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Acclaimed Hollywood film-maker, Martin Scorsese, is presently making news for two things. Firstly, for his upcoming film The Irishman, that is soon to grace your Netflix accounts and has been enjoying quite the acclaim from the critics. We have seen the film at MAMI 2019, and despite the three-and-a-half-hour runtime, has managed to get fully engrossed by it. The second thing that Scorsese made news for, was his scathing comments on Marvel film, comparing it to amusement park rides. Marvel fanboys and actors felt outraged over his comments, but they didn't outrightly slam him for his illustrious filmography. Jon Favreau Addresses Martin Scorses's Marvel Remark: Free to Express Opinion.
After all, the man who gave us masterpieces like Mean Streets, Goodfellas, Raging Bull, Casino, The Aviator, The Departed and the recent The Irishman (oh yes, it is!), can't really be making statements out of thin air. But let's reserve the Marvel vs Martin debate on Twitter, or better, in the backburner. For the legendary director is celebrating his 77th birthday on November 17, 2019. So let's use this occasion to talk about the immensely great films that he gave us. After all, like one of his frequent collaborators - Leonardo DiCaprio - Martin Scorsese has not made a bad movie to date. Just great films, that also includes the likes of Shutter Island, and The Wolf of Wall Street - and the ones on the way to achieve greatness. The Irishman Movie Review (MAMI 2019): Martin Scorsese’s Crime Drama With Robert De Niro, Al Pacino, Joe Pesci Hails You Back to Glory Ol’ GoodFellas Days.
In this special feature, we look at seven films of the master director, that aren't spoken in the same vein as his masterpieces, but are great nevertheless!
The King of Comedy
The recent blockbuster, Joker, brought back attention to two Martin Scorsese films - Taxi Driver and The King of Comedy, both starring Robert De Niro (who was also in Joker). While Taxi Driver is considered a classic, The King of Comedy is on its way to becoming a cult masterpiece, 36 years after its release.
Robert plays a delusional, aspiring standup comedian who looks upto popular comedian Jerry Langford (Jerry Lewis), and wants to be a part of the act. When that doesn't happen, the aspirant kidnaps his idol and tries to replace him in his own show.
The Color of Money
The 1986 film The Color of Money is the belated sequel to the 1961 film, The Hustler. Paul Newman reprises his character of the hustler, 'Fast' Eddie Felson from the original film, with The Color of Money showing us what's happening to his character 25 years later. And yeah, joining him in the film is a young Tom Cruise!
The movie is known for giving the late Paul Newman his first Academy Award win after eight nominations (and you thoughts Oscars were unfair only to Leonardo DiCaprio!). Leonardo DiCaprio Birthday Special: 15 Awesome Movies That You Should Watch If You Are Obsessed With This Hollywood Heartthrob!
The Last Temptation of Christ
Martin Scorsese tangled with Christianity in The Last Temptation of Christ, that chronicled the last moments of Jesus Christ, as he pondered the temptation of having a normal life with Mary Magdalene, and not be the saviour of the people.
The Last Temptation of Christ ran in trouble with the devout Christians during its release, because none of them wanted to see the Son of God seen having a sexual life. Controversies aside, The Last Temptation of Christ is a well-made film with an excellent performance from the lead actors Willem Dafoe and Barbara Hershey.
Cape Fear
Martin Scorsese remakes the 1962 film by the same name, which had starred the great Gregory Peck. The remake is also filled with some great actors like Robert De Niro, Nick Nolte, Jessica Lange and Juliette Lewis, with Peck himself in a supporting role (also his last screen appearance).
The Cape Fear remake didn't get the same kind of acclaim as the original, but it is an extremely thrilling film by Scorsese. Also features a terrifying performance from De Niro.
Kundun
Kundun is a biographical film made on the life of Dalai Lama, the exiled spiritual leader of Tibet. Featuring mostly Asian actors, Kundun was made on an epic scale, showing the Tibetan leader's life from 1937 to 1959.
When the movie came out, Kundun got positive reviews, but not as acclaimed as Scorsese's other movies. It also flopped at the box office. Over the years, though, Kundun's appreciation has grown larger, with special praise for its beautiful frames and performances of the mostly unknown cast.
Hugo
Another Scorsese film that was too good, but didn't cut it with the audience. Hugo is peculiar, because it was the first time Martin Scorsese was making a movie in 3D and also about kids, when most of his other movies were something no kid can watch anywhere.
Hugo features fine performances from the young Asa Butterfield, Chloë Grace Moretz, along with Ben Kingsley and Sacha Baron Cohen. The movie is quite impressive for its 3D effects, production design and cinematography, not to mention, its touching narrative.
Silence
Once again, with Silence, Martin Scorses plays with Christian teachings, resulting in a film that didn't work well at the box office. Silence, interestingly, was the director's next project after The Wolf of Wall Street, that made news for its hedonistic portrayal of its protagonist.
Silence, instead, is a more contained, but searing take on religious beliefs and acceptance, through the lives of two 17th-century Jesuit priests, as they go to Japan to find their missing mentor, who is rumoured to have denounced the religion over the monarchal hostility there. The film is beautifully shot, with a topnotch performance from Andrew Garfield, and leaves us asking deep questions, like if religion is worth it when our lives are at stake.
(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Nov 17, 2019 08:30 AM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).
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