Tagarchief: F. Murray Abraham

Scarface (1983)

Posted on by Jeppe Kleijngeld


‘He loved the American dream. With a vengeance’

Directed by:
Brian De Palma

Written by:
Oliver Stone

Cast:
Al Pacino (Tony Montana), Steven Bauer (Manny Ribera), Michelle Pfeiffer (Elvira Hancock), Mary Elizabeth Mastrantonio (Gina Montana), Robert Loggia (Frank Lopez), F. Murray Abraham (Omar Suarez), Paul Shenar (Alejandro Soza), Miriam Colon (Mama Montana), Harris Yulin (Mel Bernstein), Angel Salazar (Chi Chi)

Miami, the 1980s: Bad fashion, worse music, neon-lit nightclubs, yeyo, Cubans, Colombians, chainsaws, bikini-clad women, submachine guns, swimming pools, sports cars, hot tubs, and DEA agents. Welcome to the world of Tony Montana, the world of Scarface!

Brian De Palma’s Scarface is a bold, brash remake of Howard Hawks’ classic. Scripted by Oliver Stone – who wrote it while recovering from cocaine addiction in France – the story remains largely the same as the original, but the setting shifts dramatically. Instead of Prohibition-era gangsters, we follow the ruthless rise and fall of Cuban drug kingpin Tony Montana in the seedy underworld of Miami’s cocaine boom.

The film tracks Tony’s journey from a penniless refugee to a feared drug lord. Arriving from Cuba on an immigrant boat alongside his best friend Manny (Steven Bauer), Tony starts off running small-time hustles before proving himself as a vicious enforcer. His brutal ambition propels him up the ranks of Miami’s drug empire, ultimately overthrowing his boss, Frank Lopez, and taking everything – his empire, his woman (Michelle Pfeiffer’s icy Elvira), and his lucrative Bolivian connections.

But the higher Tony climbs, the faster he spirals downward. Paranoia sets in, fueled by mountains of cocaine. His marriage crumbles. His violent possessiveness over his sister hints at some unsettling, unspoken obsession. His reckless decisions alienate his allies, and when he crosses his powerful supplier Alejandro Sosa, the consequences are deadly. The film hurtles toward its legendary, blood-soaked climax, culminating in one of cinema’s most iconic shootouts.

What makes Scarface so compelling is that Tony Montana never truly enjoys his success. Unlike typical gangster flicks that revel in the spoils of crime, Scarface portrays a hollow, joyless ascent. Tony achieves everything he ever wanted, yet the moment he reaches the top, his downfall begins. The film’s bleak tone lingers from start to finish, reinforcing the idea that whether under communism or capitalism, Tony is doomed by his own insatiable greed and self-destruction.

Should you watch it? Absolutely. If only to understand its massive influence on pop culture, especially hip-hop. It’s violent, darkly funny, and features Al Pacino burying his face in a literal mountain of cocaine. Jeppy says go watch it. Okay?

Rating:

Quote:
TONY MONTANA: “You wanna fuck with me? Okay. You wanna play rough? Okay. Say hello to my little friend!”

Trivia:
Bodycount: 42.

Mobsters (1991)

Posted on by Jeppe Kleijngeld


‘They didn’t take orders…they took over’

Directed by:
Michael Karbelnikoff

Written by:
Michael Mahern
Nicholas Kazan

Cast:
Christian Slater (Charlie ‘Lucky’ Luciano), Patrick Dempsey (Meyer Lansky), Richard Grieco (Bugsy Siegel), Costas Mandylor (Frank Costello), Lara Flynn Boyle (Mara Motes), F. Murray Abraham (Arnold Rothstein), Anthony Quinn (Don Giuseppe ‘Joe the Boss’ Masseria), Michael Gambon (Don Salvatore Faranzano), Christopher Penn (Tommy Reina), Nicholas Sadler (Mad Dog Coll), Joe Viterelli (Joe Profaci), Seymour Cassel (Father Bonotto)

This 1991 gangster movie – also known as The Evil Empire – tells the true story of Charlie ‘Lucky’ Luciano. He grows up on Mott Street, New York in the twenties together with his friend Frank Costello. The two Italian kids start a partnership with the Jewish Meyer Lansky and Bugsy Siegel. As an organised gang, they start bootlegging and soon they team up with gambling genius Arnold Rothstein, the man who fixed the world series. Charlie becomes the leader of the gang.

The young men’s rise doesn’t go unnoticed by the two big bosses of New York; Don Masseria and Don Faranzano. They both want Charlie to work for them in order to become the biggest New York family. When Faranzano wants to hit them, Charlie and his friends have no choice but to temporarily join Masseria.

When the probation comes to an end, the time has come to knock off the traditional dons and start a nation-wide crime syndicate headed by a commission. But Masseria and Faranzano are no easy targets and start moving things themselves. It’s now a matter of who strikes first…

This movie, based on historic facts, doesn’t deliver on all fronts. The four leads are miscast as the ruthless, sociopathic criminals their characters are supposed to be. They’re just too mild-tempered and friendly looking to come across as anything near dangerous. Also the historic accuracy of the story is taken with a grain of salt to benefit the violent action the film contains.

What the movie does deliver on is beautiful production design. There are great montages of tommy guns, dancing girls, liqueur transports, crap games and spinning roulette wheels. The supporting cast is delicious with veteran actors such as Anthony Quinn, Michael Gambon and F. Murray Abraham. It’s a shame this film doesn’t fully live up to its promises, but it’s still worth a look, because of the impressive supporting cast and simply because the movie is so entertaining.

Rating:

Quote:
ARNOLD ROTHSTEIN: “What’s the secret of America? MONEY! Everything is money Charlie. But you’ll never make any money because you dress like a schmuck.”

Trivia:
This is the first American film that stars Michael Gambon.