Member review

When I started watching “The Untouchables” I expected a by-the-numbers historical drama with sentimental character moments and preachy, flag-waving American patriotism. I didn’t expect a blistering thriller featuring excellent performances with some of the most frenetic and stressful action set-pieces that I’ve seen in a while. So although some audience members might find this an overly “bloke-y” movie with bloody violence and a distinct lack of female characters, “The Untouchables” ticked all of my personal boxes, it’s engaging, well-written, powerfully acted and extremely entertaining to watch!

Across the board, the performances in “The Untouchables” are exceptional. Kevin Costner injects determination and energy into the film, but also adds an obsessive side to Eliot Ness’ persona, which puts him above the stereotypical clean-cut heroes that Costner usually plays. It’s captivating to watch the story unfold, as the protagonist has to decide how far he’s willing to go in order to bring down Al Capone, and whether he’s willing to cross the line and break his moral code or not. This certainly isn’t anything new as many modern crime films feature a similar dilemma, but the filmmakers did such a stellar job of making us root for the key characters that I wanted Ness and his colleagues to do whatever was necessary to bring down the antagonist.

Sir Sean Connery is obviously terrific here (he won an Academy Award for his turn as the mentor-like figure Jim Malone.) He’s stoic and charismatic, brilliantly playing the cliché “eccentric police officer who bends the rules but gets the job done” with elements of humour and a warm screen presence.

Andy Garcia and Charles Martin Smith are also very good; despite the fact that they don’t get quite as much screen time as Costner and Connery, both actors gave fine performances that made their characters distinctive and likeable.

Lastly while we’re on the cast front, Robert De Niro is fantastic as Al Capone. Admittedly this is the most De Niro-y that I’ve ever seen him (“Somebody messes with me, I'm gonna mess with him”), but as he’s a great actor, the fact that De Niro isn’t even attempting to play against type isn’t really an issue. He plays Capone in such a broad and larger than life way that every time he appears on screen, the movie becomes more compelling.

The cinematography in this film is tremendous, mixing grand, awe-inspiring images with grittier, more personal scenes. The scene that impressed me the most on a visual level was the shootout on the bridge (about halfway through the movie); the shot of the four main characters riding on horseback, wielding shotguns and sporting classic 1930s attire was pure, unfiltered American cinema. It’s an image that describes the entire film, a fantastic combination of action and intensity in a historical setting.

As Ennio Morricone (most famous for his work on “The Good, the Bad and the Ugly”) composed the music for “The Untouchables”, it’s not controversial to say that the score in this movie is amazing. The sweeping main theme is epic, perfectly capturing the atmosphere of the narrative and heightening the sense of excitement in the film.

In my opinion, the greatest aspect of “The Untouchables” is it’s masterful direction. Helmed by Brian DePalma (who directed my second favourite “Mission: Impossible” movie), “The Untouchables” is a phenomenally well-constructed picture, with an extraordinary sense of pace and a superb blend of spectacular shootouts and more artful character moments. Similarly to “Mission: Impossible”, this is a film that builds tension during its runtime expertly, starting out as an enjoyable drama but ending as the most nerve–wracking movie I’ve seen since “1917!”

Whilst we’re on the subject of tension, it would be a crime not to mention the astounding stairwell sequence, which is one of the most terrifying and stupendously crafted scenes in a movie I’ve seen recently. Choreographed, shot and performed to perfection, this set-piece had me biting my nails so hard I thought my fingers were going to fall off! It’s a chaotic and frantic sequence, but the camera guides us through the carnage so effectively that we always know what’s going on and what’s at stake. Safe to say, this scene was pure art, and signalled the point when “The Untouchables” moved from a 4-star film to a 5-star one.

In summary, “The Untouchables” is an incredible movie. The cast are remarkable, the technical sides of the production (cinematography, costume designs, score, etc…) are all outstanding and the action is so magnificent to behold that you may forget to breathe! It may not be a film that I’ll re-watch again and again, but that doesn’t change the fact that I absolutely loved “The Untouchables!”