MovieChat Forums > New York, New York (1977) Discussion > Deniro Too Unlikable??

Deniro Too Unlikable??

posted 18 years ago by mit800
23 replies | jump to latest

I think the reason this was a flop is because Deniro is just an out and out Lout. He is so awfully unlikable throughout the film that it becomes almost comical that anyone would stand being around him for any time at all. I also think that Liza Minnelli is unbelievable in that she would put up with this character for all that time. It`s still somewhat oddly fascinating for me to watch and I don`t know why. I`ve liked alot of Scorceses films but this one seems to be all over the map.

Is it a musical--not really--the music comes from stage performances and recording studios, no one just bursts into song in a rainstorm or on an Austrian mountaintop-those are musicals. Liza only really shines in the musical moments. She can do drama (Sterile Cookoo) or Comedy(Arthur) but improving with Deniro doesn`t suit her.

But in the end it all comes down to the ugly character of Deniro. If he had played it a little more on the comedic side it might have worked but in this case it was just too much. Of course-as with all films-it`s totally subjective to the viewer. These are just opinions so don`t anybody get bent out of shape> I would rather read others opinions. Thanks

[–] DracTarashV 12 years ago

Many felt hideously annoyed by his character, but to me he was a somewhat charming guy but with a temper. He was an angry, despicable, sadistic character and was rarely in a pleasant mood. But, despite this, I found some humor in him, e.g., earlier in the film, the scene at the hotel where he's pretending to be someone else and feigns some sort of disability to avoid payment, had me laughing out loud. He was cool.

I mean Jimmy Doyle is not a person I would like to meet personally, but as a character in a film, I, the viewer, found him to be an entertaining individual.

And if you really think this film flopped due to De Niro's "annoying" character, then I guess Jake Lamotta must've been Rocky 2.0. because he was a nice guy who could easily be admired, right? I seem to remember the film based on him was a huge success, mainly with critics and film goers, but it was far from a flop.

As for the film, I loved it.

Do you know how HARD it is for a bloody black man to get a cab on Thanksgiving?

[–] Jes' Sayin' (5974) a year ago

Yes, I had to turn it off several times because I couldn't take any more of him. Only by a huge effort did I manage to finish the film.