Top 5: Favorite Movie Gangsters
I’ve been experiencing a renaissance of ganster (not “gangsta”; there’s a difference) flicks lately. I’ve recently purchased Casino and Goodfellas, and have recently been watching Jackie Brown again. DAMN, those movies are good! Good acting, good action, good soundtracks, there’s really nothing bad about any of these movies. So, in the light of my recent “Top Five Movie Nerds“, I give you “Top Five Gangster Actors of All Time”. Enjoy!
5. Ray Liotta. Granted, his only real gangster role was playing real life gangster Henry Hill in the kickass movie, Goodfellas. But his performance was AMAZING. His portrayal of Hill as he evolves from a young, up-and-coming lieutenant in Paul Cicero’s gang to a burned out coke addict who turns state’s evidence is surreal in its quality.
4. Samuel L. Jackson. The movies that Sam Jackson has been in have grossed more than those of any other actor. And while he plays a diverse set of characters, he is probably best known for his role and gangster Jules Winfield in Pulp Fiction. Easily one of my favorite movies, Jackson’s character makes the film for me. A year after Pulp Fiction was released, Jackson teamed up with Quentin Tarantino again to play the role of Ordell Robbie in Jackie Brown. His angry delivery is absolutely perfect for his role as lead gangster.
3. Joe Pesci. Pesci played such noted gangster roles as Nicki Santoro in Casino, Tommy DeVito in Goodfellas, and Frankie Minoldi in Once Upon A Time In America, Pesci has always been the proto-typical guy with “little man’s syndrome”. Angry as hell and willing to put a bullet in anyone who pissed him off, Pesci was always a force of nature. His characters always pissed you off, but you recognized that he was always essential to the movie.
2. Al Pacino. How could I not include Michael Corleone in this list? Regardless of his roles in The Godfather trilogy, he is still best known for his gangster roles. Willy Bank in Ocean’s Thirteen, Lefty Ruggerio in Donnie Brasco, Carlito Brigante in Carlito’s Way, and of course, his other tour de force, Tony Montana in Scarface. Brilliant! Absolutely brilliant!
1. Robert de Niro. Sam Rothstien in Casino, Jimmy Conway in Goodfellas, Paul Vitti in Analyze This and Analyze That, Al Capone in The Untouchables, Louis Gara in Jackie Brown, Neil McCauley in Heat, and of course, one could never forget the role that won him an Oscar, Young Vito Corleone in The Godfather Part II. Is there anyone better?
