Anybody else feel…just mixed about it?
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jazzbeets — 14 years ago(May 10, 2011 10:21 PM)
Jimmy's attack on the pregnant Francine is one of the most uncomfortable to watch film sequences ever, but over all I liked the movie. I liked a lot of the music and the parts where they were playing bop in Harlem wee real cool but Liza's long production number at the end wasn't really my cup of tea.
The thing about Jimmy that everybody seems to miss is that he was fithful to his muse,uncompromising music, and it went against his nature to be a sell out even though it would have made things much easier for him.
I have to say I like the movie because it made me think a lot more than most films. I like a movie that is not so easy to process and forget right away. I missed it in 77 and only just saw it this week. -
ANGRYal — 13 years ago(April 12, 2012 09:41 PM)
I agree with tarantinolover12's comments, absolutely!
The only thing I can add, as I glance at it again tonight on "Turner Classic Movies," is that I remember seeing it the year it came out in the theaters and what added to my mixed feelings/confusion about this movie is that I remember they marketed it as a comedy. I was fairly young at the time and all I really cared to see were comedies. It was the only reason I decided to go and see it because they promoted all these humorous scenes (or when taken out of context, appeared to be humorous) in the commercials.
The volatile, schizophrenic nature of Robert DiNero's character took a lot enjoyment out of the expected comedic nature of the film, also.
I really hate when the studios do that. I remember when "City Heat" with Clint Eastwood and Burt Reynolds came out. First they marketed as a comedy, then they changed it to an "edgy Depression-era drama," then comedy again, then released it when VHS came out as a drama. UGH! -
nycruise-1 — 13 years ago(April 12, 2012 10:36 PM)
It's a mish-mash but not a trainwreck.
Alot of talent - that doesn't necessarily mix well.
DeNiro is great as this jack-ass musician, but he's in the wrong movie.
Liza does her best "Judy Garland" impression - which actually wouldn't be so bad if the musical numbers were better staged. Scorcese is no Stanley Donen or Vincente Minnelli - although it's obvious Martin was inspired by their musical stagings.
I saw it when it was first released. Everybody couldn't get over how much Liza looked like Judy. I saw it with my parents and my dad was very impressed with DeNiro (although he liked Liza from "Cabaret").
"Funny Lady" with Barbara Streisand and James Caan came out before this film, and I remember thinking that, in that film, the story worked better because Babs walked all over James and so the film was decidedly hers. NYNY, on the other hand, is schizophrenic: when DeNiro is onscreen, the film becomes this intense drama; then when Liza gets the spotlight, the film becomes this (twisted) Hollywood musical. Neither one ever really dominates the other, which leaves the audience somewhat confused at the end because you really don't know who to feel sorry for.
But I remember hearing the title song for the very first time, before it started getting any airplay. Everyone in the audience KNEW that song was going to be a BIG HIT - even possibly replacing Liza's signature "Cabaret" (although it never ended up doing so).
"Don't call me 'honey', mac."
"Don't call me 'mac' HONEY!" -
franzkabuki — 13 years ago(April 14, 2012 09:07 AM)
I think its a lot richer, more inspired, energetic and engaging experience than Garlands A Star Is Born, at least. The song and dance numbers in the latter film looked so silly I pretty much fast forwarded through all of them.
"facts are stupid things" - Ronald Reagan -
trekkie313 — 13 years ago(April 13, 2012 09:42 AM)
I watched it for the first time last night on TCM, it was the 3hr. version too. I liked the story/romance between Liza and DeNiro, but some of her musical numbers weren't too good and the "restored" footage really didn't look restored. More like a LaserDisc copy of a 50's film.
"Listen, do you smell something?"
Ray Stanz-Ghostbusters -
spookyrat1 — 12 years ago(October 09, 2013 11:43 PM)
As earlier posters have mentioned, I love the look of the film and can appreciate Scorsese wanting to make an old Hollywood style musical dedicated to New York. The musical production numbers are really good and whilst not being a huge Liza Minnelli fan, I think she was well cast in this role.
Unfortunately whilst Robert De Niro looks like a musician, I only really enjoyed his performance when he shut up and stuck the reeds in his mouth. It was a one tone performance in a long film that strangely entertained no nuance or development IMO, whilst never allowing any chemistry to be established between Francine and Jimmy. (The marriage proposal/wedding scene was truly appalling, though I think was supposed to be funnyperhaps?).
It's an interesting part of Scorsese's body of work, but musically speaking,I much preferred his next offeringThe Last Waltz. -
rooprect — 11 years ago(November 17, 2014 12:18 PM)
De Niro's character became really unlikeable.
That's really my only gripe about an otherwise great film. In the DVD prologue, Scorsese talks about wanting to create a musical with all the fantasy visuals of the classics but with a realistic edge. He wanted to tell a more credible sort of love story where things are not always perfect. Bravo for that. But where it failed is I think De Niro went beyond being "realistically flawed" and became a total scum. Seriously, how can anyone relate to a character who smacks a pregnant woman around?
It wasn't just that scene (although that was the coup de grace), but his presence throughout the film was very menacing, as if he & Scorsese couldn't quite cool their jets after "Taxi Driver". I think "New York, New York" was a great idea, a great effort and ultimately a great film. But I just can't bring myself to enjoy it because of how unintentionally disturbing De Niro's character turned out to be. Scorsese says he wanted to tell a lovestory about people with realistic differences. But he ended up telling a pretty 1-sided tale of spousal abuse. -
hockeyhrs — 11 years ago(January 24, 2015 02:16 AM)
"Anybody else feeljust mixed about it?"
Yes. This film = A Star Is Born (1954 version, naturally) with Norman Maine replaced by Travis Bickle.
It's also makes a good companion piece to 1981's "Pennies From Heaven" (taking old-school Hollywood conventions and adding a post-modern twist to them to illustrate something McLuhenesque about film's effect on our perceptions of the past).