mobster and Las Vegas visionary "Bugsy" Siegel, Beatty is perfectly cast as a man whose dreams are greater than his ability to realize them--or at least, greater than his ability to stay alive while making those dreams come true. With a glamorous Hollywood mistress (Annette Bening) who shares Bugsy's dream while pursuing her own upwardly mobile agenda, Bugsy seems oblivious to threats when he begins to spend too much of the mob's money on the creation of the Flamingo casino. Meyer Lansky (Ben Kingsley) and Mickey Cohen (Harvey Keitel) will support Bugsy's wild ambition to a point, after which all bets are off, and Bugsy's life hangs in the balance. From the obvious chemistry of Beatty and Bening (who met and later married off-screen) to the sumptuous reproduction of 1940s Hollywood, every detail in this movie feels impeccably right. Beatty is simply mesmerizing as the man who invented Las Vegas but never saw it thrive, moving from infectious idealism to brutal violence in the blink of an eye. Director Barry Levinson is also in peak form here, guiding the stylish story with a subtle balance of admiration and horror; we can catch Bugsy's Vegas fever and root for the gangster's success, but we know he'll get what he deserves. We might wish that Bugsy had lived to see his dream turn into a booming oasis, but the movie doesn't suggest that we should shed any tears. --Jeff Shannon
Average review score: 
A FINE GANGSTER FILM, BUT ISN'T ONE OF THE FINEST.
Fascinating Characters, Brilliant Performances!A power-house performance by Warren Beatty is the pilar to this character-driven gangster epic. The story and characters are fascinating and great production values turn it into eye candy. Warren Beatty gives one of the best performances of his career as 'Bugsy' Siegel, he makes him a multi-layered complex character that changes from a nice guy to an absolutely ruthless person with such ease that we wonder if it's the same actor. Annette Bening is also great in support and the real-life chemistry between them (they married off-screen) also helps. An outstanding supporting cast includes Harvey Keitel, Ben Kingsley, Joe Mantegna and Elliot Gould. Attentive direction by Barry Levinson and a nice script keep you entertained as the movie flows. Great acting and entertaining. From a scale of 1-10 I give this film an 8!
Great Mob Movie!!This is a great mob movie another Mob Movie-Video, Virginia Hill:Mistress of The Mob, starring Dyan Cannon as Virginia Hill and coincidently Harvey Keitel as Bugsy Siegel is also highly recommended!!!
Bugsy
Released in VHS Tape by Columbia/Tristar Studios (04 February, 1997)
Starring: Warren Beatty and Annette Bening
Bugsy represents an almost miraculous combination of director, writer, and star on a project that represents a career highlight for everyone involved. It's one of the best American gangster movies ever made--as good in its own way as any of the Godfather films--and it's impossible to imagine anyone better than Beatty in the movie's flashy title role. As notorious mobster and Las Vegas visionary "Bugsy" Siegel, Beatty is perfectly cast as a man whose dreams are greater than his ability to realize them--or at least, greater than his ability to stay alive while making those dreams come true. With a glamorous Hollywood mistress (Annette Bening) who shares Bugsy's dream while pursuing her own upwardly mobile agenda, Bugsy seems oblivious to threats when he begins to spend too much of the mob's money on the creation of the Flamingo casino. Meyer Lansky (Ben Kingsley) and Mickey Cohen (Harvey Keitel) will support Bugsy's wild ambition to a point, after which all bets are off, and Bugsy's life hangs in the balance. From the obvious chemistry of Beatty and Bening (who met and later married off-screen) to the sumptuous reproduction of 1940s Hollywood, every detail in this movie feels impeccably right. Beatty is simply mesmerizing as the man who invented Las Vegas but never saw it thrive, moving from infectious idealism to brutal violence in the blink of an eye. Director Barry Levinson is also in peak form here, guiding the stylish story with a subtle balance of admiration and horror; we can catch Bugsy's Vegas fever and root for the gangster's success, but we know he'll get what he deserves. We might wish that Bugsy had lived to see his dream turn into a booming oasis, but the movie doesn't suggest that we should shed any tears. --Jeff Shannon
Average review score:
A FINE GANGSTER FILM, BUT ISN'T ONE OF THE FINEST."Bugsy" is a very well made movie, but has the bad luck of belonging to a genre with huge competition: the gangster film genre. With such classics as "The Godfather" trilogy, "GoodFellas", "Chinatown", "Scarface", "Once Upon A Time In America", "Bonnie And Clyde", "The Untouchables", "Angels With Dirty Faces", etc, etc, etc, "Bugsy" looks like a minor classic.
However, this is a movie that deserves at least a look. It has a deluxe cast (Warren Beatty, the pretty Annette Bening, Ben Kingsley, Harvey Keitel, Elliott Gould, Joe Mantegna, among others), a good director (Barry Levinson), a fascinating main character (gangster Benjamin "Bugsy" Siegel), good music (courtesy of composer Ennio Morricone), well, overall the film has good elements.
"Bugsy" is a good movie, but with several superior movies in the genre, is not an essential movie.
Fascinating Characters, Brilliant Performances!A power-house performance by Warren Beatty is the pilar to this character-driven gangster epic. The story and characters are fascinating and great production values turn it into eye candy. Warren Beatty gives one of the best performances of his career as 'Bugsy' Siegel, he makes him a multi-layered complex character that changes from a nice guy to an absolutely ruthless person with such ease that we wonder if it's the same actor. Annette Bening is also great in support and the real-life chemistry between them (they married off-screen) also helps. An outstanding supporting cast includes Harvey Keitel, Ben Kingsley, Joe Mantegna and Elliot Gould. Attentive direction by Barry Levinson and a nice script keep you entertained as the movie flows. Great acting and entertaining. From a scale of 1-10 I give this film an 8!
Great Mob Movie!!This is a great mob movie another Mob Movie-Video, Virginia Hill:Mistress of The Mob, starring Dyan Cannon as Virginia Hill and coincidently Harvey Keitel as Bugsy Siegel is also highly recommended!!!
City of Industry
Released in VHS Tape by Orion Home Video (20 October, 1998)
Starring: Harvey Keitel, Stephen Dorff, and Timothy Hutton
This John Irvin film is a small, hard-edged little gem, full of crisp action and tough-minded codes of honor. Harvey Keitel stars as a retired professional criminal whose younger brother (Timothy Hutton) lures him to Los Angeles for a can't-miss heist in Palm Springs. But Hutton hasn't picked his other partners very well, particularly wheelman Stephen Dorff: when it's time to divvy up the spoils, Dorff kills Hutton and a fourth partner and tries to rub out Keitel. Keitel escapes, however, and trails Dorff back to L.A., where he also figures out which Chinese mob he's tied in with. It's strictly revenge time from there on out, with Keitel as the one-man wrecking crew cutting a bloody swath through the L.A. underworld. Keitel is grittily good, a man of few words and many bullets, while Dorff is an enjoyably sleazy psychopath. A violently propulsive little noir. --Marshall Fine
Average review score:
"I'm my own police."City of Industry is another entry into Tough Guy Cinema. The story could be from any noir of any decade. It's a stylish, violent crime movie. You're either on board or off.
Roy (Harvey Keitel) comes to LA to help his brother (Timothy Hutton) and two other hoods pull a high profile robbery. They take down a jewelery store and before you know it they're splitting the cash. Then Skip (Stephen Dorff) caps Timothy Hutton (who looks like preppy sleaze with that scruffy beard).
This movie is about Harvey Keitel getting revenge, no matter what. He dedicates his life, or about a week in his life, to hunting down Stephen Dorff. It's a stylish, slick film, full of LA 'industrial' locations of the machinery and criminal type. Take a bit of To Live and Die in LA, a bit of old fashioned noir, a lot of blood (including a head-bashing finale), and Harvey just being Harvey. A highlight is the laptpop bit in the lawyer's office. Subtle menace.
Highly recommended.
The BEST Heist Film Ever Made!This film gets two thumbs up and even some toes! The actors were incredible. The middle was a bit draggy, but Stephen Dorff ruled this movie. His character Skip stopped at nothing to get what he wanted and this is one of Dorff's best films. Keitel and Hutton were good too. The movie is fast-paced for tough men and women who like their action and money fast! If you ever need hints on how to rob a bank or jewelry store, City of Industry is the movie for you! If you're looking for a good film to watch and kick your feet up with...be my guest. This movie was all that and a bag of chips!
Very solid filmStart with the great depictions of some unseen parts of L.A. and graft on themes of revenge, anger, reciprocity, obligation and stoic acceptance and you have City of Industry - a little-seen film that pleases on a number of levels. Keitel is a master in this role and wonderfully plays against Jamsen, while Dorff's full bore anger makes his extermination that much more interesting. A real treat of a noirish-type movie with a stellar soundtrack that well matches the landscape and mood of City's undercurrent L.A.
City of Industry
Released in VHS Tape by Orion Home Video (20 October, 1998)
Starring: Keitel, Dorff, Hutton, and Harvey Keitel
This John Irvin film is a small, hard-edged little gem, full of crisp action and tough-minded codes of honor. Harvey Keitel stars as a retired professional criminal whose younger brother (Timothy Hutton) lures him to Los Angeles for a can't-miss heist in Palm Springs. But Hutton hasn't picked his other partners very well, particularly wheelman Stephen Dorff: when it's time to divvy up the spoils, Dorff kills Hutton and a fourth partner and tries to rub out Keitel. Keitel escapes, however, and trails Dorff back to L.A., where he also figures out which Chinese mob he's tied in with. It's strictly revenge time from there on out, with Keitel as the one-man wrecking crew cutting a bloody swath through the L.A. underworld. Keitel is grittily good, a man of few words and many bullets, while Dorff is an enjoyably sleazy psychopath. A violently propulsive little noir. --Marshall Fine
Average review score:
"I'm my own police."City of Industry is another entry into Tough Guy Cinema. The story could be from any noir of any decade. It's a stylish, violent crime movie. You're either on board or off.
Roy (Harvey Keitel) comes to LA to help his brother (Timothy Hutton) and two other hoods pull a high profile robbery. They take down a jewelery store and before you know it they're splitting the cash. Then Skip (Stephen Dorff) caps Timothy Hutton (who looks like preppy sleaze with that scruffy beard).
This movie is about Harvey Keitel getting revenge, no matter what. He dedicates his life, or about a week in his life, to hunting down Stephen Dorff. It's a stylish, slick film, full of LA 'industrial' locations of the machinery and criminal type. Take a bit of To Live and Die in LA, a bit of old fashioned noir, a lot of blood (including a head-bashing finale), and Harvey just being Harvey. A highlight is the laptpop bit in the lawyer's office. Subtle menace.
Highly recommended.
The BEST Heist Film Ever Made!This film gets two thumbs up and even some toes! The actors were incredible. The middle was a bit draggy, but Stephen Dorff ruled this movie. His character Skip stopped at nothing to get what he wanted and this is one of Dorff's best films. Keitel and Hutton were good too. The movie is fast-paced for tough men and women who like their action and money fast! If you ever need hints on how to rob a bank or jewelry store, City of Industry is the movie for you! If you're looking for a good film to watch and kick your feet up with...be my guest. This movie was all that and a bag of chips!
Very solid filmStart with the great depictions of some unseen parts of L.A. and graft on themes of revenge, anger, reciprocity, obligation and stoic acceptance and you have City of Industry - a little-seen film that pleases on a number of levels. Keitel is a master in this role and wonderfully plays against Jamsen, while Dorff's full bore anger makes his extermination that much more interesting. A real treat of a noirish-type movie with a stellar soundtrack that well matches the landscape and mood of City's undercurrent L.A.
Finding Graceland
Released in VHS Tape by Columbia/Tristar Studios (29 February, 2000)
As this lonelyhearts fest begins, guilt-ridden young widower Byron (Johnathon Schaech) picks up hitchhiker Elvis, who is either the aging, regretful real thing or a sadly deluded impersonator. Director David Winkler plays the "is he or isn't he?" game for most of the movie, which is essentially a road trip to Memphis. Meanwhile, he allows Byron's story to unfold and introduces him to a Marilyn Monroe mimic (Bridget Fonda) with both a heart and dress of gold. As usual, Fonda is good, and Keitel gives an interesting portrayal of a soft-spoken southern mama's boy gone to seed. In the film's centerpiece performance, Keitel dons full Vegas-era Elvis regalia and belts out a rousing version of "Suspicious Minds." Unfortunately, Schaech turns in a rather wooden performance in the lead role. Priscilla Presley gets an executive producer credit, making for authentic shots in and around Graceland. --Kimberly Heinrichs
Average review score:
You Got To Have Heart.Harvey Keitel stars in this film as Elvis Presley. Yes, Harvey Keitel as Elvis. Or at least the character he plays thinks he's Elvis. Now, I know that Keitel doesn't look anything like The King. However, that's part of the charm of this movie; how a man who doesn't look anything like Elvis can embody his soul and spirit so perfectly.
The film has a mix of both wonderful and wooden acting performances, and the plot is decent, but not very tight. However, seeing Keitel singing "Suspicious Minds" dressed as The King is worth some of the other dribble you will find here. The soundtrack is great as is the footage filmed from inside Graceland.
Overall, not too bad of a movie.
A movie for Elvis FansI cried my eyes out. I love this movie. It doesn't matter that Harvey Keitel does not look like Elvis. Elvis came back to do what he loved to do, help people. There are hints all the way through this movie that true Elvis fans will recognize as Elvis trivia. The soundtrack is wonderful. From the frist notes of the music at the end of the movie, I knew the answer to all the question the movie asked. I have watched this movie at least 15 times and find something new in it each time. Anyone who wants to "find Graceland" will find it in this movie. I thank Priscilla for understanding what it would mean to all of us who still love Elvis, and endorsing it.
Spiritually UpliftingA great film from start to finish. But, where's the soundtrack???
The Two Jakes
Released in VHS Tape by Paramount Studio (24 June, 1992)
Starring: Jack Nicholson and Harvey Keitel
Set more than a decade after the story in Chinatown, this 1990 sequel brings Jack Nicholson back to the screen as L.A. private detective Jake Gittes. Older, fatter, worn, and frustrated, the Jake of 1948 is still haunted by the tragic events of the earlier film. While investigating a case involving adultery and questionable land dealings by an L.A. tycoon (Harvey Keitel as the other Jake), Gittes unexpectedly confronts a few old ghosts and discovers that the resource of choice in Southern California--one for which people die--is no longer water but oil. The film had a notorious production history, with Nicholson taking over the project from writer-director Robert Towne, and the dense plot can be difficult to follow. But if The Two Jakes doesn't measure up to the legendary status of its stylish predecessor, the film does satisfy on its own terms and brings the events of Chinatown to a moving conclusion. Terrific work by Keitel and supporting players Meg Tilly, Madeleine Stowe, Eli Wallach, and Ruben Blades. --Tom Keogh
Average review score:
GoodThis is no comparison to CHINATOWN. But it was massacred by the critics, and a flop at the box office, so that I only reluctantly watched it on TV after reading a suprisingly positive review of it. Well, the positive review was a fair one, because I found this movie to be pretty good. It might help if you're a fan of Los-Angeles-locale-film-noir, as I am. But even if you're not, THE TWO JAKES ain't a bad way to spend an evening.
Vastly UnderratedAny sequel to something as good as "Chinatown" is going to disappoint some people, but "The Two Jakes" is just the sequel that that movie needed. "The Two Jakes" has a different look, and a different feel to it; one that is akin to the time that it represents- like "Kiss Me Deadly" or "Sudden Fear" has a different look than "Casablanca" or "The Big Sleep".
Yes, it does have a convoluted plot, but one that makes perfect sense if you pay attention, and you cannot fault the performers- they are flawless to the extras. It is also the most flawless (yep, I know that I have been using that adjective a lot, but it fits, and you can look at my other reviews to see just how mean I can be!) look of postwar Los Angeles that I have ever seen- and as a resident, I know how hard that that can be to pull off. So, okay, it's not "Chinatown" so what? Not to denigate it, but that movie's impact was mainly because it re-introduced a generation to the whole film noir genre, brilliantly. This movie attempted to do the same thing for a time that also should be remembered- the 50's film noir, before "Psycho" and "Bonnie and Clyde", but the movies that paved the way for those classics.
Good Follow Up to CHINATOWNTHE TWO JAKES is a good follow-up to CHINATOWN. The Characters and sets really make this movie. The story is just average but the period details are very good. Too bad Jerry Goldsmith did not compose the score but Jack's great style of directing makes up for quite a lot.
Mother, Jugs & Speed
Released in VHS Tape by Twentieth Century Fox (03 February, 1998)
Starring: Raquel Welch, Bill Cosby, and Harvey Keitel
Average review score:
A funny look at the dark side of ambulance work.There are so few movies that are geared towards ambulance work. Mother,Jugs and Speed is in many cases one of the only movies on this topic out there. It is a very light hearted look at the possibilities (and past realities) of emergency medical services. I enjoyed it not only for the subject matter, but also for the cast. Bill Cosby truly portrays the "burned out" EMT who still cares for his patients while Harvey Keitel is a great straight man. Raquel Welch adds to the film not only with her screen presence, but also in bringing to light the plight of women breaking into this field. Larry Hagman's character is, in many ways, a disgrace to the profession, and yet he still provides you with a few laughs. I think this movie can be enjoyed by all, but most likely by those who are involved in emergency services of some kind. I consider it one of my favorites and I hope you do too!
A very enjoyable movie about EMT work!I think this movie is one of Bill Cosby's funniest and best. He plays an fun loving Emergency Medical Tech (EMT) worker who works by his own rules. He drinks his beer, jams his Brother Johnsons tape loudly and scares nuns. The movie does have some very funny moments (like the runaway gurney with the lady strapped to it). Rachael Welch, Harvey Keitel, and Larry Hagman all play fine supporting roles in this movie. Hagman is espically hilirious as an hot to trot driver. I agree with another reviewer who said that this movie shows EMT work in its earliest beginnings. Basically, they were running from call to call dealing with all kinds of different patients and situations. I also like this movie because it was filmed on location in Venice, Culver City, and Los Angeles California. This movie is one gems from the early 1970's. I recommend it highly to anyone.
How do I love Jugs, let me count the waysI could spend countless words proclaiming the greatness of this film as one of the great urban street comedies of the 70's but just watch the film and it will speak for itself.
I do want to mention that the director of this cinematic gem also directed a little number called "Krull" which is to high fantasy what "Mother, Jugs, and Speed" is to the world of high-brow comedy.
Plus it gave us Lysette Anthony.
I do want to mention that the director of this cinematic gem also directed a little number called "Krull" which is to high fantasy what "Mother, Jugs, and Speed" is to the world of high-brow comedy.
Plus it gave us Lysette Anthony.
Lulu on the Bridge
Released in VHS Tape by Vidmark/Trimark (21 September, 1999)
Starring: Harvey Keitel and Mira Sorvino
Average review score:
offbeat metaphysical mystery-romanceon first vieweing, auster's directorial debut (not counting the co-directing credit from blue in the face) can be easily dismissed as jacob's ladder-via- romantic comedy drama. It's an oddball movie which will have some viewers irritated; the premise is too out there for mainstream, yet the high qoutient romance will put off the cynics. But if you're a devout auster fan, you will enjoy this. His recurring themes of coincidence and chance, and questioning identity, translate well to film, and of course, the kafka influence.
I look forward to his next one. hopefully he will fine tune his ideas more. a bit more of his literary tone and depth (see philip haas' adaptation of auster's the music of chance, which is a structurally comparable film). i'd love to see new york trilogy done as a film.
the disc looks good, but it's only shown in full frame. I wonder if it's the correct aspect ratio. The deleted scenes look like its shot 1.85:1.
Lulu is a bridgeI've seen this movie twice on cable, Stars or Encore. Maybe HBO. It's a sweet little thing about love unconditional. I like that Lou Reed has a role, Not Lou Reed. Would buy this DVD just to see him on screen (Lou Reed rocks!). The film was good, but best was it introduced me to Pandora's Box, a play and then silent film starring Louise Brooks as Lulu. The play and movie are classics; Brooksie, was a classic beauty. She embodies everything that was the Jazz Age flapper.
I LOVE this indy film.This movie keeps me sane. Seriously. Whenever I feel lost
in the world, or feel anxious, I think about this film, and
it calms me. The way Izzy and Celia are together-- the love
they show for each other-- all this makes me calm. Yes, I think
that love like this does exist. Unconditional love. We all
have it within us, it's just finding the way to get it out. It's
never too late.
Yes,love may lie dormant for some,
without it ever being realized-- but, it's there. What I love about Celia and Izzy
is that they live in the moment-- love in the moment. This is something
cynics don't understand. You have no time to be cynical with love!
Izzy and Celia are never cynical together, and take no moment
for granted. Everything is to be savored-- even the joy of
"suprise kisses" in the restaurant scene. Just so genuine and
sincere. This is why I love this film. So, if you are not willing
to let yourself love, or be loved, you might not "get" this film.
That is, if you are a cynic about unconditional love, you might
be offset by this film. However, those who have that light within
them, will certainly cherish this beauty of a film. Thank you
Harvey Keitel and Mira Sorvino for putting together some
fantastic and real performances. Mira was certainly so sweet
and sincere in the film, and Harvey is exemplary in his
profession as an actor. Thank you!
in the world, or feel anxious, I think about this film, and
it calms me. The way Izzy and Celia are together-- the love
they show for each other-- all this makes me calm. Yes, I think
that love like this does exist. Unconditional love. We all
have it within us, it's just finding the way to get it out. It's
never too late.
Yes,love may lie dormant for some,
without it ever being realized-- but, it's there. What I love about Celia and Izzy
is that they live in the moment-- love in the moment. This is something
cynics don't understand. You have no time to be cynical with love!
Izzy and Celia are never cynical together, and take no moment
for granted. Everything is to be savored-- even the joy of
"suprise kisses" in the restaurant scene. Just so genuine and
sincere. This is why I love this film. So, if you are not willing
to let yourself love, or be loved, you might not "get" this film.
That is, if you are a cynic about unconditional love, you might
be offset by this film. However, those who have that light within
them, will certainly cherish this beauty of a film. Thank you
Harvey Keitel and Mira Sorvino for putting together some
fantastic and real performances. Mira was certainly so sweet
and sincere in the film, and Harvey is exemplary in his
profession as an actor. Thank you!
Lulu on the Bridge
Released in VHS Tape by Vidmark/Trimark (21 September, 1999)
Starring: Harvey Keitel and Mira Sorvino
Average review score:
offbeat metaphysical mystery-romanceon first vieweing, auster's directorial debut (not counting the co-directing credit from blue in the face) can be easily dismissed as jacob's ladder-via- romantic comedy drama. It's an oddball movie which will have some viewers irritated; the premise is too out there for mainstream, yet the high qoutient romance will put off the cynics. But if you're a devout auster fan, you will enjoy this. His recurring themes of coincidence and chance, and questioning identity, translate well to film, and of course, the kafka influence.
I look forward to his next one. hopefully he will fine tune his ideas more. a bit more of his literary tone and depth (see philip haas' adaptation of auster's the music of chance, which is a structurally comparable film). i'd love to see new york trilogy done as a film.
the disc looks good, but it's only shown in full frame. I wonder if it's the correct aspect ratio. The deleted scenes look like its shot 1.85:1.
Lulu is a bridgeI've seen this movie twice on cable, Stars or Encore. Maybe HBO. It's a sweet little thing about love unconditional. I like that Lou Reed has a role, Not Lou Reed. Would buy this DVD just to see him on screen (Lou Reed rocks!). The film was good, but best was it introduced me to Pandora's Box, a play and then silent film starring Louise Brooks as Lulu. The play and movie are classics; Brooksie, was a classic beauty. She embodies everything that was the Jazz Age flapper.
I LOVE this indy film.This movie keeps me sane. Seriously. Whenever I feel lost
in the world, or feel anxious, I think about this film, and
it calms me. The way Izzy and Celia are together-- the love
they show for each other-- all this makes me calm. Yes, I think
that love like this does exist. Unconditional love. We all
have it within us, it's just finding the way to get it out. It's
never too late.
Yes,love may lie dormant for some,
without it ever being realized-- but, it's there. What I love about Celia and Izzy
is that they live in the moment-- love in the moment. This is something
cynics don't understand. You have no time to be cynical with love!
Izzy and Celia are never cynical together, and take no moment
for granted. Everything is to be savored-- even the joy of
"suprise kisses" in the restaurant scene. Just so genuine and
sincere. This is why I love this film. So, if you are not willing
to let yourself love, or be loved, you might not "get" this film.
That is, if you are a cynic about unconditional love, you might
be offset by this film. However, those who have that light within
them, will certainly cherish this beauty of a film. Thank you
Harvey Keitel and Mira Sorvino for putting together some
fantastic and real performances. Mira was certainly so sweet
and sincere in the film, and Harvey is exemplary in his
profession as an actor. Thank you!
in the world, or feel anxious, I think about this film, and
it calms me. The way Izzy and Celia are together-- the love
they show for each other-- all this makes me calm. Yes, I think
that love like this does exist. Unconditional love. We all
have it within us, it's just finding the way to get it out. It's
never too late.
Yes,love may lie dormant for some,
without it ever being realized-- but, it's there. What I love about Celia and Izzy
is that they live in the moment-- love in the moment. This is something
cynics don't understand. You have no time to be cynical with love!
Izzy and Celia are never cynical together, and take no moment
for granted. Everything is to be savored-- even the joy of
"suprise kisses" in the restaurant scene. Just so genuine and
sincere. This is why I love this film. So, if you are not willing
to let yourself love, or be loved, you might not "get" this film.
That is, if you are a cynic about unconditional love, you might
be offset by this film. However, those who have that light within
them, will certainly cherish this beauty of a film. Thank you
Harvey Keitel and Mira Sorvino for putting together some
fantastic and real performances. Mira was certainly so sweet
and sincere in the film, and Harvey is exemplary in his
profession as an actor. Thank you!
Ulysses' Gaze
Released in VHS Tape by Fox Lorber (30 June, 1998)
Starring: Harvey Keitel, Maia Morgenstern, and Erland Josephson
The Greek director Theo Angelopoulos, winner of the top prize at the 1998 Cannes Film Festival for Eternity and a Day, will never build an audience of casual filmgoers. But then he doesn't mean to. Demanding, difficult, portentous, Angelopoulos makes films in his own deliberate style: sometimes awe-inspiring, sometimes mystifying. When he's at his best, as in the beautiful and devastating Landscape in the Mist, the results can be spellbinding. Ulysses' Gaze is a typically fascinating, typically long (three hours) work. Harvey Keitel, moving through the film at an intense murmur, plays a Greek filmmaker known only as "A." After many years in America, he returns home for an odyssey in search of some early film footage shot in the Balkans, a quest that leads him through that war-torn area and finally into the bombed-out city of Sarajevo. Angelopoulos establishes such a dreamlike rhythm, and his images (like a giant stone head of Lenin, floating down a river) are so striking, that adventurous filmgoers should find this experience absorbing, if enigmatic. On the other hand, Roger Ebert described Ulysses' Gaze as "a numbing bore." But even he would probably admit that no one else on earth makes movies quite like Theo Angelopoulos. --Robert Horton
Average review score:
The Search for MeaningThis film never made it completely through my DVD player - I suffered through about 3/4 of it, and I'd had enough.
Two things struck me - actually, they crept up on me slowly, since this film has absolutely no forward momentum.
First, is everyone in the filmmaker's world so miserable? Why is a "meaning for life search" film have to be about how horrible and meaningless our world is? There's so much beauty and love, art and perfection to be enjoyed. Yet, if you believe this masterbatory offering, everything is dingy greys and blues, and no one experiences joy. How sad.
Second, it's very common for a craftsman (I can't call the filmmaker an artist, because this isn't art) who doesn't understand his material to hide behind a threadbare curtain of the enigmatic. It never works. Never.
And it doesn't here. Having the lead actor walk around for hours and stare at things, sitting in little chairs looking at the ground, this isn't storytelling. It's nihilistic self-aggrandizement.
And that went out with Andy Warhol.
A Masterpiece"A numbing bore?" If Roger Ebert really said that of this film, all i can say is that there is something terribly wrong with Roger Ebert as of late. I beleive he has given his thumbs up to movies like "The Sum of All fears" and "Sam I Am" (this last one litterally being nothing more than a Star Bucks comercial shot like a shampoo comercial).
Ulysses' Gaze is a wonderfull film that like any great pieace of art can be interpreted in any number of ways, depending on the viewer.
The pace of the film is certainly slow, but not in the boring sense but in the character and context building one. In other words, the director is in no hurry to finish the film at the expense of any of the subtlty and humanity necessary to paint his canvass. And in order to drive certain themes home, which unfortunatly are indeed universal, he creates scenes and shoots images that are so charged with emotion and symbolism that anyone who has ever lived in a country with similar situations as those in the balkans can readily identify with them.
This is a powerfull film and its subtlty is worth emphasizing. He really manages to capture the essence of specific situations without ever being at all explicit.
(For those of you interested as well in photography, it is interesting to note that one of the most beautiful scenes in this movie, that of the barge carrying a statue of Lenin down a river, was also used by Josef Koudelka for a picture that appears in his "Caos" book. [ I do have to admit, however, that in my personal belief the scene is a little too long...The one scene of the movie that i personally would have cut a little shorter.Josef Koudelka managed beter results i think]It would be interesting to know if they both, the director and photographer, simply coincided in wanting to incorporate the dismanteling of this one particular statue of Lenin, or if they had previously arranged to both be there...At any rate, the resulting photograph by Koudelka is in my opinion, one of the most beautiful photographs ever.)
Ulysses' Gaze is a wonderfull film that like any great pieace of art can be interpreted in any number of ways, depending on the viewer.
The pace of the film is certainly slow, but not in the boring sense but in the character and context building one. In other words, the director is in no hurry to finish the film at the expense of any of the subtlty and humanity necessary to paint his canvass. And in order to drive certain themes home, which unfortunatly are indeed universal, he creates scenes and shoots images that are so charged with emotion and symbolism that anyone who has ever lived in a country with similar situations as those in the balkans can readily identify with them.
This is a powerfull film and its subtlty is worth emphasizing. He really manages to capture the essence of specific situations without ever being at all explicit.
(For those of you interested as well in photography, it is interesting to note that one of the most beautiful scenes in this movie, that of the barge carrying a statue of Lenin down a river, was also used by Josef Koudelka for a picture that appears in his "Caos" book. [ I do have to admit, however, that in my personal belief the scene is a little too long...The one scene of the movie that i personally would have cut a little shorter.Josef Koudelka managed beter results i think]It would be interesting to know if they both, the director and photographer, simply coincided in wanting to incorporate the dismanteling of this one particular statue of Lenin, or if they had previously arranged to both be there...At any rate, the resulting photograph by Koudelka is in my opinion, one of the most beautiful photographs ever.)
A haunting search for purpose and for meaning in lifeTruly I am struck deeply each time I watch this film. Though I do not purport to understand fully the lines of the plot (the rapid shifting between languages and character transitions make it exquisitely challenging to follow), the cinematography is hauntingly gorgeous. The image of the massive statue of Lenin being lifted by crane onto a barge, and floated down the Sava River stays with me even months afterwards.
Harvey Keitel is cast as a Greek-American film director/producer, returned to his Balkan home (north Greece), seeking lost reels of film shot by the Manakis brothers. He believes these to be the very first cinema images of life in the Balkans...in searching for these films, he is metaphorically searching for his own identity...a sense of deeper connection with a past with which his ties have been broken. Hungarian actress Maia Morgenstern is cast as a myriad of women whom Keitel (his character is known only as K...almost Kafkaesque in its enigmatic nature, I find this particular element...) meets throughout his journey through the Balkans...Greece, (FYR)Macedonia, Bosnia.
Though it may be that I am struck by the "Emperor's New Clothes Syndrome" in purporting to understand a kernel of Angelopoulos' intent in this film, I find it particularly effecting because I, like K, am on a journey...both to find out where I am from, and to see where I am going...and perhaps these twain shall meet somewhere beyond my present horizon. In this regard, we can each only hope...more than a film, Angelopoulos has succeeded in creating a successful reflection of what it is to live...it is to journey, ofttimes in search of ourselves...but more than the search, it is the journey that is important...we all come to our Ithaca in the end; only our paths differ.
Harvey Keitel is cast as a Greek-American film director/producer, returned to his Balkan home (north Greece), seeking lost reels of film shot by the Manakis brothers. He believes these to be the very first cinema images of life in the Balkans...in searching for these films, he is metaphorically searching for his own identity...a sense of deeper connection with a past with which his ties have been broken. Hungarian actress Maia Morgenstern is cast as a myriad of women whom Keitel (his character is known only as K...almost Kafkaesque in its enigmatic nature, I find this particular element...) meets throughout his journey through the Balkans...Greece, (FYR)Macedonia, Bosnia.
Though it may be that I am struck by the "Emperor's New Clothes Syndrome" in purporting to understand a kernel of Angelopoulos' intent in this film, I find it particularly effecting because I, like K, am on a journey...both to find out where I am from, and to see where I am going...and perhaps these twain shall meet somewhere beyond my present horizon. In this regard, we can each only hope...more than a film, Angelopoulos has succeeded in creating a successful reflection of what it is to live...it is to journey, ofttimes in search of ourselves...but more than the search, it is the journey that is important...we all come to our Ithaca in the end; only our paths differ.
However, this is a movie that deserves at least a look. It has a deluxe cast (Warren Beatty, the pretty Annette Bening, Ben Kingsley, Harvey Keitel, Elliott Gould, Joe Mantegna, among others), a good director (Barry Levinson), a fascinating main character (gangster Benjamin "Bugsy" Siegel), good music (courtesy of composer Ennio Morricone), well, overall the film has good elements.
"Bugsy" is a good movie, but with several superior movies in the genre, is not an essential movie.