@Ruby
WAIT NO! GODFATHER!!
The most complimentary thing I have to say about Once Upon a Time in America is that it forced me to go online and figure out how to turn off the motion interpolation feature on my sister’s TV :)
Haha, jk ;)
OK, going by Ruby’s list, it would go
1) godfather
godfather II
The Sopranos (many might not count this, but regardless of its serialized form, few can argue that it can be extremely “cinematic”
3) goodfellas
the departed
5) miller’s crossing
6) once upon a time in america
city of god
8) the long good friday
donnie brasco
carlito’s way
11) casino
scarface (de palma’s)
Haven’t seen the rest, though State of Grace looks interesting
Also, how as Gomorrah? That’s one that I’ve been meaning to watch forever
“The Funeral (Abel Ferrara, 1996)”
It’s very good, but i think it’s a little too uneven to be a true ‘classic’ in my view, like most Ferrara works. But its flaws are also its strengths so…………………………….hehe
However, it’s one of the most original crime films ever made, and whoever said it was like The Godfather directed by Bergman wasn’t far off.
I’d definitely put it in the top list for crime movies of the last 20 years. and it’s one of the few that gets better with repeated viewings, unlike many of the others listed here.
But also regarding Once Upon a Time in America …..
Big Spoilers
I am rarely a fan of the " oh, I thought he.she was dead, but they really weren’t!!!" device. I guess it doesn’t really bother me, but it’s hard to take a movie very seriously when it does that. Vertigo being the big exception ;)
End Big Spoilers
once upon a time in america
Movies already mentioned and i have seen:
1. Goodfellas
2. Godfather 2 (As a movie i would rate it higher but when talking about only gangster movies Goodfellas is just plain badass)
3. Godfather
4. Once upon a time in America
5. Carlito’s way
6. Casino
7. Scarface
8. Donnie Brasco
9. Miller’s Crossing
10. City of God
11. The Departed
12. Godfather 3
13. Public Enemies
Deniro’s bar scene with Sunshine of your Love playing in the background in Goodfellas is my absolute fav. scene in any gangster film. On my first viewing of the movie i rewatched this same scene 20-30 times before continuing further.
Honorable mention: The Sopranos (my fav. tv series, excluding comedy or animation series)
@Captain
Gomorrah is strange, but really good.
I love The Godfather and Goodfellas, but for me Once upon a time in America is not only the best gangster film, but one of the best films of all time. The character study of Noodles is simply amazing and I feel its a lot more rich and emotional than those other two films.
Alex
Stone agrees with that comment.