Willem Dafoe, Harvey Keitel and Barbara Hershey in the Martin Scorsese movie ‘The Last Temptation of Christ’

We travel back five decades for a decidedly personal, humanist, even brave to explore the challenges of the spiritual and physical endured by Jesus of Nazareth in The Last Temptation of Christ (1988). Directed by Martin Scorsese, the movie was inspired by the 1952 book The Last Temptation of Christ by Níkos Kazantzákis. Screenplay writing credits rest with Paul Schrader, with uncredited rewrite credits resting with Scorsese and Jay Cocks.

(From left, Harvey Keitel as Judas Iscariot, Willem Dafoe as Jesus, Barbara Hershey as Mary Magdalene, Victor Argo as Peter the Apostle and Verna Bloom as Mary (Mother of Jesus Christ) in the Martin Scorsese movie The Last Temptation of Christ).

The movie itself opens with an account of Jesus that deviates dramatically from the tales shared of the holy man and the events surrounding his life as shared in the New Testament of the Bible. We first encounter Jesus, as portrayed by Willem Dafoe, in Judea. The carpenter’s son is confronted by Judas Iscariot, as portrayed by Harvey Keitel, with a mandate to murder his friend for collaborating with the Romans to crucify Jewish rebels. Judging the messianic path in front of Jesus, Judas declines the mandate and spares his friend, warning him away from harming the rebellion.

(From left, Randy Danson as Mary, sister of Lazarus, and Peggy Gormley as Martha, sister of Lazarus in the Martin Scorsese movie The Last Temptation of Christ).

After being baptized by John the Baptist, as portrayed by Andre Gregory, and saving the prostitute Mary Magdalene, as portrayed by Barbara Hershey from a stoning, Jesus begins preaching in accordance with the visions he receives from God. A cursory telling of Jesus‘ preaching yields to a dramatized period of deprivation with temptation by Satan, portrayed in vocal form by Leo Marks. Having passed these tests, Jesus emerges from the desert and his nursed back to health by the sisters of Lazarus, namely Mary as portrayed by Randy Danson and Martha as portrayed by Peggy Gormley. Besides raising his health, the sisters encourage Jesus to follow the dictates of his flesh by settling down, getting married and having kids.

(Tomas Arana as Lazarus in the Martin Scorsese movie The Last Temptation of Christ).

Lazarus, dramatized in being saved from death by Jesus, was portrayed by Tomas Arana. It is with his ministry reaching Jerusalem that the Cleansing of the Temple of Jerusalem followed by the betrayal of Jesus at Gethsemane is dramatized following a dramatized negotiation for such between Judas and Jesus. It is in the court of Pontius Pilate, as portrayed by David Bowie, that Jesus‘ remaining passion is decided, with the aforementioned arrest, visit to Pilate and subsequent whipping, humiliating walk through the streets and crucifixion.

(From left, David Bowie as Pontius Pilate and Willem Dafoe as Jesus in the Martin Scorsese movie The Last Temptation of Christ).

The steps in punishment meted out by the hand of Pontius Pilate are shown, with the story of the moment just before death introducing a new storyline at the moment just before death. A Girl Angel, as portrayed by Juliette Caton, representing herself as a Guardian Angel for Jesus indicates to the savior that he’s suffered enough. Oblivious to the crowd gathered at the crucifixion site, Jesus is taken away to marry Mary Magdalene as God has found pleasure with Jesus and wants him, Jesus, to be happy. This lasts until Magdalene abruptly dies, Jesus living with Lazarus‘ sisters into old age with children, and Paul as portrayed by Henry Dean Stanton proclaiming the resurrection. With the Siege of Jerusalem burning Jerusalem revealed to Jesus among other things, the story has Jesus realize this temptation was indeed a ruse by Satan. Crawling back to the crucifixion and begging to die per the original vision, the temptation of family, marriage and a burning city is rebuffed with Jesus‘ death.

(From left, Juliette Caton as Girl Angel and Willem Dafoe as Jesus in the Martin Scorsese movie The Last Temptation of Christ).

The tug between the spiritual and the physical feels like the full value proposition that the film’s director, and the writers for the source book and the movie, had in mind. To say that exploring this point through the telling of this controversial temptation, as mentioned in the introduction to this summarization and review, was brave is perhaps the best light that I have to place on the emotions I experienced with my screening of the movie. While I understand the choices made in conveying the pull between the wants for spirituality and physicality, that exploration didn’t need to use the leader of what has been passed to us as Christianity to do so. I give The Last Temptation of Christ as directed by Martin Scorsese 3.5-stars on a scale of one-to-five.

Matt – Saturday, March 16, 2024

Leonardo DiCaprio, Robert De Niro and Lily Gladstone in the Martin Scorsese movie ‘Killers of the Flower Moon’

Set primarily in Osage County, Oklahoma, the Martin Scorsese movie Killers of the Flower Moon (2023) is based largely on the David Grann book Killers of the Flower Moon: The Osage Murders and the Birth of the FBI. That intrigue around the murders of a Native American tribe relocated to Oklahoma, Missouri and Arkansas with negotiated mineral rights led to government sanctioned theft, racism, and at least tacit sanctioning of murder against Osage Indians generally is where the book and the movie begin to intersect. The Federal Bureau of Investigation under J. Edgar Hoover, as a growing investigative service, provides another intersection point.

(From left, Leonardo DiCaprio as Ernest Burkhart, Scott Shepherd as Byron Burkhart, Robert De Niro as William King Hale, Katherine Willis as Myrtle Hale and Delani Chambers as Willie Hale in the Martin Scorsese movie Killers of the Flower Moon).

With movie writing credits to Eric Roth and Martin Scorsese, the murdering of Osage people for oil rights on a one-by-one basis is the focus. Prior to the realization of this, the introduction of a modicum of Osage cultural tradition with the burial of the a ceremonial pipe, mourning their descendants’ assimilation into white American society. Sharing the yearly “flower moon” phenomenon of Oklahoma fields of bloom, we soon see several Osage dancing among oil gushing from the ground in their territory. Assuming the Osage “incompetent” to manage money in the American sense of it, Osage are assigned allotments of money in full and half-blood members headrights, which cannot be sold and transfer through inheritance to relatives upon death. In addition to graft that is addressed yet is not central to the movie, an incentive for untimely deaths had been created for unscrupulous whites.

(From left, Lily Gladstone as Mollie Kyle Burkhart and Leonardo DiCaprio as Ernest Burkhart in the Martin Scorsese movie Killers of the Flower Moon).

It is with this background that we meet Ernest Burkhart, as portrayed by Leonardo DiCaprio. Having returned from World War One service unintelligent and greedy, Ernest moves in with his brother, Byron Burkhart as portrayed by Scott Shepherd, and his uncle William King Hale as portrayed by Robert De Niro. It’s on the family ranch that we learn of Hale‘s giving gifts to the Osage and speaking their language while serving in a neglectful law enforcement capacity. The depths of Hale‘s conniving against that proposed interest includes suggesting to Ernest Burhart‘s that his nephew strike up a romance with Mollie Kyle, who takes the Burkhart surname when Ernest and Molly marry in a ceremony with Osage and Roman Catholic elements. Lily Gladstone portrayed Mollie Kyle Burkhart, with Mollie’s relationship with Ernest Burkhart becoming a central focus of the movie.

(From left, Cara Jade Myers as Anna Brown, Tantoo Cardinal as Lizzie Q, Jillian Dion as Minnie Smith and Janae Collins as Reta Smith in the Martin Scorsese movie Killers of the Flower Moon).

The criminal enterprise elements of the movie grow from here into what we see to be patterns of attack on the wealth and people of the Osage nation in general and Mollie Kyle Burkhart‘s family specifically. The patterns of attack on Lizzie Q, Anna Brown, Minnie Smith and Reta Smith, as portrayed by Tantoo Cardinal, Cara Jade Myers, Jillian Dion and Janae Collins, respectively, being front and center in the murderous plots. It is the escalating plot geared at Bill Smith‘s two wives (Minnie and Reta) and Ernest‘s wife (Molly), in addition to the 1921 Tulsa Race Riot that occurred with an arguably equivalent impunity, led to the Osage tribe’s council seeking reprieve in Washington DC against the corrupt forces in play on the Osage reservation, including a direct appeal to United States president Calvin Coolidge. Jason Isbell portrayed Bill Smith.

(From left, Jesse Plemons as Thomas Bruce White Sr., Tatanka Means as John Wren, John Lithgow as Prosecutor Peter Leaward and Brendan Fraser as W.S. Hamilton in the Martin Scorsese movie Killers of the Flower Moon).

Despite of and in the face of these developments, William King Hale escalates his criminality further with the killing of Henry Roan, Mollie‘s first husband as portrayed by William Belleau, the ordering of the murdering of his own hired killers, and unsuccessfully attempting to murder Ernest after he testifies against his uncle. The Bureau of Investigation inquest by agents Thomas Bruce White Sr. and John Wren leads to a trial litigated by Prosecutor Peter Leaward. W.S. Hamilton defends William King Hale and Ernest Burkhart. Jesse Plemons, Tatanka Means, John Lithgow and Brendan Fraser portrayed White Sr., Wren, Leaward and Hamilton, respectively.

(From left, director Martin Scorsese and actor Robert De Niro on set for the Martin Scorsese movie Killers of the Flower Moon).

The means of bringing together the larger questions of the fates of William King Hale, Ernest Burkhart, Molly Kyle Burkhart and Anna Brown through a dramatized radio program intermixed with flashback provided an unexpected and dramatically cinematic flare to the movie’s resolution. The movie reels of the Tulsa Race Riots in addition to the opening storytelling tributes to the silent movie era of cinema were appreciated artful touches at earlier parts of the movie. These elevation points raised the bar for me on what quality filmmaking truly can be. It is with these points as backdrops to the story told that I grant Killers of the Flower Moon as directed by Martin Scorsese with a highly accomplished cast 4.25-stars on a scale of 1-to-5.

Matt – Saturday, November 4, 2023

Leonardo DiCaprio, Cate Blanchett and Kate Beckinsale in the Martin Scorsese movie ‘The Aviator’

An epic biographical drama of United States business magnate Howard Hughes as directed by Martin Scorsese captures our attention today. Starring an ensemble cast portraying the business, government and movie star classes throughout Hughes‘ life, The Aviator (2004) was written by John Logan for the movies to dramatize a view of Howard Hughes from the late 1920s through the middle 1940s.

(From left, John C. Reilly as Noah Dietrich and Leonardo DiCaprio as Howard Hughes in the Martin Scorsese movie The Aviator).

Starting with a foreshadowing for the path the Hughes story will take, The Aviator begins in 1913 Houston, Texas with 9-year-old Howard taught to fear the germs of of a cholera outbreak while bathed by his mother. Portrayed by Jacob Davich and Amy Sloan respectively, Howard‘s mother would have him spell quarantine. The stage was being set for the forming personality that would begin to be revealed to the audience with the 1927 film Hell’s Angels (1930) that Howard Hughes, now portrayed by Leonardo DiCaprio, was directing.

(From left, Leonardo DiCaprio as Howard Hughes, Adam Scott as Johnny Meyer, Jude Law as Errol Flynn and Cate Blanchett as Katherine Hepburn in the Martin Scorsese movie The Aviator).

Noah Dietrich would begin managing the day-to-day business of the business empire that was growing for Hughes. It was upon seeing the movie The Jazz Singer (1927), a movie partially including sound, that Howard Hughes would begin reworking his movie to also include sound. Despite positive reviews without the sound, Hughes insisted upon bringing sound and realism to the movie in a manner that indicated an obsessive need to get there. Hughes became romantically involved with Katharine Hepburn during this period. Hepburn, as portrayed by Cate Blanchett, helped Hughes keep the symptoms of his obsessive-compulsive disorder in check.

(From left, Danny Huston as Jack Frye, Kelli Garner as Faith Domergue, Alec Baldwin as Juan Trippe, Emma Campbell as Helen Frye and Leonardo DiCaprio as Howard Hughes in the Martin Scorsese movie The Aviator).

It was in 1935 that we are introduced to the Hughes H-1 Racer. The introduction comes with Hughes setting a speed record and crash-landing the plane when it runs out of gas. On the heals of flying around the world in four days in 1938, we learn of Hughes purchasing the controlling interest of Transcontinental & Western Air (TWA), later renamed to Trans World Airlines. A rivalry develops from here with Pan Am (Pan American World Airways), Juan Trippe, and Maine Senator Ralph Owen Brewster. With Hepburn having moved on, Hughes would date Faith Domergue and Ava Gardner while maintaining feelings for Katharine Hepburn.

(From left, Ian Holm as Professor Fitz, Alan Alda as Senator Ralph Owen Brewster and Kate Beckinsale as Ava Gardner in the Martin Scorsese movie The Aviator).

With a series of new construction contracts for the American military in the works, with the Hughes XF-11 reconnaissance plane and the Hughes H-4 Hercules / Spruce Goose flying boat converging into false arguments against the Hughes companies. A crash in Beverly Hills, California and the expense of the other plane converge with the airline industry inquiries and fundamental issue in Howard Hughes‘ personal life that speak largely to the true partner Hughes had in Noah Dietrich.

(From left, director Martin Scorsese and actress Kate Beckinsale in the Martin Scorsese movie The Aviator).

Five Academy Award wins would be granted to The Aviator, which was filmed in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. Received well by critics and moviegoers alike, the movie was based on the book Howard Hughes: The Secret Life by Charles Higham. The sets felt period appropriate with excellent flourishes of cinematography include. I grant The Aviator as directed by Martin Scorsese 4.25-stars on a scale of one-to-five.

Matt – Wednesday, May 31, 2023

Ben Kingsley, Sacha Baron Cohen and Asa Butterfield in the Martin Scorsese movie ‘Hugo’

As if the production and direction of a passionate cinematic achievement by Martin Scorsese isn’t enough, consider that the movie Hugo (2011) won five Academy Awards and two British Academy Film Awards. Based on the 2007 Brian Selznick book The Invention of Hugo Cabret, the screenplay for the movie was written by John Logan.

(From left, Asa Butterfield as Hugo Cabret and Jude Law as Hugo’s father, Mr. Cabret in the Martin Scorsese movie Hugo).

The film offers a remarkable adventure drama based primarily in a 1931 train station of Paris, France. We’re introduced to 12-year-old Hugo Cabret and his widowed father, each respectively portrayed by Asa Butterfield and Jude Law. The two take to repairing a broken mechanical man established to write with a pen per specific commands requiring a key to unlock. Hugo is left with the legacy of a notebook of the pair’s repair attempts after the father, and Hugo’s alcoholic uncle, Claude Cabret, both die with the boy as their ward. Ray Winstone portrayed Claude Cabret.

(From left, Martin Scorsese as Photographer and Ray Winstone as Claude Cabret in the Martin Scoresese movie Hugo).

With Claude’s death, Hugo takes to maintaining the clocks at the Gare Montparnasse train station in his uncle’s place. The adventure for Hugo, beyond survival, rests with the boy’s efforts to repair the automaton with stolen parts. Hugo believes that the automaton has a message from his father. The foil to this effort is the possibility that station inspector Gustave Dasté, as portrayed by Sacha Baron Cohen, will send Hugo away if the absence of Claude Cabret is discovered.

(From left, Sacha Baron Cohen as Inspector Gustave Dasté, Chloë Grace Moretz as Isabelle and Asa Butterfield as Hugo Cabret in the Martin Scorsese movie Hugo).

In a largely symbolic gesture moment of the movie that feels to me like it may be less subtle in the book, Christopher Lee portrayed Monsieur Labisse. Labisse presents Hugo with a copy of the book Robin Hood the Outlaw by Alexandre Dumas. The book parallels Hugo’s journey as Hugo’s aim was avoid authority (Inspector Gustave) to survive in the station and bring the automaton into working order.

(From left, Christopher Lee as Monsieur Labisse and Asa Butterfield as Hugo Cabret in the Martin Scorsese movie Hugo).

Of course, further complications present themselves. With the stealing of parts from a toy store operated by Georges Méliès, as portrayed by Ben Kingsley, Hugo encounters an initial bitterness in Méliès to the boy’s theft. Georges agrees to allow Hugo to repay the debt through working for him, which Hugo takes upon himself as a means of retrieving his father’s notebook, which Georges has confiscated. Isabelle, the goddaughter of Georges Méliès as portrayed by Chloë Grace Moretz, becomes a needed friend to Hugo. The heartwarming tale that follows from here makes the movie Hugo a fully appropriate spending of your time, should you appreciate a sweet and moving tale.

(From left, Asa Butterfield as Hugo Cabret and Ben Kingsley as Georges Méliès in the Martin Scorsese movie Hugo).

In addition to the awards mentioned above, the movie Hugo also won three Golden Globe Awards. The craftsmanship and experience of the movie reflects the praise bestowed upon the film. The attention to details were quite high, as were the sets and the action. The film was filmed third-dimensionally, though can be viewed in two-dimensions. I grant Hugo as directed by Martin Scorsese 4.5-stars on a scale of 1-to-5.

Matt – Wednesday, November 30, 2022

Ellen Burstyn, Kris Kristofferson and Alfred Lutter III in the Martin Scorsese movie ‘Alice Doesn’t Live Here Anymore’

Martin Scorsese is a capable director of more than movies about the mob, corruption or the reality of criminal life. The perspective of the primary characters need not be men or, strictly speaking, adults. The movie Alice Doesn’t Live Here Anymore (1974), which inspired the television series Alice (1976-1985), serves as a respectable early example of this notion.

(From left, Billy Green Bush as Donald Hyatt and Ellen Burstyn as Alice Hyatt (née Graham) in the Martin Scorsese movie Alice Doesn’t Live Here Anymore).

The central character for Alice Doesn’t Live Here Anymore is Alice Hyatt (née Graham), who is portrayed in adulthood by Ellen Burstyn and as an eight-year-old child by Mia Bendixsen. Alice is shown to be in an unhappy marriage to Donald Hyatt, a demanding and abusive husband and distant father to the couple’s son, Tommy Hyatt. Billy Green Bush and Alfred Lutter III portrayed Donald and Tommy, respectively.

(From left, Lelia Goldoni as Bea and Harvey Keitel as Ben in the Martin Scorsese movie Alice Doesn’t Live Here Anymore).

The worlds of Alice and Tommy were thrown a curve when Alice’s husband dies in an automobile accident, presumably while driving his truck. Hyatt neighbor Bea, as portrayed by Lelia Goldoni, is there to support Alice and Tommy in the immediate aftermath of the death to grieve, have a rummage sale, and then see the Hyatt’s off as the new family of two intends to start a new life.

(From left, Alfred Lutter III as Tommy Hyatt and Jodie Foster as Audrey in the Martin Scorsese movie Alice Doesn’t Live Here Anymore).

Alice and Tommy begin a trip from their home in Socorro, New Mexico, intending to pursue a singing career where Alice had grown up, namely Monterey, California. Alice and Tommy needed to make stops along the way to work, find lodging and to raise money to continue their trip.

(From left, Diane Ladd as Florence Jean (Flo) Castleberry, Valerie Curtin as Vera Gorman, Vic Tayback as Mel Sharples and Ellen Burstyn as Alice Hyatt (née Graham) in the Martin Scorsese movie Alice Doesn’t Live Here Anymore).

The first stop along the way is Phoenix, Arizona. Alice finds work as a lounge singer in a disreputable bar, where she is drawn into an intimate relationship with Ben, as portrayed by Harvey Keitel. Tommy is befriended by Audrey, the daughter of a prostitute, as portrayed by Jodie Foster. Both Ben and Audrey, unrelated to one another, bring delinquent tendencies to their respective relationships. When Ben responds in a distinctly mean manner when his wife brings it to Alice’s attention that Ben is married to her, Alice and Tommy quickly move on to Tucson, Arizona. Lane Bradbury portrayed Rita, Ben’s wife.

(From left, Alfred Lutter III as Tommy Hyatt and Kris Kristofferson as David in the Martin Scorsese movie Alice Doesn’t Live Here Anymore).

When in Tucson, Alice finds work as a waitress in a diner operated by short-order cook Mel Sharples and waitresses Florence Jean Castlebury, aka Flo, and Vera Gorman. Vic Tayback, Diane Ladd and Valerie Curtin portrayed Sharples, Castlebury and Gorman, respectively. The introduction of David as a regular customer at diner brings much to the beauty that is the larger story of Alice Doesn’t Live Here Anymore. Kris Kristofferson portrayed Dave.

(From left, actor Kris Kristofferson, director Martin Scorsese, actress Ellen Burstyn and actor Alfred Lutter III in the Martin Scorsese movie Alice Doesn’t Live Here Anymore).

The inner motivations that informed the journey that Alice and Tommy were on took explicit and demonstrable concreteness at the diner in Tucson. That some see an episodic quality to the demonstration of these motivations feels in large part like the quality of an early director. I grant Alice Doesn’t Live Here Anymore as directed by Martin Scorsese 3.75-stars on a scale of 1-to-5.

Matt – Saturday, July 23, 2022

Rufus Jones in the Malcolm Venville documentary ‘Theodore Roosevelt’

Theodore Roosevelt of New York City, New York was the 26th president of the United States of America, serving from 1901 through 1909. A survey of his life was offered through the History Channel documentary Theodore Roosevelt (2022), airing in televised episodes originally airing, respectively, on May 30th and May 31st. Malcolm Venville directed the documentary.

(Rufus Jones as Theodore Roosevelt in the Malcolm Venville documentary Theodore Roosevelt).

The opening episode of the documentary, titled The Great Adventure, starts with an introduction of Roosevelt in his childhood as a sickly youngster struggling to fight his way through illness. We literally get a sense of the man taking comfort in physical activity based in affluence and an education that gave the man an appreciation the belied his station; that is, Roosevelt would take an appreciation of the disadvantaged into his sense of the world. Interestingly, the documentary shared an image of Roosevelt and his brother overlooking Abraham Lincoln‘s funeral train from Washington DC to Springfield, Illinois. Lincoln, the 16th president of the United States, had been assassinated in 1865.

(The historical Theodore Roosevelt, as pictured here, was the subject of the Malcolm Venville documentary Theodore Roosevelt).

The episode introduced us to much heartache for Roosevelt early in his life, including the deaths of his mother and wife, only hours apart on February 14, 1884. The young state legislator of New York had been in Albany, New York when summoned to New York City with the possibility of this news. Having also been away at school when his father died, Theodore Roosevelt as a younger man at the time, the spirit of a fighter through physical activity really summoned itself in this time. The reformer spirit of Roosevelt as the legislator, later as the New York City police commissioner, and an ability to rally public support with a streak of independence against the party ideals that he ran with, the notion of being Vice President of the United States had been a way for the party to quell this spirit led to the conclusion of the Roosevelt story, as told in The Great Adventure).

(The historical William McKinley, the predecessor to Theodore Roosevelt as president of the United States, gave way to his successor after being assassinated in September 1901).

The Man in the Arena picks up from the point of William McKinley, the 25th president of the United States, having been shot to death at the 1901 World’s Fair (aka Pan-American Exposition) of Buffalo, New York. Roosevelt would assume the presidency with a philosophy of having those in power play by the rules. The education of Roosevelt in how to conduct this business of trust busting, extending the imperial ambitions of the United States with the Panama Canal, and negotiating his own assertion of power all were points of import for the story documented. The introduction of Roosevelt’s relationship with race was discussed through both episodes of the documentary, including specific interactions with notable leader on race, Booker T. Washington.

(The historical William Howard Taft, the Roosevelt selected successor to Theodore Roosevelt became the 27th president of the United States).

Theodore Roosevelt‘s service as president of the United States ended with the man being less than 50-years old. In addition to having renamed the executive mansion of the United States to the White House, the man found himself restless after ending his presidency. When presidential successor William Howard Taft took his single term in a direction not to Roosevelt‘s liking, the former president ran under the banner of a third party of Roosevelt‘s making in 1912. Roosevelt, notably giving a speech after having been shot in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, would place ahead of Taft in that election. That election, however, would be won by 28th president of the United States, Woodrow Wilson.

(The historical Booker T. Washington).

Many significant points of history for Theodore Roosevelt, the man, were introduced within this documentary. The measure of the man himself was addressed for being something that measured the appetite for reform with perceived pragmatics in having the basis for being able to apply it. That the man wasn’t perfect, while moving the dial forward in meaningful ways, feels like the larger message of this experience. I grant Theodore Roosevelt as directed by Malcolm Venville at 3.75-stars on a scale of 1-to-5.

Matt – Saturday, June 11, 2022

The Year 2021 in Movies

Continuing with the final part of our year in review, Matt Lynn Digital invites you to look back at the last year in reviews of books, movies, music and television. We look at these with individual categories, one per day through today. Today we share the sixty-eight (68) movies reviewed across ten (10) decades by Matt Lynn Digital in 2021.

(The 1941 movie Citizen Kane is one of seven movies that Matt Lynn Digital gave 4.5-stars on a scale of 1-to-5).

Citizen Kane (1941) was written by Herman J. Mankiewicz and Orson Welles. The Michael Curtiz directed film Casablanca (1942) also earned 4.5-stars, as did the Alfred Hitchcock directed film Psycho (1960).

(The 1961 movie The Hustler starred Paul Newman and Jackie Gleason).

The Robert Rossen directed film The Hustler (1961) is joined by the Martin Scorsese film Taxi Driver (1976), the James Cameron directed movie Terminator 2: Judgment Day (1991) and the David Fincher movie Se7en (1995) as also having earned 4.5-stars by Matt Lynn Digital in 2021.

(Several films by Alfred Hitchcock made their way into the Matt Lynn Digital reviews in 2021. North by Northwest and Strangers on a Train were a couple of favorites).

The Shop Around the Corner (1940) as directed by Ernst Lubitsch is one of eleven movies having earned 4.25-stars in 2021. The Alfred Hitchcock movie Strangers on a Train (1951) joins the Hitchcock film North by Northwest (1959) in the same category.

(Martin Scorsese movies are well received by Matt Lynn Digital. The 1995 movie Casino received 4.25-stars).

A Christmas Story (1983) as directed by Bob Clark has consistently hit me in a warm spot. The Richard Donner directed Lethal Weapon (1987) offers comedic action at a solid pace.  The Rob Reiner directed movie Misery (1990) juxtaposes mystery against the sweet storytelling of the Harold Ramis movie Groundhog Day (1993). Casino (1995) by director Martin Scorsese is the second film in our reviews to pair Scorsese with actor Robert De Niro. The Sixth Sense (1999) as directed by M. Night Shyamalan also earned our rating of 4.25-stars.

(The 2003 Ridley Scott movie Matchstick Men dips our toes into the 21st century of cinema).

The Ridley Scott movie Matchstick Men (2003) earned 4.25-stars, as did the David Fincher movie The Curious Case of Benjamin Button (2008).

(The clean-cut reputation of the actor James Stewart is put to the test in his portrayal of Paul Biegler is the 1959 Otto Preminger movie Anatomy of a Murder).

Frankenstein (1931) as directed by James Whale received 4-stars as an origin tale into the more frightening side of cinema. The movie Saboteur (1942), the movie Rope (1948) and the movie Dial M for Murder (1954), as directed by Alfred Hitchcock, all earned similar ratings. The Otto Preminger directed movie Anatomy of a Murder (1959) closed out the three decades of cinema rated at this level.

(The 1974 Mel Brooks movie Young Frankenstein comedically poked fun of the 1931 James Whale movie Frankenstein).

The Mel Brooks directed movie Young Frankenstein (1974) worked on a level equal to the film that inspired it. Richard Donner succeeded in the horror movie genre with The Omen (1976) while John Carpenter delivered a similar 4-star rated movie with Halloween (1978). The Hugh Hudson directed film Chariots of Fire (1981) won four Academy Awards while the James Cameron sequel movie Aliens (1986) won a pair of awards.

(Seven Academy Awards and 4-stars from Matt Lynn Digital awaited the Kevin Costner‘s directorial debut movie, Dances with Wolves).

The epic Western Dances with Wolves (1990) as directed by Kevin Costner earned 4-stars, as did the Steven Spielberg movie Jurassic Park (1993), the movie Jumanji (1995) starring Robin Williams and the Tony Scott directed movie Enemy of the State (1998).

(The adventure of The Polar Express centers around the experience of finding joy in the notion of Christmas. Matt Lynn Digital granted the movie 4-stars).

The Stephen Frears movie High Fidelity (2000), the Paul Haggis directed movie Crash (2004), the Robert Zemeckis movie The Polar Express (2004), Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy (2011) starring Gary Oldman and the Jake Kasdan directed movie Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle (2017) all earned four stars.

(John Ford directed the western named Stagecoach. The movie starring John Wayne was granted 3.75-stars).

Alfred Hitchcock directed two separate movies based on the same source material twice. The Man Who Knew Too Much (1934) as well as The Man Who Knew Too Much (1956) each earned 3.75-stars from Matt Lynn Digital. The John Ford directed movie Stagecoach (1939), starring John Wayne, is accompanied by Alfred Hitchcock’s Shadow of a Doubt (1943), John Ford’s The Quiet Man (1952), and both The Trouble with Harry (1955) and The Wrong Man (1956) by Alfred Hitchcock.

(The 1962 Stanley Kubrick movie Lolita is often misunderstood yet tells a morally difficult story for those that can stick with it for understanding).

Stanley Kubrick directed the movie Lolita (1962), which is one of twenty-seven movies granted 3.75-stars by Matt Lynn Digital. Alfred Hitchcock‘s movie Torn Curtain (1966), Brian De Palma‘s movie Sisters (1972), the Don Siegel directed movie Escape from Alcatraz (1979), the John Hughes directed movie Sixteen Candles (1984), Ron Howard‘s movie Cocoon (1985) and the David Cronenberg directed movie The Fly (1986) each received a similar 3.75-stars.

(The 1992 movie Reservoir Dogs as directed by Quentin Tarantino received 3.75-stars from Matt Lynn Digital).

Total Recall (1990) starring Arnold Schwarzenegger and Sharon Stone are joined by the Quentin Tarantino movie Reservoir Dogs (1992), the Brian De Palma movie Carlito’s Way (1993), the Jan de Bont directed movie Speed (1994), The Santa Clause (1994) starring Tim Allen and the Kevin Smith directed movies Clerks (1994) and Chasing Amy (1997).

(The 2002 movie Insomnia from director Christopher Nolan offered a character focused with less abstraction focus in earning 3.75-stars).

The Howard Deutch sports comedy movie The Replacements (2000) introduced a string of movies, including the Christopher Nolan movie Insomnia (2002), the Gavin O’Connor movie Miracle (2004), the Tim Burton directed movie Charlie and the Chocolate Factory (2005), the Clint Eastwood directed movie Richard Jewell (2019) and the Christopher Nolan movie Tenet (2020), that offered quality movie making rated at 3.75-stars.

(The 2003 movie Timeline as directed by Richard Donner is one of three movies to earn 3.5-stars by Matt Lynn Digital).

Sylvester Stallone stars in the movie Cliffhanger (1993), which stands beside the Wolfgang Petersen directed movie Outbreak (1995) and the Richard Donner directed movie Timeline (2003) as receiving 3.5-stars.

(Brian De Palma‘s 1990 movie The Bonfire of the Vanities received 3-stars on a scale of 1-to-5 from Matt Lynn Digital).

The Bonfire of the Vanities (1990) as directed by Brian De Palma was not a commercial success, earning a 3-star rating from Matt Lynn Digital. The movie lost over $31 million, despite a reasonably strong cast.

Matt Lynn Digital appreciates your continued interest in the content we offer. Should you have albums that you’d like us to review, or similar work to that mentioned above, please be sure to let us know.

Matt – Friday, December 31, 2021

Robert De Niro, Jodie Foster and Cybill Shepherd in the Martin Scorsese movie ‘Taxi Driver’

Martin Scorsese is a movie industry leader for well-crafted cinema from the perspectives of story, sound, composition and the delivery of a message that engages audiences emotionally, intellectually and through the senses. Taxi Driver (1976) hits the marks on each of these stages in being our focus here today.

(Robert De Niro as Travis Bickle in the Martin Scorsese movie Taxi Driver).

Robert De Niro stars as Travis Bickle, a military veteran working as an overnight taxi driver in mid-1970s New York City, New York following the Vietnam War. Bickle opens the film with chronic insomnia, lonely, and turns to driving folks around overnight in disreputable neighborhoods overrun by crime and depravity. Bickle frequents pornography theatres, becoming as friendly with other overnight cabbies as he can.

(From left, Norman Matlock as Charlie T., Peter Boyle as Wizard, Harry Northup as Doughboy and Harry Cohn as Cabbie in Bellmore in the Martin Scorsese movie Taxi Driver).

The cabbie company’s Personnel Officer, as portrayed by Joe Spinell, reinforced the notion of visiting theatres to Bickle at the point Travis Bickle was hired. The group of cabbies that come closest to becoming friends to Bickle include Charlie T., Doughboy, Wizard and a character identified strictly as Cabbie in Bellmore, portrayed respectively by Norman Matlow, Harry Northup, Peter Boyle and Harry Cohn. Bickle finds that Wizard, as the oldest in this group, is the closest to confidante that he, Bickle, has. Bickle further takes to confiding what truths he experiences in a diary.

(From left, Albert Brooks as Tom and Cybill Shepherd as Betsy in the Martin Scorsese movie Taxi Driver).

Through the course of the movie, Bickle takes specific interest in two people in particular. Bickle descends further into a personal crisis of sorts, and he first sets his sights on presidential campaign worker Betsy. Betsy, as portrayed by Cybill Shepherd, takes notice of Bickle sitting in a taxi outside the New York City headquarters of Senator Charles Palantine, as portrayed by Leonard Harris. Shepherd mentions having observed Bickle to fellow campaign worker Tom, as portrayed by Albert Brooks. It is after Bickle and Betsy meet for pie and a fruit plate that things turn sour between the two, as Bickle takes Betsy to a pornography theatre on a date.

(From left, Nicholas Shields as Palantine Aide and Leonard Harris as Senator Charles Palantine in the Martin Scorsese movie Taxi Driver).

Travis Bickle admits to being out-of-tune with politics to Betsy prior to Betsy calling quits to the difficulty demonstrated by the errant date she had with Bickle. Bickle, meanwhile, becomes aware of underage prostitute Iris Steensma, as played by Jodie Foster. Bickle wants to help Iris get off the streets and back home to Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Bickle confides this to Senator Palantine while driving him in his taxi. Palantine’s overall populist message resonates and confuses Bickle, which gains relevance in the situations of Iris, Betsy, Tom and Senator Palantine.

(From left, Harvey Keitel as Matthew ‘Sport’ Higgins and Jodie Foster as Iris Steensma in the Martin Scorsese movie Taxi Driver).

The decision to become more physically focused on concerned with take direct physical action to confront the decadence and criminality that Bickle sees around him motivates the conclusion spelled out by Taxi Driver. People pay Matthew ‘Sport’ Higgins, as portrayed by Harvey Keitel, to facilitate illegal adult activity with Iris Steensma. A crime in a bodega follows. Things later come to a clear resolution for Higgins, Palantine, and others in a graphic and decisive conclusion that is emotionally and psychologically jarring. The impact is large, dramatic and decisive.

(From left, actor Robert De Niro and director Martin Scorsese in the Martin Scorsese movie Taxi Driver).

The aftermath of the decisive scene, which is worth the effort of watching the movie, ties a bow around the outcomes for the major characters in the movie. There are clear implications to the disposition of the major players in the story of Taxi Driver, which offers much to consider from the perspective of justice in the moment, justice in the period between Vietnam and the decisive moment for Bickle, the permissibility of criminal prostitution, and more. The questions aren’t easy, yet the fact that this movie offers the questions merits your consideration. I rate Taxi Driver as directed by Martin Scorsese at 4.5-stars on a scale of 1-to-5.

Matt – Saturday, October 9, 2021

Robert De Niro, Sharon Stone, Joe Pesci and the Martin Scorsese movie ‘Casino’

The Nicholas Pileggi book Casino: Love and Honor in Las Vegas reunited director Martin Scorsese with actor Robert De Niro for an unprecedented eighth time. Casino (1995), while enjoyed by many, is generally well regarded in the Scorsese movie canon, though much enjoyed as a solid movie with solid use of music and storytelling, is not ranked among the best movies directed by the celebrated director.

(From left, Robert De Niro as Sam ‘Ace’ Rothstein, Sharon Stone as Ginger McKenna and James Woods as Lester Diamond in the Martin Scorsese movie Casino).

Casino functions as a love triangle mixed in with a robust story of greed, money, power and murder between two childhood friends with the Tangiers Casino and Hotel of the 1970s in Las Vegas, Nevada at the center. Robert De Niro portrays Jewish American Sam ‘Ace’ Rothstein, a gambler and handicapping expert asked by organized criminals from Chicago, Illinois to oversee day-to-day operations at the Tangiers, which ostensibly is overseen by Phillip Green as portrayed by Kevin Pollak.

(From left, Frank Vincent as Frank Marino and Joe Pesci as Nicky Santoro in the Martin Scorsese movie Casino).

Nicky Santoro, as portrayed by Joe Pesci, is the childhood friend to Rothstein. Santoro also is a made man, meaning fully initiated with trust into the Mafia as a trusted member of the family. Santoro is an enforcer that keeps people in line with organized crime through violence, with Frank Marino as portrayed by Frank Vincent as a trusted helper. The story of Rothstein and Santoro is nearly as important as the story of Rothstein, Ginger McKenna and, ultimately, Lester Diamond.

(From left, Robert De Niro as Sam ‘Ace’ Rothstein and Don Rickles as Billy Sherbert in the Martin Scorsese movie Casino).

Lester Diamond, as played by James Woods, is the preexisting con-artist turned pimp with significant emotional influence over Ginger McKenna, who becomes Sam Rothstein’s wife. Sharon Stone portrays McKenna, a hustler, dancer and former prostitute who Rothstein marries in his early 40s despite this past. Don Rickles portrays Billy Sherbert, Rothstein’s enforcer. It is Sherbert and Santoro that in part support the triangle between Diamond, McKenna and Rothstein, though intrigue aided by an intriguing soundtrack aid the story that at multiple points that become the central story for the future of the Tangiers Casino and Hotel.

(From left, Robert De Niro as Sam ‘Ace’ Rothstein and L.Q. Jones as Pat Webb in the Martin Scorsese movie Casino).

That larger story comes to include Pat Webb, Clark County gaming commission chairman. L.Q. Jones portrays Webb, and the precise way this plays out is worth the time you should invest in the movie Casino, especially if you are a fan of organized crime movies. The underlying story for how these two come to meet in the scene pictured above remains a solid piece of humor in the face of competition over the fate of a gambling empire and matters of the heart.

(From left, Casino director Martin Scorsese with actor Robert De Niro on set of the Martin Scorsese movie Casino).

Family, loyalty and the torment that comes from keeping those you love close feels like the core stories for how to have a run in organized crime. The movie Casino spins nearly three hours of intrigue that largely works. The movie Goodfellas (1990), which preceded Casino by a mere five years, gets more love for playing in a similar sandbox while more authoritatively depicting a lifestyle that resonated better for critics and the general public alike. I rate Casino at 4.25-stars on a scale of one-to-five.

Matt – Saturday, January 9, 2021

The Year 2020 in Movies

With the oddness that has been the year 2020, new movie releases have been few and far between. Matt Lynn Digital continued to look into the past for movies to enjoy and review with you. The year saw us review thirty-six (36) films through the year, which we will share with you by decade, shared from highest rated to lowest.

(Argo starring Ben Affleck, Bryan Cranston, Alan Arkin and  John Goodman was a 2012 gem that leads the 2010s with 4.5-stars from Matt Lynn Digital).

Argo (2012) leads the way for movies from the 2010s. The film earned 4.5-stars on a scale of 1-to-5 stars, which is the highest rating matched only twice for movies this year. Earning 4.0-stars for the decade were Game Night (2018) starring Jason Batemen and Rachel McAdams, Captain Phillips (2013) starring Tom Hanks and Barkhad Abdi and The Lincoln Lawyer (2011) starring Matthew McConaughey and, for a second time this decade, Bryan Cranston.

(Matt Damon makes two appearances for the 2010s, the first with the 2019 film Ford v Ferrari).

 Ford v Ferrari (2019) offers the first of two starring roles in the Matt Lynn Digital movie reviews for Matt Damon and Christian Bale. The story of the 1966 24 Hours of Le Mans earn a rating of 3.75-stars along with The Martian (2015), which starred Matt Damon, Kristen Wiig and Jeff Daniels and Gravity (2013) starring Sandra Bullock, George Clooney, and Ed Harris.

(Tom Hanks returns to our list with the 4.25-stars granted Cast Away by Matt Lynn Digital).

The Robert Zemeckis film Cast Away (2000) starts in the holiday season where the character portrayed by Tom Hanks faces tremendous odds while delivering an outstanding movie granted 4.25-stars. The movie Ray (2004), starring Jamie Foxx in the role as Ray Charles and the Ang Lee movie Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon (2000) starring Michelle Yeoh and Yun-Fat Chow each earned 4-stars in their 2020 reviews.

(The Martin Scorsese film Gangs of New York featured among the best portrayals of a movie villain ever delivered by Daniel Day-Lewis. The film earned 3.75-stars from Matt Lynn Digital).

Gangs of New York (2002) leads a stable of five movies to earn 3.75-stars from the decade that began the 21st century. While prominent, the performances by Leonardo DiCaprio, Cameron Diaz, Brendan Gleeson, Liam Neeson and John C. Reilly held sway in part for where the ranking placed. Other films from this decade gaining 3.75-stars included The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford (2007) starring Brad Pitt and Casey Affleck, The Blind Side (2009) starring Sandra Bullock and Tim McGraw, Friday Night Lights (2004) starring Lucas Black, Billy Bob Thornton and Tim McGraw, and Elf (2003) starring Will Ferrell, James Caan and Zooey Deschanel.  The Skulls (2000) starring Joshua Jackson,  Paul Walker and  Craig T. Nelson earned 3.5-stars.

(Fight Club starring Brad Pitt, Edward Norton and Helena Bonham Carter and the Martin Scorsese movie Goodfellas starring Ray Liotta, Robert De Niro, Joe Pesci and Lorraine Bracco lead the 1990s with 4.5-stars granted by Matt Lynn Digital).

The film Fight Club (1999) and the film Goodfellas (1990) bookend the 1990s with a pair of movies earning the 2020 top rating of 4.5-stars offered by Matt Lynn Digital. The football movie Rudy (1993) starring Sean Astin and Ned Beatty is joined by baseball movie The Sandlot (1993) with Denis Leary and the military, political intrigue movie The Hunt for Red October (1990) starring Sean Connery, James Earl Jones, Alec Baldwin and Sam Neill with ratings of 4.0-stars.

(For Love of the Game starring Kevin Costner, John C. Reilly and Kelly Preston lead 1990s films getting 3.75-stars by Matt Lynn Digital).

Baseball and borderline romantic comedy film For Love of the Game (1999) earned 3.75-stars from Matt Lynn Digital in 2020. The film Mr. Holland’s Opus (1995) with  Richard Dreyfuss and the Ron Howard film Far and Away (1992) with Tom Cruise and Nicole Kidman join For Love of the Game with 3.75-stars. Earning 3.25 stars is the film The Usual Suspects (1995), which starred Kevin Spacey, Stephen Baldwin, Benicio Del Toro and Kevin Pollak.

(The Brian De Palma and Oliver Stone film Scarface with  Al Pacino,  Michelle Pfeiffer, Robert Loggia and Steven Bauer kicks off the 1980s with a 4-star rating by Matt Lynn Digital).

The 4-stars earned by the organized crime movie Scarface (1983) is joined by the Steven Spielberg film Empire of the Sun (1987) starring Christian Bale, John Malkovich and Joe Pantoliano and Tim Burton‘s film Beetlejuice (1988) starring Alec Baldwin, Geena Davis, Winona Ryder and Michael Keaton. The Richard Donner film Scroooged (1988) starring Bill Murray, John Forsythe, David Johansen and Carol Kane completes the decade with 3.75-stars.

(Ridley Scott‘s film Alien starring Sigourney Weaver, Tom Skerritt and Ian Holm earns the best rating of the 1970s for Matt Lynn Digital at 4.25-stars).

Alien (1979) closed out the 1970s with quite the impact, garnering 4.25-stars for a science fiction story that stands on its own. The Martin Scorsese concert goodbye The Last Waltz (1978) with The Band leads three other productions getting 3.75-stars. Joining The Last Waltz with 3.75-stars include the baseball movie The Bad News Bears (1976) with Walter Mathau and Tatum O’Neal, the western movie The Outlaw Josey Wales (1976) starring Clint Eastwood and John Vernon and the comedic war movie Kelly’s Heroes (1970) starring Clint Eastwood, Telly Savalas, Don Rickles, Carroll O’ Connor and Gavin MacLeod.

(The Man Who Shot Liberty Vance and The Lady Vanishes achieved two different things in two different decades to complete the movie reviews by Matt Lynn Digital in 2020).

The John Ford movie The Man Who Shot Liberty Vance (1962) starred John Wayne, James Stewart, Lee Marvin and Vera Miles in a western that earned 3.75-stars. The Lady Vanishes (1938) put Alfred Hitchcock on the proverbial map with a political commentary in the guise of a thriller starring Margaret Lockwood, Michael Redgrave, Paul Lukas and May Whitty. The Lady Vanishes earned 4.0-stars from Matt Lynn Digital.

(Blog friend Cobra reviewed the movies Before Sunrise, Before Sunset and Before Midnight in a single sharing on Matt Lynn Digital).

Matt Lynn Digital also enjoyed sharing a review of Richard Linklater‘s Before Trilogy of movies. Blog friend Cobra reviewed Before Sunrise (1995), Before Sunset (2004) and Before Midnight (2013) in a single review. Ethan Hawke and Julie Delpy explore the notion of relationships a bit more fully and cleverly than often happens with any movie franchise. It is with thanks that we look back to this sharing.

Share the Matt Lynn Digital blog with your friends if you see value in what we are doing. We feel these reviews provide excellent content that we would like to continue offering.

Matt – Wednesday, December 30, 2020