Pete-17

Despite what its critics say (most of whom haven't even seen the movie), "The Last Temptation of Christ" is one of the most deeply religious movies I have ever seen. What makes it so powerful is that it does not portray Jesus as an all-righteous, preachy figure; it portrays Him as a man. He was the son of God, but more importantly He was human. He could hurt, love, feel pain and joy, and He could make mistakes just like any of us. He had to overcome temptation. Martin Scorsese, for whom this was a long labor of love, directs a beautiful movie with all around excellent performances, particularly Harvey Keitel as Judas and Willem Defoe as Jesus. The "Last Temptation" segment which draws most of the movie's criticism, is the most important part of all because it shows how close God truly is to us, if only those critics would watch the movie before judging it, they might realize that.

Kevin Smith gets serious and pulls it off beautifully. There is plenty of classic Kevin Smith banter in this (including a riff on the ol' scar comparing scene from "Jaws"), but he still manages to go for the drama. Ben Affleck is great as Holden, the guy who falls for a lesbian. Jason Lee is hilarious as his sidekick, some of the best gestures and facial expressions in the biz. And Joey Lauren Adams is just wonderful in her turn as the object of Holden's affections. Surprisingly honest, this casts out any doubt of Smith's abilities after the critically bashed "Mallrats". Keep your eyes open for a great scene with Jay and Silent Bob (from Smith's "Clerks" and "Mallrats"), who don't apear until near the end. By far, Smith's best film.

The best movie of the '80's, director Martin Scorsese pulled off what no one else would have attempted: the unsympathetic story of perhaps the most unsympathetic character in all of American cinema, Jake La Motta. Starring Robert De Niro, "Raging Bull" is not a boxing movie in the vein of "Rocky". There is plenty of boxing in it, some of the best boxing scenes ever put onto celluloid, and the movie does follow his rise as a professional boxer. However, all of that is a backdrop for Jake's real story, his fall as a human being. The closer Jake gets to his goal of winning the Middleweight Championship, the closer he is to destroying his own life. And once he achieves his goal, all of the energy and passion that went into fighting in the ring he turns to fighting out of the ring and he does just that, destroys his life. Shot in beautiful Black & White and co-staring Joe Pesci and Cathy Moriarty, "Raging Bull" is Martin Scorsese's masterpiece.