The Damned Don’t Cry (1950)
[5] Joan Crawford plays an impoverished woman who leaves her husband after a tragedy claims the life of their young son. Determined never to be poor again, she sleeps her way through a string of men to reach a higher…
The Godfather Part II (1974)
[7] An unusual sequel of sorts, The Godfather Part II spends equal time in the past and the present, exploring the early life of Vito Corleone (with Robert DeNiro taking over the mantle from Marlon Brando) while also following the…
The Godfather Part III (1990)
[7] While I enjoy parts two and three, I have the same general problem with both of them. Why do they exist? The first film tells a complete story, but part two (with its shuffling of prelude and epilogue) plays…
The Public Enemy (1931)
[7] James Cagney makes his breakthrough performance as a Chicago street kid who becomes a successful gangster during prohibition. I don't usually like gangster movies, but director William Wellman (Wings, The Ox-Bow Incident) frames The Public Enemy as a cautionary…
Once Upon a Time in America (1984)
[9] "As boys, they said they would die for each other. As men, they did." Once Upon a Time in America is an epic, gorgeous, emotionally moving gangster flick from spaghetti western maestro Sergio Leone (The Good the Bad and…
The Godfather (1972)
[9] The Godfather balances the private lives of its characters with their sensational 'occupation', and that's why I like it more than other 'tough-guy' movies. If I didn't care about the family members, no amount of horse beheadings or car…