A Movie A Year (Part 1)

Notes: Well, I was eventually really glad I picked up this movie for my film club (It was only my 4th option) because I really enjoyed the damned thing after all. I have to admit that I was expecting more romance maybe because I’m a romantic and, even though the outcome was predictable, I hoped that Anora and Ivan would enjoy their relationship for a bit longer (seriously, I think it did last for maybe 5 mins). I noticed that the rest of the film club didn’t care much for how seedy this strip-club life was but I don’t think that Sean Baker, the director, was interested in delivering a cautionary tale about this world. Basically, guys go to such places and girls work there, that’s how it is and how it will always be. In fact, I think he was more interested to display that this Russian oligarch family was actually just as messed up (maybe even more) than all these girls working as strippers. Concerning Anora, sure, it might seem sad but I think she just gambled but what did she have to loose? The big difference with Ivan was that he actually never cared for her after all but, even if he has all the money in the world, it’s not so sure that he will ever find happiness if he keeps on going like this. At least, even if you might not care for this movie, you can’t deny that Mikey Madison gave such a strong performance here. I’m also really glad that they took the piss at ‘Pretty Woman’ and delivered an actually really good story about a sex-worker falling in love with some rich dude.

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Notes: Since I’m myself an immigrant myself, son of an immigrant, I’m always fascinated by such stories, especially when it is so perfectly handled as it was definitely the case here. Indeed, with this movie, you didn’t have 1 but 3 fascinating intricate characters and, as a result, it was probably the best love triangle I have ever seen. Indeed, there was no good guy, no bad guy, only some really realistic and convincing human-beings dealing with some complex feelings. As pointed out by Arthur himself, in a weaker movie, he would have probably been the evil jealous White husband doing everything he can to prevent his wife to see her childhood crush. But, even if he was a nice guy who really loved his wife, it doesn’t mean that his situation was easy though. Concerning his wife, Nora, she was probably the character who got the most screen time and it was just so fascinating to see her wrestling with her past, her present, her culture baggage, and, eventually, you don’t get some clean clear-cut answers but that’s how it goes in real life and that’s how it’s supposed to be. Concerning Jung Hae Sung, you get the feeling that he will never really manage to let go of this childhood romance but you spend enough time with him to see that, even if he cherished every minute he spent with Nora, he was so compassionate towards her, even towards her husband, it was quite inspiring to behold. Another interesting thing is that they argued that Nora made her choice to be where she ended up but, in fact, she never really made this choice in the first place. Indeed, it was her parents who took the decision to immigrate to Canada, she would have never made this choice at 12 years old, and you can only wonder what would have been her relationship with Jung Hae Sung if her parents who have decided to stay in South Korea. Anyway, the damned thing was just so fascinating and it is easily one of the best movies I have seen this year.

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Notes: Well, I didn't expect to be blown away like this. To be honest, it's not an easy movie, in fact, it turned out to be a very complex character study and I'm not sure if it really required almost 3 hours of running time. Indeed, it takes forever before the world of Lydia Tár starts to finally unravel and, while I was watching the damned thing, I thought it was rather frustrating that we didn't get more information about her past, her lies and her alleged abuses. The fact that so many elements were kept in the dark probably didn’t help. It's only afterwards that I understood that we saw this whole story only through her own perspective and, eventually, this approach was quite brilliant. Basically, to reach this position, she did many great things and a lot more that was probably not so great but, above all, she created her own bubble from which she (thought she) could control her own narrative. As a result, she constantly filtered everything that didn't fit in the character and story she had created. She did it so much at this point that it was not a wonder that she started to loose her grip on what was real or not but I guess that's something rather common with pathological liars. In a similar way, you don't see or hear what other people really thinks of her. Basically, it's a tale about how power corrupts people and the fact that it centers on a woman (a fact which has been criticized by some viewers) was really intriguing. Eventually, it was a fascinating character and, of course, Cate Blanchett delivered here a career-best performance.

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Notes: To be honest, I have to admit that I had actually never heard of the Harlem Cultural Festival that took place in 1969 but I’m not the only one. Indeed, while Woodstock became the most famous festival that ever took place, this festival was actually largely forgotten, at least, by the mainstream audience. What was even more surprising was that they actually did film everything but it took a staggering 50 years before someone finally released the damned thing. Apparently, back then, nobody cared about spreading this magnificent piece of Black power, love and creativity which was basically censored in spite of its actually very positive message. Concerning the festival itself, I have to admit that I didn’t know about half of the performers but it didn’t matter and they were all really good. The fact that appearing on this stage meant so much for them really transpired in their performances which were very often quite electrifying. Eventually, the only thing that prevented this movie from becoming really epic was the fact that they reduced 40 hours of footage to only 2 hours. I mean, the documentary about Woodstock was lasting 3 hours for a reason and I’m pretty sure it wouldn’t have had the same impact if it would have been shorter. In this case, with an extra hour or even more, they could have fleshed out even more some of the performances or some portraits of the artists and people involved. Still, it wasn’t a deal-breaker and the damned thing was really awesome to behold.

For more info : Top 10 best movies 2021

Notes: To be honest, I have to admit that I was rather sceptical at first. Indeed, I have to admit that I had never heard of this musical of even of Alexander Hamilton himself before watching this flick. To make things worse, in general, I’m not a huge fan of musicals and the idea of watching 150 mins of non-stop singing with no straight dialogue whatsoever on a single stage didn’t sound really appealing to me. However, to my surprise, I really loved the damned thing. Indeed, right from the very first song, I was impressed by the lyrics and the singing skills of this crew and I was pretty much hooked. It did help that Lin-Manuel Miranda had some major hip-hop influence for his lyrics and it was rather surprising how well it worked within such an historical context. But the damned thing was not only seriously entertaining, it was educational and, within a little more than 2 hours, you get also some fascinating crash-course about a crucial period of the history of the United States. Eventually, this movie was also a great reminder that the USA as a country, in spite of its flaws and various mistakes, remains intriguing and, to go back to its foundations and focus on its most overlooked founding father was just so fascinating.

For more info : Top 10 best movies 2020

Notes: Basically, it was some kind of modern version of ‘Kramer vs. Kramer’ but while this fairly outdated movie only scratched the surface of this topic, this movie however went so deep, giving such a thoughtful and well balanced analysis on the subject. Above all, the biggest strength of this movie was to properly developed both sides of the equation displaying how devastating the whole process can be. I mean, it did make sense that Nicole wanted to get back to Los Angeles but it did make just as much sense that Charlie wanted to keep his whole family in New York. I did help as well that Scarlett Johansson gave here the best performance of her career so far (Adam Driver was also pretty amazing though). This movie also provides the best explanation on why most relationships are actually pretty much doomed to fail nowadays. Indeed, basically, the main reason why Nicole and Charlie eventually got a divorce was because they both wanted it all. Indeed, to make it work, one of them should have been able to sacrifice their own wish, Nicole could have stayed in New York or Charlie could have dropped his work and go to live in Los Angeles but neither of them wanted to let it go. But to have it all is just a massive pipe dream which crushes so many couple like the one displayed here. And, yet, this amazing movie shows how messy we are but also that our messy nature makes us, human beings, actually quite fascinating to behold.

For more info : Top 10 best movies 2019

Notes: Since I really loved 'Fantastic Mr. Fox', of course, I was really eager to watch this new stop-motion animated feature from Wes Anderson. And, indeed, I wasn't disappointed and I just really loved the damned thing. First of all, it was such a well made animated feature and the amount of neat details displayed on each screen was just impressive. Furthermore, it was just a really fun adventure with some hilarious dialogue with the typical dry humor we are used to get with West Anderson. On top of that, there was also some room for some more sensitive moments but these scenes never clashed with the rest of the movie. The only critic I could find was that the 'human' characters could have been more developed and the dogs, who were all pretty awesome, were not much developed either because there were so many of them but it wasn't a big deal. Eventually, Wes Anderson displayed once again that he is easily one of the most interesting American directors at work nowadays and I will definitely watch his next director effort.

For more info : Top 10 best movies 2018

Notes: I have to admit it, it was a difficult movie to read as the whole thing was just so bizarre and chaotic and I can imagine that not everyone might be able to connect with this picture. But that was also the real beauty of it, the fact that you could give it pretty much any meaning you want. Indeed, someone might think that it is a story about motherhood, some others might say it is about how chaotic our society and way of life has become. As far as I was concerned, it felt like a fascinating and endless nightmare, the way everything seemed familiar and yet odd at the same time and the way the main character seemed to a be mere spectator with no control over the events happening in front of her. Their world kept shifting, unfolding and exploding with some continuous random small or big events which felt really reminiscent to a nightmare, at least, to me, and this process was quite spellbinding to behold.

For more info : Top 10 best movies 2017

Notes: Well, even though it was maybe not completely flawless, it wasn't far from it and I can't remember the last time I saw a movie combining so perfectly drama and comedy. Seriously, this movie was so funny, it was very often much more hilarious than most of your average comedy. And yet, it was dealing with a really tragic story but, somehow, this mix worked miraculously well. I think that, even though the acting was quite impressive, I enjoyed most of all the writing. Indeed, the two main characters (an uncle and his nephew) were just so fascinating, with so many layers, and their dialogues were just pure gold. The ending was also very effective without forcing these characters into a more traditional happy-ending. More than 15 years ago, I was lucky enough to see 'You Can Count on Me' when it was released, it was just great to see Kenneth Lonergan making such an impressive come-back and the guy displayed once again that he has a gift to show the complex relationships within a family.

For more info : Top 10 best movies 2016

Notes: I have to admit that I was 'glad' that I saw 'Shoah' not so long ago as it greatly helped me to understand what the hell was going on and to appreciate this impressive movie. To be honest, I'm not sure if you can get into this movie if your knowledge about the holocaust doesn't go beyond 'The Schindler's List' or what they teach you in school. Anyway, basically, with this movie, right from the beginning, you are immersed in some kind of chaotic and irrational mayhem, it's so relentless that the makers don't give you one single wide shot in order to breath, to take a few seconds to understand what just happened, to actually see and try to understand this whole situation. Instead, you stay close, very close, to some random man who also seems to act really irationally but, in such a doomed time and place, after spending your days helping to exterminate men, women and children just so you could survive another day, was it in anyway possible to keep your sanity and act like a sensible human-being? Coming back to their choice of never really show what was exactly going on, the effect was so more powerful, effective and horrifying, as a result, you will never forget something that you actually never really saw.

For more info : Top 10 best movies 2015

Notes: I already heard about this movie 6 or 8 years ago and, of course, I was really intrigued but I didn’t expect it to be so amazing. I mean, sure, it is a very nice gimmick (shooting a movie over a period of 12 years starting with a boy at 6 years old until he reaches 18 years old) but a gimmick remains a gimmick unless you manage to do something great with it and Richard Linklater certainly did something quite amazing here. Indeed, a traditional movie would give you a nice story, a great story if you’re lucky, but here they gave us a genuine slice of life. Of course, you could argue that they could have shot a documentary and you would have ended up with the same results but I highly doubt it. Indeed, for almost 3 hours, you spend more than a decade with these characters and even though nothing hugely dramatic happens, the whole thing was just spellbinding to behold.

For more info : Top 10 best movies 2014

Notes: Even though I heard it would be a tough watch, it still ended up being a massively depressing movie to watch. Of course, the horror displayed was tremendous but, above all, I thought this movie had a terrible mirror effect. Indeed, even though I’m somewhat optimistic and believe that men are usually good, this movie reminds you that men can be evil, especially to one another. So, I felt pretty bad afterwards but movies are not always about entertainment, certainly not. Sometimes, it is there to remind you about the awful things that happened and/or are still happening and, therefore, this movie is incredibly valuable.

For more info : Top 10 best movies 2013

Notes: I know, many of you will probably be surprised that this movie gets my top spot but this movie hit me so bad, I was a wreck at the end and I even shed a few tears. First of all, it reminded me about how I met my wife and why we ended up together in the first place. Secondly, after 20 years of mindless garbage, the great Robert De Niro was finally showing up in a good movie giving a great performance like in the good old days. Finally, it was a terrific movie with some real characters, with some real issues dealing with their emotions and making me laugh and cry. I just loved this flick, enough said.

For more info : Top 10 best movies 2012

Note : Many people won't get this movie and will loathe it. It is definitely the least accessible movie directed by Mallick and I'm not sure I did get half of it but it doesn't matter. I touched me very deeply and many times, I thought I was watching myself when the father was messing up his familly or when the older boy was getting messed up. If you're looking for some deep and meaningfull movie, you should definitely have a look to this one.

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Note : I had very high expectations. And surprisingly, the movie totally succeeded in meeting those high expectations. This movie is the proof that a movie can be a huge blockbuster and entertaining and thoughtful at the same time. A great achievement.

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Note : After seeing Avatar, I realized that 3D movies could be great and not a complete swindle. The story is maybe not original but still pretty entertaining and the visuals are just mind-blowing. Coming out of the movie theater, I had probably the same feeling when people just saw Star Wars back in 1977. Just blown away...

For more info : Top 10 best movies 2009

Note : I really loved this movie. It is one of the best combination of drama, realism and entertainment. A great achievement. I always found that Danny Boyle was a very good director and once again, he proves it here. I'm really glad he finally received all the recognition he deserved.

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Note : I always liked the movies directed by Sean Penn but this one is his best by far. A fascinating and thoughtfull story, great directing, great acting. I really loved it.

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Note : This movie was almost perfect. The story, the acting and the direction was so great, during the whole movie, my heart was boucing and I had a terrible headache. Unfortunately, the end was a little bit disappointing. I won't say why because I don't want spoil yo it. A part from that, it is a fascinating movie.

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Note : Terrence Malick has directed only 4 movies in almost 40 years. This movie is his least appreciated one.

It is actually my favorite (I still have to see "Days of heaven" though). To me, it is the movie with the best poetic feeling ever. It is like watching a poem but not with words but with images and sound. Incredible.

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Note : If you think Jim Carrey is a bad actor, just watch this movie (and The Truman Show). Kate Winslet gives also a great perfomance. The direction and the story are amazing too. One of the best movie ever made.

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Note : I usually don't like twist but the one developped in this movie didn't bother me. The reason why is that the story, the directing, the acting,... are just so compelling. A great schocking movie. A true classic.

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Note : The true story on which the movie is based is really amazing. It is my favorite Spielberg film. It is funny and sad at the same time. A great entertaining movie.

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Note : I really love this movie. The visuals are great and the story is just fascinating. A great achievement !

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Note : I think this movie is really amazing. At the end, you are so confused. I'm sure a lot of people are annoyed by this but I love this feeling. Even you have more information than the main character, Leonard, at the end, it is still a big blur. How long has been he on the run ? 1 year ? 2 years ? longer ? How many John D. has he killed ? Was his wife killd or did he made it up ? Some many questions that remain even if you watch the movies 20 times. I just think it is fascinating.

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Note : This movie has everything. Great acting, great direction, great story. It entertains you but also makes you think at the same time. A great achievement.

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Note : The first Dogme movie was just great. No special effects, no big stars just a simple and pure movie. It was also the first time I felt nauseous after watching a movie. Not because it was bad but because it was so heavy and emotional. A great movie.

For more info : Top 10 best movies 1998

Note : I'm usually not a fan of psychopath/serial killer movies. I mean they are most of the time entertaining but they are almost never great, in my point of view. This one is the exception. It is so thoughtful and complex. An amazing picture.

For more info : Top 10 best movies 1997

Note : Ok, the pic above is a little bit weird... but this movie is actually really unique. A gorgeous documentary about insects with no comments, just some beautiful classic music. I guess it is pretty much forgotten now but it's a shame because it is a true masterpiece.

For more info : Top 10 best movies 1996

Note : It is my favorite Johnny Depp movie. It is so poetic. The acting and direction are great. A really mesmerizing picture.

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Note : Quentin Tarantino managed to make an Artsy flick without making it dreary and, for once, you could watch something which was smartly built up and also having a great time watching it. What else should I add ? The music was great (one of the best selling soundtracks ever), the dialogues were hilarious, the cast was awesome (with a major come-back for John Travolta) and the whole thing was just so damned entertaining to watch. To be honest, I sometimes struggled with Tarantino’s most recent work but this movie is still an impressive masterpiece and a must-see for any decent movie lover.

For more info : Top 10 best movies 1994

Note : Before Titanic, Leonardo DiCaprio did this small movie. What a perfomance ! Until now, it is his best one. Johnny Depp, as usual, is very good. The story is moving and the directing is great aswell. Finally, it is a realistic movie about the loving but also difficult relationships in a familly when someone has a handicap. A great masterpiece.

For more info : Top 10 best movies 1993

Note : Back then, Harvey Keitel and Abel Ferrara were probably at the best of their career. A great and a very bleak picture. Not for everyone, definitely but one of my favorite movies.

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Note : It is a very original movie. Great visual, directing, acting. It is a great cult classic.

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Note : I really love The Godafther part 1 and 2 but this one is even better. A great movie and the best gangster/crime movie ever made.

For more info : Top 10 best movies 1990

Note : By now, I have seen it so many times but it has never lost its charms and it is easily my favorite Indiana Jones movie. Basically, it is, in my opinion, the ultimate adventure film. The first masterstroke was to cast Sean Connery as Professor Henry Jones. Indeed, there was this great chemistry between Harrison Ford and Sean Connery and they made the whole thing completely spelbinding to watch.

For more info : Top 10 best movies 1989

Note : This movie is really creepy and it has one of the best perfomance ever. Jeremy Irons portrays 2 different twins so well that if even though they are identical, you can easily identify them. The story is fascinating as well. It is definitely worth a look, especially if you are interested in David Cronenberg's work.

For more info : Top 10 best movies 1988

Note : Honestly, I had some rather mixed feelings about this one. First of all, I have to make myself clear : it is a really awesome movie but I don't think it is flawless. Indeed, the directing is absolutely amazing and the acting is completely off the charts. However, the combining of the 2 parts (the training and the actual war) didn't work for me. Especially for the second part, I thought it was rather underwhelming, especially after the emotional rollercoaster provided by the boot camp. Still, it remains an awesome flick.

For more info : Top 10 best movies 1987

Note : In my opinion, it is pure and simply the best movie about the Vietnam war. It might even be my favorite war movie. I mean, there are some other pretty good movies about the Vietnam war, like ‘Full Metal Jacket’ for example, but this flick is just way better than the rest in my opinion.

For more info : Top 10 best movies 1986

Note : It wasn't a great movie, it turned out to be one of the best movies I have ever seen, no less than that. It is such a poweful and an important movie, I believe it should be a compulsory watch in school for all the teenagers. I mean, I have seen many movies dealing with WWII but even the great classics like 'Schindler's List' or 'The Pianist' don't come near the brutality displayed in this shattering documentary. Indeed, we have all heard about the holocaust but, with this movie, the total horror comes so close, following testimonies of the victims, the perpetrators and people who just happened to be around at the time. What happened at the time was so awful, it has been ever seen a trauma for the whole world but above all for Europa. 30 years later, all the people involved have now passed away making this movie even more valuable.

For more info : Top 10 best movies 1985

Note : Back then, this movie won the Golden Palm at the Cannes film festival but nowadays it is a little bit forgotten and it's actually a real shame. Indeed, it has one of the best soundtrack ever and the story, the directing, the acting, everything is just plain amazing, it's just a really mesmerizing picture to watch. In my opinion, it is also a really poectic picture with a hypnotising slow tempo which could bother impatient viewers but it did work for me, absolutely. To conclude, it is easily my favorite movie directed by Wim Wenders , it is plain and simply a great movie and it is definitely worth a look.

For more info : Top 10 best movies 1984

Note : Eventually, I had to watch this movie a second time (with a gap of 14 years if I’m not mistaken) to really appreciate it. Basically, it is pretty much the story of a loser from Cuba who tries to make it big in America but ends up still a loser. To start with , the makers were pretty prestigious as it was actually directed by Brian De Palma and Oliver Stone wrote the screenplay. Indeed, many tend to forget it, but before launching his own directing career, Stone did write this massive classic. In the same genre, it is definitely really different than 'The Godfather' or 'Goodfellas' but I thought it was really awesome.

For more info : Top 10 best movies 1983

Note : It is definitely my favorite Science Fiction flick and one of my favorite movies of all time. I have seen all the movies directed by Ridley Scott and it is easily his best one. Indeed, the look and the mood were great, the story was just plain fascinating and the cast was awesome. When it was released, it is hard to believe but it was actually a flop. You could blame the marketing but I'd rather believe that it was just way ahead of its time and nowadays it has reached a huge cult status which is totally deserved in my opinon.

For more info : Top 10 best movies 1982

Notes: Since I'm a huge fan of Indiana Jones, of course, I just love this flick. Even though it is not my favorite one in this franchise (that would be the 3rd installment), it is still quite awesome. Indeed, when I was a kid, I saw it so many times with my father but after so many years later, I keep watching it from time to time and it is still so damned entertaining. Basically, with this movie, Steven Spielberg set up the golden rules for this mighty franchise and he introduced to us one of the greatest most iconic characters in motion picture history. Indeed, even though Harrison Ford was not even their first choice, he completely nailed this part and managed to create a character who was even more awesome than Han Solo which was quite an achievement. By the way, the big difference with this movie and 'Star Wars' is that, when I watch again nowadays this other classic, I find it slightly childish while it is not the case at all with this great flick. Anyway, not only it is technically pretty much flawless, it is also just such a fun movie and it is completely entertaining from the very first minute until the very last seconds.

For more info : Top 10 best movies 1981

Note : Basically, it is just a really spellbinding story and easily the best sport movie ever made. I mean, even though 'Ordinary People' was a very good flick, absolutely, this masterpiece was just from another level and should have won the best picture academy award back in those days. In my opinion, if there is a time when Scoresese should have won the big prize, it was at that moment and not with 'The Departed' which was the only way the Academy could possibly apologize to this great master.

For more info : Top 10 best movies 1980

Note : You can say whatever you want about Francis Ford Coppola but the guy completely ruled the 70’s. I mean, he already managed to deliver 2 of the best movies ever made but, apparently, it wasn’t enough and he ended up the decade with yet another masterpiece. Eventually, what I find really difficult with this movie, is to judge it as it is without thinking about how messed up the production was. Indeed, the behind-scenes details have become pretty much as fasmous as the movie itself but we shouldn’t forget that this flick was on its own quite brilliant already. Through the years, the Vietnam war has been a big source of inspiration for the American directors and, in this genre, it must be one of the best (I still prefer ‘Platoon’ though). To be honest, it is not the easiest film to digest but, after multiple re-watches, there are still many things to get from it. Eventually, for Coppola, who spent 16 gruling months shooting this flick, spending pretty much all his money, losing about 45 kilos while filming, even threatening suicide several times during the making of the film, it seems that the film permanently burned him creatively and he never managed to make again something so amazing during the next 35 years.

Note : When I was a kid, I used to watch it all the time. Even today, I believe it is one of the best animated movie ever. The animation is pretty good but above all, the story is just so damned entertaining and there are really funny moments. Definitely worth a look, especially if you are interested in animated features.

Note : Nowadays, I have some kind of love-hate relationship with Woody Allen but, when I started to discover his movies, I was a huge fan of his work. Looking back at this movie, I’m not surprised that I used to love his movies. Indeed, at the beginning of this career, the guy was so much sharper, especially in this movie which is usually considered as his Magnum Opus and rightly so . First of all, Allen has always been famous for his writing skills (as a result, he has been nominated 16 times for the Academy Awards for the Best Writing and won this prize 3 times) and the dialogues and characters in this movie were just so interesting and entertaining. Above all, the whole thing was just downright hilarious and much more funny than most of the comedies I have seen which were made afterwards.

Note : In my opinion, it is definitely the first masterpiece produced by Martin Scorsese and Robert de Niro. I mean, 3 years ago, they already made 'Mean Streets' together and it was a real breakthrough for both of them but it is with this movie that they started to change cinema as an Art and they will keep doing it, at least twice again with 'Raging Bull' and 'Goodfelleas'. Even if nowadays De Niro has lost his edge, he will still be remembered forever for this unforgettable piece of art. He gave one of the best perfomances of his prestigious career and, plain and simply, one of the best performances ever given on a motion picture. For Scorsese, its status changed forever from promising young director to bonafide master.

Note : It is easily one of the best movies starring Al Pacino and he gives here one of his best performances. The fact that it is a true story doesn't really interest me but it was just an amazing story and it kept me mesmerized until the end. Sidney Lumet has made so great and not so great movies but this flick belongs to his best flicks. It is just a great classic and definitely a must see for any movie lover.