CAST: ROBERT DE NIRO, AL PACINO, VAL KILMER, ASHLEY JUDD, JON VOIGHT, NATALIE PORTMAN

DIRECTED BY MICHAEL MANN

Michael Mann’s cops ‘n’ crims modern classic strayed from crime movie cliché to become an exceptionally mature, character driven film, pulling a coup in its casting of master thesps Al Pacino and Robert De Niro as hot dog police detective and ice cold bank robber, respectively.  

CAST: ANDY LAU, TONY LEUNG CHIU-WAI, ERIC TSANG, ANTHONY WONG CHAU-SANG, KELLY CHEN, SAMMI CHENG

DIRECTED BY WAI-KEUNG LAU & SIU FAI MAK

The basis upon which The Departed was made, Infernal Affairs taught a lagging Hollywood a lesson in how to make a hard as nails yet entertaining gangster movie, incorporating a slick visual style to accompany its gripping story of two undercover operatives working in opposing sides of the law.

CAST: BENJAMIN BRATT, DAMIAN CHAPA, JESSE BORREGO, ENRIQUE CASTILLO, DELROY LINDO, VING RHAMES

DIRECTED BY TAYLOR HACKFORD

Ambitious in size and passionate in delivery, Taylor Hackford’s epic tale of three related Chicano gangsters separated by tragic circumstance, skilfully juggles several sub-genres – prison movie; police investigator; urban drama – while providing memorable Latino gangster dialogue.    

CAST: ALEXANDRE RODRIGUES, ALICE BRAGA, LEANDRO FIRMINO, PHELIIPE HAAGENSEN, SUE JORGE, MATHEUS NACHTERGAELE

DIRECTED BY FERNANDO MEIRELLES

Fernando Meirelles’ City of God is a stunning exploration of the brutal, poverty stricken crime underbelly in Brazil, where teenage hoods run drug enterprises and murder those who get in their way.   

CAST: HARVEY KEITEL, TIM ROTH, MICHAEL MADSEN, CHRIS PENN, STEVE BUSCEMI, LAURENCE TIERNEY

DIRECTED BY QUENTIN TARANTINO

A blood soaked modern crime classic, Quentin Tarantino’s ground breaking Reservoir Dogs features a cracking script delivered by an exceptional cast, resurrecting the forever underrated Harvey Keitel, and introducing the world to the likes of Tim Roth, Steve Buscemi, and Michael Madsen.

CAST: LEONARDO DI CAPRIO, MATT DAMON, JACK NICHOLSON, VERA FARMIGA, MARTIN SHEEN, MARK WHALBERG

DIRECTED BY MARTIN SCORSESE

A remake of Infernal Affairs, Martin Scorsese’s The Departed comes off the better film due the directors deft hand at the gangster genre, the career defining performances from every member of its stellar cast, and a fine screenplay by William Monahan, who astutely adapted the original films Hong Kong setting to the mean streets of Boston, while building upon its themes of betrayal and redemption.

CAST: RAY LIOTTA, LORRAINE BRACCO, ROBERT DE NIRO, JOE PESCI, PAUL SORVINO

DIRECTED BY MARTIN SCORSESE

Martin Scorsese’s gangster masterpiece, Goodfellas features the lauded filmmaker at the peak of his craft, presenting the story of work-a-day gangster Henry Hill (Ray Liotta) with a visual prowess rarely seen, while guiding Liotta, a terrifyingly good Joe Pesci, and regular cohort Robert De Niro to top notch performances.

CAST: JOHN TRAVOLTA, SAMUEL L.JACKSON, UMA THURMAN, BRUCE WILLIS, HARVEY KEITEL, CHRISTOPHER WALKEN

DIRECTED BY QUENTIN TARANTINO

Quentin Tarantino followed Reservoir Dogs with the genre bending Pulp Fiction, an ultra violent, darkly comical crime ensemble, which revived the career of John Travolta, gave Samuel L. Jackson his best role to date, and had its audience quoting its dialogue without end.  

CAST: AL PACINO, JOHN CAZALE, ROBERT DE NIRO, ROBERT DUVALL, DIANE KEATON, TALIA SHIRE

DIRECTED BY FRANCIS FORD COPPOLA

The enormous task of creating a sequel to what many consider the greatest film of all time was met triumphantly by director Francis Ford Coppola, who used a parallel story structure to chronicle the rise of Vito Corleone (Robert De Niro) and the descent into darkness of Michael Corleone, played by a career best Al Pacino.

CAST: AL PACINO, MARLON BRANDO, JAMES CAAN, ROBERT DUVALL, DIANE KEATON, TALIA SHIRE

DIRECTED BY FRANCIS FORD COPPOLA

In adapting Mario Puzo’ best selling crime novel, director Francis Ford Coppola faced an uphill battle paved with never ending obstacles, creating what many consider the greatest film of all time, resurrecting the career of box office poison Marlon Brando and establishing the careers of Al Pacino, Robert Duvall, and Diane Keaton.