LoginI already saw this movie but since it was ages ago, I was really eager to check it out again. Well, basically, after struggling for many years, Martin Scorsese finally managed to get his breakthrough with this movie. Indeed, even though this movie was not his debut, it was here that he finally introduced his directing style and displayed his huge potential. Of course, Robert De Niro was involved and he would also get his breakthrough thanks to this movie. To be honest, I don't think it is one of Scorsese's best movies though. Indeed, there was basically no story and it was rather messy. Eventually, he would make ‘Taxi Driver’, ‘Raging Bull’, ‘Goodfellas’ and ‘Casino’ and those are only some of the movies he would direct with De Niro so that’s rather unfair to compare this movie to such impressive classics but it was still really solid. Above all, with this movie, you were able to witness the birth of one of the greatest American directors that ever lived. The most interesting aspect, in my opinion, was how gritty the whole thing was and how genuine it felt. Indeed, so far, gangsters had been usually rather glamorized but, here, they were displayed as human beings, albeit twisted but still human which was really refreshing. This attention in constructing some well defined characters would eventually become a trademark in Scorsese's work. Anyway, to conclude, it is and remains a fine movie and it is definitely worth a look, especially if you are interested in Martin Scorsese's work.
Mean Streets Reviews
A very good movie
Posted : 8 years, 7 months ago on 23 September 2015 10:07
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Mean Streets review
Posted : 11 years ago on 15 April 2013 03:28
Easily, one of the worst gangster films I've ever seen.
First of all, I'm not really a fan of gangster movies, so I never particularly cared for any of them, mainly because they're all the same, and your like sitting there for over an hour watching blokes who think they're better and superior to everyone else, and who in their right mind would want to watch that? Gangster films are very boring to be honest. They're not 'manly' or 'tough', instead they're just silly, unoriginal and just all the same. And since at the current time I'm writing this review, I have yet to see The Godfather, but I'm pretty sure it's vastly overrated, but is doesn't necessarily mean it's a bad film. I'll just have to see...
But this specific film, well, what a waste of time. Apparently it was exciting, dramatic and just utterly brilliant, well I disagree totally. The acting was mediocre at best. There was no interesting plot and just the whole thing was an utter mess. This has got to be one of the worst 'gangster' films ever made.
More than half of it was about nothing, occasionally unnecessary and unexplained fights between these supposed "gangsters", when it was more like watching a bunch of school boys in a playground. What a load of rubbish. We then have parts focusing on this (I think, as I'd already lost focus because of it's tediousness) Mexican woman and her stone hard nipples, after that was out of the way, we then had Keitel and De Niro being typical 'Little Italy' rebels. Boring. Oh, and the end...boring and just stupid as hell. I'm sure Scorsese is a good director, but he should only get praise when he deserves it. And honestly, his films are not that great, so Scorsese fans, stop making him pretentious as well as boring, not a good mix. As far as I'm concerned, nothing barley happens in Scorsese's films. Nothing interesting and appealing, anyway. Not a good sign...
I'll say it once again: This is a bad gangster film, it's a waste of time, boring and just ridiculous. The whole film is just appalling really.
The only thing you may want to watch for is to see De Niro's naff 70's haircut. Otherwise, just avoid it basically.
First of all, I'm not really a fan of gangster movies, so I never particularly cared for any of them, mainly because they're all the same, and your like sitting there for over an hour watching blokes who think they're better and superior to everyone else, and who in their right mind would want to watch that? Gangster films are very boring to be honest. They're not 'manly' or 'tough', instead they're just silly, unoriginal and just all the same. And since at the current time I'm writing this review, I have yet to see The Godfather, but I'm pretty sure it's vastly overrated, but is doesn't necessarily mean it's a bad film. I'll just have to see...
But this specific film, well, what a waste of time. Apparently it was exciting, dramatic and just utterly brilliant, well I disagree totally. The acting was mediocre at best. There was no interesting plot and just the whole thing was an utter mess. This has got to be one of the worst 'gangster' films ever made.
More than half of it was about nothing, occasionally unnecessary and unexplained fights between these supposed "gangsters", when it was more like watching a bunch of school boys in a playground. What a load of rubbish. We then have parts focusing on this (I think, as I'd already lost focus because of it's tediousness) Mexican woman and her stone hard nipples, after that was out of the way, we then had Keitel and De Niro being typical 'Little Italy' rebels. Boring. Oh, and the end...boring and just stupid as hell. I'm sure Scorsese is a good director, but he should only get praise when he deserves it. And honestly, his films are not that great, so Scorsese fans, stop making him pretentious as well as boring, not a good mix. As far as I'm concerned, nothing barley happens in Scorsese's films. Nothing interesting and appealing, anyway. Not a good sign...
I'll say it once again: This is a bad gangster film, it's a waste of time, boring and just ridiculous. The whole film is just appalling really.
The only thing you may want to watch for is to see De Niro's naff 70's haircut. Otherwise, just avoid it basically.
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Mean Streets review
Posted : 11 years, 8 months ago on 29 August 2012 12:21
Stupid characters, silly place, nothing happens. (Listal says "Review must be at least 100 characters long", but the movie doesn't deserve it bla bla bla bla bla bla)
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Mean Streets review
Posted : 13 years, 7 months ago on 2 October 2010 12:21
Going back and watching Mean Streets today it's little wonder that Scorsese has evolved into the great and iconic director that he is today. This film reveals glimpses of so many of the stylistic touches that have made Scorsese a one of a kind director. His use of space, music, and lighting, and the absolute diliberateness in which he uses the camera to evoke mood, energy, and emotion are all here. It is only the pacing and the story construction that weigh this film down and that make this early Scorsese effort a somewhat forgetable one. Mean Streets is not as poetic and spell-binding as Taxi Driver, nor is it as timeless and haunting as GoodFellas. In fact, it is no where close to either of these films in terms of greatness. (Though the first ten minutes, and the final 20 minutes of the film are very good.) Throughout most of the movie the stakes are simply not high enough for the viewer to truly get involved. At points it feels too "slice of life". We sense that Scorsese has an important story to tell here, but he meanders too much in the telling. Some very captivating performances from De Niro and Keitel elevate the story at points, and they must have been a real feast for movie goers at the time of this film's release, but they just aren't enough to mesmerize modern audiences (viewers who by now know the magnitude of talent in these two) Fans of Scorsese's work should definately go back and watch this one, but there's no immediate, compelling reason for the casual movie lover to worry about missing it.
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Scorsese's First, But Not All I Hoped For.
Posted : 15 years, 1 month ago on 5 April 2009 07:34
Seeing as this is Scorsese's first film, I gave it more of a chance to sink in. It was an overall pretty good flick, but the pace was off, and I wasn't really hooked from beginning to end. The first half hour or so is rather slow, showing what the characters are about, so that was fine, but you never really get a feel for what the movie is about until after awhile. Or maybe I just missed it. Once I realized what the film was about however, I really enjoyed it.
I personally love the cast, especially Robert De Niro's character Johnny Boy. He is a comical guy, but at the same time a gritty one too. You can't forget Harvey Keitel's memorable role either. It's maybe his best I have seen him in. That's the best thing about this feature. You won't find many better characters in cinema.
Mean Streets isn't a Scorsese classic per say, but it definitely delivers enough entertainment, and nearly flawless acting, to either rent or purchase.
7.3/10
I personally love the cast, especially Robert De Niro's character Johnny Boy. He is a comical guy, but at the same time a gritty one too. You can't forget Harvey Keitel's memorable role either. It's maybe his best I have seen him in. That's the best thing about this feature. You won't find many better characters in cinema.
Mean Streets isn't a Scorsese classic per say, but it definitely delivers enough entertainment, and nearly flawless acting, to either rent or purchase.
7.3/10
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