MovieChat Forums > Staten Island (2009) Discussion > For those who don't like this movie

For those who don't like this movie

posted 13 years ago by Lumikinos
12 replies | jump to latest

I thought this one was not a usual mobster, gangster, Italian/Russian mafia movie. It's a sort of inside portrait of the people. The shooting is awesome (pay attention to close-up scenes) while the plot is simple but touching. It is just that the audience nowadays wants everything to be shown, everything explained and when it doesn't happen they are disappointed. Please don't fall for all those negative comments out here - in the end, this is not an action, but a drama flick. So enjoy and read between he lines since this piece offer you to think about a lot of things.

[–] Dragonsouls 13 years ago

I agree, and a very good Drama flick. I think the film is underrated, it should be rated a 6.8 at minimum.

[–] frankduxvandamme 13 years ago

I just finished watching it. I thought it was pretty meh. Nothing special.

[–] bear022013-588-696101 13 years ago

It is an insult to filmgoers and men from made to wannabes..this donofrio kid is an effeminate guy who cannot act....lose all the moles and 100 pounds and we'll see...mama mia

[–] 13 years ago

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[–] beastiex 13 years ago

I feel tarantino has a lot to answer for,ever since pulp fiction you can`t seem to be able to make a straight forward film.What made the guy go up the tree,i just don`t get it,

[–] kieranlmt 13 years ago

I think he just wanted to make a name for himself, put him down in the history books, i mean earlier in the film he was trying to hold his breath for 9 minutes to try and break the world record

[–] 13 years ago

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[–] The_Dying_Flutchman 13 years ago

I used to know a guy who wore Dithering Tights, but he was a house loader.

Let it be unsaid: insignificance is the locus of true increpation.

[–] kevdun22 13 years ago

what are you talking about NOEL ?
Tarantino has nothing to do with this movie.
i believe Donofrio was craving attention from anyone (his mother, his crew, etc)
when he realized he would never break the 9 minute underwater record he saw an opportunity for attention by being a tree hugger. obviously he is unbalanced.
obviously Demonaco used some of Tarantino's trademark stuff. Replaying the deli scene like QT did in Jackie Brown and Pulp. Also gave a quick tribute to
QT when they played the song "i'm Mr. Blue" in deference to Resorvoir Dogs. I liked the movie but I think that has alot to do with me loving Donofrio, Hawke and the great Seymour Cassell. cheers Noel. I luv your name. We are expecting our 3rd child around Christmas so I'm gonna run that one by the wife.

[–] beastiex 13 years ago

We will have to disagree over this one Kev,but glad you like my name and yes i was born in december.

[–] AfroGeek 13 years ago

I thought the movie fell short because they didn't really develop the characters enough. Why does the deli man gamble so much yet not have a wealth fantasy? People gamble because they have a fantasy of what they want to do with the money. I liked the Tarzo character, but he didn't make sense. He was a "successful" gangster, yet he was incompetent. And, Sully going from lowly s**t shoveler to robber also didn't seem to make sense.

It's not about having things explained, for me it's about developing characters enough so that their decisions seem plausible. And, the storylines just seemed out of whack to me.

[–] russdaren 10 years ago

I feel like the actors were kind of squandered on this film. The production is very uneven. Some camera work is good, some is awful. A lot of the audio is just garbage. Reminding me of the poor quality audio in kung fu and b flicks from the 70's. Seriously, why is the audio so bad?

I dont agree with the comparisons to Tarantino. Many other directors have done the "Rashomon" with a story told from different perspectives resulting in overlapping narratives.
The writing is what I fault the most. There really was no need for a far fetched genetic procedure to motivate Ethan Hawke's character.
The 'hold your breath record' and the tree sit are silly and kind of ineffective.
Without anything to go on regarding Tarza's mob activity, it is hard to gauge what they are supposed to be.
It this the eccentricity of a powerful man who can do whatever he wants, and does. Or is he a deluded loser? I am guessing the latter, because what powerful dangerous man does not attract certain kinds of women who seek exactly that? Besides he has no 'muscle' with him, ever.
Also the character development was just not there. I didn't really get to know any of the characters, but neither did we get any information about the mob or gangster circles he ran in.