Celluloid You Can't Refuse

Watched The Road to Perdition the other night -- one of my favorite gangster films. Every actor in it hits his mark perfectly -- Tom Hanks, Paul Newman, Jude Law, Daniel Craig (the new James Bond!) and as Tom Hanks' son, Tyler Hoechlin. Just a great movie about an "honorable" hit man who gets involved in a double cross and has to go on the lam to protect his son. Got me thinking about my favorite mob movies of all time -- the ones I've seen, in no particular order...

A Bronx Tale -- DeNiro, Chazz Palmintieri, a father's battle with the Mob for the soul of his son...

Bugsy -- Vegas, Baby, Vegas! And Warren Beatty. And Ben Kingsley... And Annette Bening

Carlito's Way -- Al Pacino in all his bluster as a "reformed" Latin gangster who just keeps getting pulled back in

Donnie Brasco -- Johnny Depp as a federal mole who nearly joins the mob before he beats them -- and destroys Al Pacino in the process

The Freshman -- Marlon Brando and Matthew Broderick in just a great comedic riff on the Godfather

The Godfather -- The saga of the Corleone family begins -- Brando, Pacino, James Caan, Robert Duvall. A flawless movie...

The Godfather Part II -- The saga of the Corleone family is complete (forget III) -- Brando, Pacino, DeNiro, Duvall, Diane Keaton. Francis Ford Coppola makes a flawless sequel

Goodfellas -- DeNiro, Joe Pesci and Ray Liotta; Pesci in his career-making role. Brutal but you just can't avert your eyes.

Johnny Dangerously -- Michael Keaton pre-Batman. Hi-lar-i-ous.

Miller's Crossing -- The Cohen brothers do the Irish mob noir-style. Gabriel Byrne in his best role (Usual Suspects is a close second), Albert Finney, Marcia Gay Harden and John Turturro

Once Upon a Time in America -- DeNiro and James Woods in Sergio ("Spaghetti Western") Leone's last film about the rise of the New York mob.

On the Waterfront -- Brando again with Karl Malden and Rod Steiger. One of the greatest movie soliloquys of all time by Brando's Terry Malloy: "You don't understand. I could've had class. I could've been a contender. I could've been somebody instead of a bum, which is what I am..."

The Untouchables -- Sean Connery's Oscar-winning turn as cynical Chicago cop Jimmy Malone. Kevin Costner as Elliot Ness, Andy Garcia, Charles Martin Smith and DeNiro again, as Al Capone. Brian DePalma's best film.

The Road to Perdition