On B List of Movie Reviews

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Bang the Drum Slowly (1973)

Rate: 4
Viewed: 10/16

10/16: What do you think about the image of a young Bob De Niro sporting a huge black pompadour while having a wad of tobacco in his mouth with some of the juice dripping down?

Well, that's what you'll see in Bang the Drum Slowly. The following year, Bob will transform himself into Robert De Niro as we know him today, subsequently winning the Oscar for The Godfather Part II while getting Mean Streets out of the way.

It's a mediocre baseball movie with a Gehrig ending. Hardly much happens. The pace is slow. Vincent Gardenia, who got nominated for an Oscar for his supporting role, makes things a bit interesting although he overdoes it. Michael Moriarty is boring and proves why he belongs in TV. No disrespect to him, he just doesn't have it, but he's fantastic as Assistant District Attorney Benjamin Stone in Law & Order.

All in all, fans of Robert De Niro should take a look at Bang the Drum Slowly and marvel at the fact of how ordinary he is.

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