New York, New York (Special Edition)
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Movie Reviews of New York, New York (Special Edition)
Movie Review: GOOD ACTORS...SAD STORY
Summary: 3 Stars
I ENJOYED THE FIRST PART OF THE STORY, BUT IT BECAME MOROSE AND DOWNRIGHT DEPRESSING TOWARD THE END. OVERALL, IT WAS ABOUT AS ENTERTAINING AS A TRIP TO THE DENTIST.
MINNELLI AND DE NIRO WERE GOOD ACTORS, BUT THE STORY WAS SAD.
Movie Review: Martin's Way We Were
Summary: 2 Stars
The best way to describe this film is "The Way We Were" meets Martin Scorsese. First, take Barbara Streisand and replace her with Liza Minelli--similar talents, both great singers, ok actresses, no problem, thankyou! Now take Robert Redford and replace him with Robert DeNiro playing the character he played in "Goodfellas"--or better yet--playing the Joe Peschi character from "Goodfellas"--that might be closer. Just put a saxophone in his mouth and track over some nice tunes between the tough guy this, tough guy that and... What? And that's what it looks like we see Minelli's character thinking over and over again--"what?" Is somebody kidding? Is this a musical?
The first time I saw "New York, New York" was on television and I didn't know then, and was so surprised to see in the opening credits, that it was directed by Martin Scorsese. I had no idea that this glitzy musical which had been on the periphery of my consciousness for twenty years was directed by the moviemaster El Supremo. AND BELIEVE IT OR NOT, THAT IS IT'S BIGGEST PROBLEM--IT'S A SCORSESE FILM!
Basically, a schizophrenic movie. It could have been Barbara Streisand, or it could have been "Goodfellas," but what it ends up being instead is sadly bizarre. It's Scorsese doing his Scorsese standards, and Scorsese doing other things such as Scorsese the jazz enthusiast putting forward the music he loves and mixing it all up in motifs that are consciously derivative of the golden age of musicals. It's sometimes flashy, sometimes gritty, often tense, most often fabulously designed, and in unexpected ways, often floppy. First Scorsese will put Minelli on the stage to do some nicely projected wonderfuls. Then he'll add DeNiro to the stage with the typical Scorsese/DeNiro streetwise dialogue, gambled emotions, and looming catastrophes. Luckily, or perhaps unluckily, depending on your expectations, these catastrophes get negotiated away from the usual Scorsese violence by Minnelli's clever and loving, but undiscovered character. Why these two people are together is never understandable, and we watch Francine (Minelli) many times just stop and stare at Jimmy (DeNiro), pause, and then resign herself to him. Why does she resign herself to him? Who knows? Because it's a Scorsese film, what else? That could be the only reason. There must be something intelligent about it. If it's because she loves him, then this woman has real problems--but perhaps that was the heart of the plot, along with her ability to see into him and work with him, in spite of his flaws and floating-point sincerity, but what she sees in him is lost to the viewer. We don't really know what's going on in her head--her character, even more than his, is never illuminated--and this dim-lit combination just doesn't sustain interest and doesn't ever go anywhere truly compelling. Just having a jerk for a mate doesn't make a movie. You could call this film, "The Sad Story of the Woman Who Falls for a Line." The conflict-resolution pattern in the relationship was barely interesting at the beginning--and it had a few fun moments--such as during the Justice of the Peace scene--but if this is romance, give me "Sid and Nancy" instead.
By the middle of the picture I basically no longer cared what happened with these two people, just so long as Minnelli sang. The plot flounders propped up next to the music and the pathos at the end was barely a tear, if that. What were the why's and wherefore's, and how did all this narrative amount to almost 3 hours of importance? I suspect it was mostly just a compilation of improvisations within formulas. Scorsese does his improvisation formula, DeNiro does his improvisation formula, the technicians work their wonders, and Minelli does the best she can and actually comes out the shining star.
The music is the saving grace and makes buying the DVD perhaps worthwhile. It was often a true delight to watch Minnelli sing, and the recreations of the big bands and the jazz culture were sometimes wonderful. Tommy Dorsey's band at the beginning of the movie felt like the real McCoy, or at least, how one would fantasize it would've been on VJ Day.
Thus, it's the music that makes the DVD--and in essence, it is a musical, or at least should be appreciated as such, and luckily, with the DVD format, you can easily jump over the other stuff and go straight to the musical moments. As for Scorsese's ambitions with the derivative motifs and the conflict-riddled, deadening plot, I found Steve Martin's film "Pennies from Heaven"--made around the same time with a similar plot and similar ambitions--ten times more successful and poignant--and it's an unusual day when you find comparisons between a Scorsese film and a Steve Martin film, and then find the latter so much more impressive--not to mention a persistent, very strange, and desperate longing while watching this film for a smiling Robert Redford, or perhaps better yet, some loud and bloody Mafioso rough stuff.
Movie Review: Nice Shirt, Bobby.
Summary: 2 Stars
Every major director seems to have some sort of misfire in their resume. "New York, New York" is director Martin Scorsese's. It's not even an interesting one, more like a tedious exercise in self-indulgence. Who in their right mind thought the thin story here warranted it's 2 hour, 43 minute length? This film lacks anything remotely resembling flair, which is a first for any Scorsese film I've seen. It's first portion is nearly deadly as Robert DeNiro's sax player awkwardly courts Liza Minnelli's big band singer. It doesn't help that DeNiro's Jimmy Doyle has less charm than Travis Bickle. Things get little better as the two main characters' career trajectories go in different directions and DeNiro's louse get's even more insufferable. Things perk up a bit when Minnelli gets to shine without DeNiro in sight with the "Happy Endings" production number and her rendition of the now-famous title song. Alas, the damage has already been done at this point. Who said that a swing-era musical had to be such a bummer? I watched the film's trailer prior to viewing the film and I didn't get good vibes. If you're putting all your best stuff in the trailer and it stinks what does that portend for the movie?Movie Review: Poor quality transfer to DVD
Summary: 2 Stars
I love this movie. I have owned the VHS version since the 70s when it came out, and saw the theatrical release at least 4 times. I was so excited to hear that it was being released on DVD that I pre-ordered it immediately from Amazon last year, with great expectations. The DVD finally arrived earlier this month. To my horror, the sound quality is AWFUL (muted, garbled), there are big green streaks/lines in the "But the World Goes Round" scene (where Liza is singing against a darkened studio with only a spotlight on her face). The title song scene is muted and of poor quality. C'mon, MGM!!! You need to re-release this. AND PLEASE RELEASE IT IN WIDESCREEN, NOT LETTERBOX!!!!! (To Amazon.com's credit, however, I have to say that with no questions asked, they have offered to send me a replacement immediately, without even having to return the original due to high cost of shipping from Canada to the US. Makes me happy to be an Amazon customer)Movie Review: Beautiful photography -- dismal story
Summary: 2 Stars
Robert DeNiro play a self-centered womanizing abusive husband to Liza Minelli, who plays a doormat until a (literally) last-second conversion which is completely unbelievable. The songs are great, the photography outstanding. But the pain of watching this couple battle it out is not pleasant.