The Untouchables (1987)

Starring: Kevin Costner, Robert De Niro, & Sean Connery

Rating: 4 out of 5 stars

As a reviewer, it's always difficult for me to review a film I've seen dozens of times. What can I say about the Untouchables, that the Academy didn't already say, when it awarded the film four Oscars? For those who've never seen it, the Untouchables is the story of Elliot Ness and his group of renegade cops that eventually brought down the legendary Al Capone. This is not like any other gangster film you may have seen, because it's from the cops point of view and shows the criminal enterprise from the outside. The film was directed by Brian De Palma who has the distinction of being known as the man of mystery. De Plama has brought us some of the best written, most compelling, edge of your seat mystery films of all time. The Untouchables wasn't a mystery, but De Palma does present everything in a very specific way, paying careful attention to detail. It's this attention to detail that makes his films stand out and really grab your attention. Some of the scenes in this film are truly legendary and have been parodied and recreated in a number of films. Who will ever forget that amazing, slow motion, train station scene, with the baby carriage falling down the stairs amongst a hail of bullets? Ness is played by Kevin Costner who reminds me every time I see this film of just what a terrific actor he can be. In his old age he does mostly love stories and PG comedies, most of which are beyond awful. I really can't understand how a person with this kind of talent doesn't take more high profile roles. Capone is played by Robert De Niro and if you've never seen him as a bad guy, you don't know what you're missing. The chemistry between the two is terrific and it's a shame they didn't have more scenes together. This amazing cast is rounded out by Sean Connery, who won the Oscar for his role. The veteran cop played by Connery really gives Ness the courage to do the things he did and it wouldn't be the same without him. This film is legendary, it's on many peoples top 100 lists and rightfully so. You just don't see these kinds of performances or attention to detail in blockbuster films anymore.