Martin Scorsese is the biggest and most distinguished director working in Hollywood right now. The director’s name is synonymous with the feeling of cinema in theaters. Scorcese is hailed as a brilliant director and one of the hardest working people on any of his film sets. The director is also known for his defensive comments on the categorization of cinema. So here are the 7 most underrated Martin Scorcese movies.
The King of Comedy
Synopsis: Robert De Niro gives a mesmerizing performance in Martin Scorsese’s timeless, darkly funny satire as Rupert Pupkin, a deranged comedian who will go to any length to gain the spotlight. Teaming with an equally imbalanced woman (Sandra Bernhard), Pupkin kidnaps his idol, jaded TV talk show host Jerry Langford (Jerry Lewis). The ransom? Pupkin gets one appearance on Langford’s show.
The Age of Innocence
Synopsis: Martin Scorsese, one of the great directors of our time, directs Oscar®-winner Daniel Day-Lewis (1989 Best Actor, My Left Foot), Michelle Pfeiffer and Winona Ryder in a brilliant adaptation of Edith Wharton’s Pulitzer Prize-winning novel. A ravishing romance about three wealthy New Yorkers caught in a tragic love triangle, the ironically-titled story chronicles the grandeur and hypocrisy of high society in the 1870s. At the center of the film is Newland Archer (Day-Lewis), an upstanding attorney who secretly longs for a more passionate life. Engaged to the lovely but ordinary socialite May Welland (Ryder), Newland resigns himself to a life of quiet complacency. But when May’s unconventional cousin returns to New York amid social and sexual scandal, Newland risks everything for a chance at true love. THE AGE OF INNOCENCE is a spellbinding portrait of hidden romance and regret.
The Color of Money
Synopsis: Academy Award(R)-winner Paul Newman and Academy Award(R)-nominee Tom Cruise ignite the screen in this powerful drama. Brilliantly directed by Martin Scorsese, Newman re-creates one of his most memorable roles from THE HUSTLER. As Fast Eddie Felson, he still believes that “money won is twice as sweet as money earned.” To prove his point, he forms a profitable yet volatile partnership with Vince (Cruise), a young pool hustler with a sexy, tough-talking girlfriend (Mary Elizabeth Mastrantonio). But when Vince’s flashy arrogance leads to more than a few lost matches, all bets are off between Eddie and him. THE COLOR OF MONEY will electrify you with its suspenseful story, dazzling cinematography, and dynamic performances.
The Last Temptation of Christ
Synopsis: “The Best Film of 1988” declared Gene Siskel, Siskel & Ebert/Chicago Tribune, echoing the sentiments of numerous critics who included The Last Temptation of Christ as one of their “ten best films of the year.” The powerful drama earned director Martin Scorsese an Academy Award® nomination for “Best Achievement in Directing,” as well as Golden Globe® nominations for Barbara Hershey (“Best Actress”) and Peter Gabriel (“Best Score”). Based on the novel by Nikos Kazantzakis and starring Willem Dafoe, The Last Temptation of Christ is a visually breathtaking accomplishment.
After Hours
Synopsis: When an uptown New Yorker innocently meets a downtown girl, he’s uncontrollably drawn into a vortex of wild, malevolent and paranoid adventures After Hours. Paul Hackett’s (Griffin Dunne) terrible night happens in the SoHo area of downtown Manhattan when he goes to keep a date with Marcy (Rosanna Arquette). Nothing in his humdrum life as a word processor has prepared him for his surreal encounters with Marcy; her far-out artist roommate Kiki (Linda Fiorentino); cocktail waitress Julie (Teri Garr); ice cream vendor Gail (Catherine O’Hara); June (Verna Bloom), who lives in the basement of a nightclub; and Mark (Robert Plunket) who is ripe for his first gay experience. Now, Paul longs only for the safety of his upper-East Side apartment … but will he ever make it home?
Bringing Out the Dead
Synopsis: From acclaimed director Martin Scorsese (Casino, Taxi Driver) comes one of his most compelling and unforgettable movies. Nicolas Cage stars as Frank Pierce, a paramedic on the brink of madness from too many years of saving and losing lives. One fateful night, Frank meets Mary Burke (Patricia Arquette), the daughter of a man Frank tried to save. Together, Frank and Mary confront the ghosts of the past, and discover that redemption can be found amon the living. Co-starring John Goodman, Ving Rhames, and Tom Sizemore.
Silence
Synopsis: Martin Scorsese’s SILENCE tells the story of two Christian missionaries (Andrew Garfield and Adam Driver) who face the ultimate test of faith when they travel to Japan in search of their missing mentor (Liam Neeson) – at a time when Christianity was outlawed and their presence forbidden. The celebrated director’s 28-year journey to bring Shusaku Endo’s 1966 acclaimed novel to life will be in theaters this Christmas.
