Review of Mean Streets (1973) by Fernando C — 03 Jan 2011

After watching this film I just got to say wow. Now this is a great feature length film debut, probably one of the greatest just like Quentin Tarantinoâ(TM)s with Reservoir Dogs. Martin Scorsese debut in the big picture is a mob story filled with violence, love, money, Robert De Niro and of course Italians. Set in Little Italy, New York Mean Streets shows us the lives of Charlie (Harvey Keitel) and Johnny Boy (Robert De Niro). Charlie is an Italian-American who is trying to do his best to balance his Catholicism, his relationship with Johnny Boyâ(TM)s cousin, Teresa, his job, his relationship with Johnny Boy and his ambitions. Johnny Boy is also an Italian-American and he is Charlieâ(TM)s best friend, the problem with Johnny Boy is that he is trying to survive in Little Italy because he owes a lot of people a lot of money and it is not just any people it is people with power.

The film has got to be one of the greatest crime films ever made, like many of Scorseseâ(TM)s other films. Harvey Keitelâ(TM)s performance is just perfect and Robert De Niroâ(TM)s performance is so great he won the award for Best Supporting Actor from the National Society of Film Critics, so yeah I think that sums up how awesomely great this film is.