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Among the highest points ever achieved by Leone, perhaps the finest western film of all time, featuring excellent performances (Charles "Bruno Conti" Bronson, the stunning Claudia Cardinale, a cold Henry Fonda), immense direction, and magnificent music. A titanic film (as will be "Giù la Testa" and "C'Era Una Volta in America"), a film that portrays the end of an era, the advance of the modern age marking the end of the wild west. And the opening scene is among the 10 most beautiful scenes ever, for me. more
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Second chapter of what Carpenter defines as the "Apocalypse Trilogy". Slightly inferior to "The Thing," especially due to a final part, that of the concluding duel, which is not completely convincing. However, it remains one of Carpenter's most successful films, due to the unease it manages to transmit, the beautiful apocalyptic atmospheres, the excellent first half, and a pretty good final scene. A nice horror film; with a few fewer flaws, it could have been a great film. 7.5 more
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In a cynical, ruthless, dirty, and hallucinatory New York, the story of two poor souls like many others. Schlesinger directs one of his most successful films, in a realistic portrayal of the streets of New York. Jon Voight delivers his best performance, but Dustin Hoffman, playing Rico, who is crippled and seriously ill, is even more exceptional, and it is here that he establishes himself as one of the greatest actors of all time. A tremendous film, with an ending so bitter, dramatic, and moving that it leaves you speechless. 9 more
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Among the most underrated films of the immense Vittorio De Sica, it is instead an excellent tragicomic comedy, at times hilarious and at times bitter. An exceptional cast, perhaps not fully utilized, with some actors a bit out of their depth, yet providing performances that are more than dignified. Hilarious Gassman, great Stoppa, gigantic Alberto Sordi, in the most successful character of the film, perhaps the most slippery and cynical he has ever portrayed. Truly a great film, absolutely worth rediscovering. more
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Michael Mann's masterpiece, on par with "Heat". Based on Harris's novel "Red Dragon" (the first book of the "Lecter trilogy"). A top-notch thriller masterfully directed by Mann, a master of technique and suspense, featuring a trio of excellent actors (great Cox, the first Hannibal Lecter on the big screen). A grand final showdown set to the tunes of Iron Butterfly. Slightly inferior to "The Silence of the Lambs," but far more beautiful than the remake "Red Dragon." more
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Cut, mistreated, distorted, a feel-good ending reshaped by a different director, this second feature film by O. Welles remains an incredibly great film, colossal from a purely technical standpoint, and still excellent overall. However, the doubt lingers about what the film would have been without those barbaric cuts it endured.
Stunning. more
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Hilarious Brooksian parody of the Western, inferior to the subsequent masterpieces "Frankenstein Jr." and "Silent Movie," still remains among the most successful works of the director. A brilliant ending featuring the massive brawl in the studios and the showdown outside the cinema. Exceptional also: "Fermi tutti, al primo movimento faccio fuori il negro," said by the same Black sheriff. A fun and at times brilliant parody. more
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Quentin Tarantino — Jackie Brown | DeRank™: 0,00

After two great films like "Reservoir Dogs" and "Pulp Fiction," Tarantino's inevitable decline begins. For me, this is consistently between 3 and 4 stars, a film still more than decent with some truly successful scenes, a great Samuel L. Jackson, and a good performance by Robert De Niro (barely decent compared to those from '68-'96, gigantic in comparison to those from '00 onwards). Good film. more
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Ridley Scott — Hannibal | DeRank™: 0,00

Less ugly than I remembered. A film directed with skill by Scott, for style very different and for quality much lower than "The Silence of the Lambs", it relies mainly on the charismatic performance of a flamboyant Hopkins and benefits from the excellent Florentine set design in the first part (with a good Giuseppe Giannini added) and a couple of remarkable scenes. Julianne Moore did not convince me at all, good performance by Oldman, decent Liotta, experienced and skilled Scott. more
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Michael Mann — Collateral | DeRank™: 0,00

Great film "Collateral", on par with "Insider" and almost at the level of Mann's two masterpieces: Manhunter and Heat. Excellent Foxx, convincing Cruise (probably his best performance), Mann as usual stunning, beautifully depicting the night of Los Angeles. Tension, adrenaline, class, and excellent technique. Truly a magnificent thriller. more
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Mann ventures into the epic/historical genre and does so with his usual skill, managing to create a beautiful film. A separate discussion is warranted for the stunning soundtrack, which is a true masterpiece. Then there's a phenomenal Lewis (but that's not news), a wonderful, tight, engaging, and epic final part (20-15 minutes), and finally the breathtaking sets and the excellent direction from the always outstanding Mann. It's a shame that the screenplay ends up focusing too much on a certain love story. more
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Roman Polanski — Repulsion | DeRank™: 0,00

Perhaps the pinnacle of early Polanski (the one before Rosemary's Baby), a sickly, surreal thriller (the scene with the hands emerging from the walls is stunning), exhausting. Deneuve, besides being beautiful, is exceptional in portraying Carol's relentless descent into the abyss of madness. Excellent ending. Perhaps not a masterpiece (like "The Tenant") but still a beautiful film. more
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The excellent debut of Martin Scorsese (1969), who in the '70s, thanks to masterpieces such as "Mean Streets" and "Taxi Driver," would establish himself as one of the greatest representatives of "New Hollywood" and one of the greatest directors of all time. The protagonist is his friend Harvey Keitel (also a newcomer), who later boasts a brilliant career (an exceptional actor). It's not yet fully in focus, but Scorsese's class and skill are already evident; there's Little Italy, and there's a great story. more
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