Top 5 Crime/Gangster Movies

What the title says. I'm surprised we haven't done this thread yet

1. Pulp Fiction- When you look at this strictly from the perspective of a crime movie, it's funny how each story focuses on a different crime. Goes from robbery to murder then fixing a match, drug use, kidnapping, manslaughter, then back to the robbery. Each story's really about a different crime and is just so brilliantly tied together.
2. The Dark Knight- Yeah, yeah, superhero movie, but the focus still is on the crime lords hiring the Joker only to realize they had no clue what they were getting themselves into. So I count it.
3. The Big Lebowski- Another movie you don't really think of as a crime or gangster movie, but that's just because The Dude doesn't care about all that crap. The whole plot is nothing but crimes, but all you get out of the end is "The Dude abides." And that's why it's awesome.
4. The Godfather- A lot of people have a hard time picking between 1 and 2, but while 2 is a fantastic movie as well, 1 is the one I more vividly remember. So many scenes stand out so well, just a great movie.
5. Reservoir Dogs- Debated between a few here, but went with this for one simple reason: This has Steve Buscemi and the others don't. Everything is better with Steve Buscemi.

1. The Godfather - yeah, cliche but it's a great film that has earned its right to be there.
2. The Chaser
3. Infernal Affairs
4. The Killing
5. Reservoir Dogs

There are countless honorable mentions that if you ask me another day would be on the list itself. It's a kind of wide genre. And no doubt as soon as I see more people's lists it will remind me of awesome films I've forgotten.

1. The Godfather: Part 2 - I prefer this one over the original mainly for it's flashbacks with Vito, but I also didn't think it had any scenes that aged poorly at all. De Niro being my favorite actor helps too.
2. Pulp Fiction - I have a tough time choosing between this and Resevoir Dogs sometimes, but I go with this for those two awesome restaurant scenes. Such a great way to bookend the movie
3. Goodfellas - I may be lynched for ranking this above my next one, but it's one of those movies that just breezes along. I'm gonna go get the papers, get the papers.
4. The Godfather - Obvious. I find it a bit cheesy at times compared to the second but I love mafia movies so I can't skip the essential one.
5. Reservoir Dogs - One of those movies that's just plain cool. Pulp Fiction is as well, but this does that part better

Honorable mention goes to Breathless which is debatable genre-wise but is also the coolest movie ever with it's meandering dialogue and don't-give-a-fuck jump cuts. If they weren't TV shows I'd probably expand the list to find room for The Sopranos and Breaking Bad, too

You know, I just thought of Catch Me if You Can today, which may need to top Reservoir Dogs. I really love that movie, the intro where he pretends to be a substitute teacher at his school is especially brilliant.

I feel like I should've ranked The Godfather higher after watching it again tonight... I still think Sonny's death scene in particular is incredibly cheesy though

It's excessive, but still a great film overall.

I'm changing it up with my choices, making a list for films more specific to gangsters and a list specific to robbers/murders. Of course, I still feel like I left some great stuff out.

Top 5 Gangster films:

1. Goodfellas - An obvious choice, maybe, but the right one because it works so well. It's got a great sense of humor, it's very kinetic in its energy and pacing, it effectively seduces you into this underworld.....and then gradually pulls over the veil and shows you how horrifying and how much of a dead end the gangster lifestyle ends up being.
2. The Godfather/Part II - Yes, this is a tie. Truth be told, I prefer Part II because of its complex plot - how the young Vito scenes compare/inform the Michael scenes and the cold, vicious ways Michael preserves his family/organization's dominance at the cost of his own soul. In comparison, the first film feels more like a Greek tragedy but, like Goodfellas, it's like comfort food and it's still a stellar film. Also, I just can't separate the two.
3. City of God - Not knowing very much about the Rio De Janeiro favelas and how poverty-striken they are, the depiction of the world in this is just as powerful as the story of ever perpetuating gang warfare in this environment in the 60s-70s. It's exhilarating just like Goodfellas but it makes you weep for humanity as well.
4. Once Upon A Time In America - I can recall an old episode of Law & Order where the D.A. - played by Fred Dalton Thompson - said something about the mafia to the tune of "We glamorize these people in films and tv but in the end, they're all just thugs." Sergio Leone's last film left a bad taste in my mouth at times due to a couple of rape scenes and some disgusting behavior (the nursery scene, in particular) by the hoods led by Robert De Niro and James Woods but in retrospect, it's an honest look that never glamorizes. Also, this film will always standout with its unexpected, dreamlike approach to its story. I really want to see the longer cut that was released last year.
5. The Friends of Eddie Coyle - This is an underrated gem about an aging, gun runner who turns informant with disastrous results. So many great scenes (like the daylight bank robbery) and wonderful turns by Robert Mitchum, Peter Boyle and especially Robert Jordan.

Top 5 Crime films:

1. Heat - Do I really need to explain why?
2. Le Samourai - Jean Pierre Melville was one of the great French directors of the 50s, 60s and 70s, especially of crime films that were cool yet very bleak. This is my favorite with Alain Delon playing a hitman with some unusual but considerable set of principles. See also: Le Cercle Rouge, Bob Le Flambeur.
3. The Big Sleep - Because you gotta have a Bogart film in there. Might as well get the one where he and Lauren Bacall steam up the scream. The dialogue is perfect and so is the cast. So what if its unclear who killed one character?
4. Menace II Society - The Hughes Brothers' take on some low-level hoods in the Watts district of L.A. is still one of the scariest things I've ever seen.
5. Zodiac - Arguably David Fincher's best film, I love this expansive, complex rendering of the Zodiac murders and the numerous people who tried and failed to identify the real culprit. It really captures the fear, anger and frustration of being involved in such an investigation. Also, the first time I started taking Jake Gyllenhaal seriously.

Those are all solid picks. Zodiac in particular I thought was a very underrated film.

Ashamed to say I still haven't seen Once Upon a Time in America.

1. Pulp Fiction - The dialogue is so great, I bought the script book and enjoy reading it as much as I enjoy watching it.

2. Goodfellas - This is just a random thing, but I love seeing Christopher Moltisanti (Michael Imperioli) in this movie. Whatever happened to Joe Pesci?

3. Catch Me If You Can - I swear I was going to add this before Volvo mentioned it. It feels so different from every other movie that pops up on everyone's list it almost doesn't feel like it belongs. "Knock knock." "Who's there?" "Go fuck yourself." Also, the classic "Do you concur?"

4. Reservoir Dogs - Man Tarantino is fucking awesome.

5. Lock, Stock, and Two Smoking Barrels - I'm pretty sure I like this more than Snatch, but either pick would be a good one.

6. The Departed - Surprised this hasn't popped up on anyone's list yet.

However the greatest gangster/crime related piece of film ever is THE SOPRANOS!!!! If I could include TV, this would be number 1, fuggetaboutit! I think mobster movies are my favorite kinds of movies.

Honorable mentions - Road To Perdition, Fight Club (there's a lot of crime), The Town

I read somewhere that 25 or so actors from the Sopranos were in Goodfellas. I only recognized 3 the last time I watched, though. It took me a surprisingly long time to recognize Lorraine Bracco considering she's a main character in both

It's been a while since I watched Goodfellas, but I think I remember seeing Christopher, Paulie, Dr. Melfi, and Big Pussy. Now I kind of want to watch it again to see if I can spot more. It's just funny that they quote the movie on Sopranos, and don't recognize all of the characters look like them.

There was something that I really liked that was done on Dawson's Creek. Joshua Jackson and James Van der Beek's characters were talking about Emilio Estevez movies and Dawson says "His movies are horrible." Joshua Jackson's character replies "I don't know, I thought those Mighty Duck movies were good." I don't think I have to point out he was in all 3, but I loved how they made fun of the fact he was in that movie. Wish more shows/movies did that.

I included The Departed...as Infernal Affairs :-D

I couldn't really get into The Departed. I own it on DVD so I should give it another shot but... eh

I liked it a lot more in my first couple viewings, but it's just alright when I watch it now.