Great Ensemble Movies

5 May 2014

Sabotage hits the big screen this week as David Ayer returns to the director's chair.

The movie brings together a terrific ensemble cast, and we take a look at some of the other great line-ups over the years.

- 12 Angry Men - 1957

12 Angry Men sees Henry Fonda as the lone juror to turn the verdict of the jury in this claustrophobic courtroom drama.

Fonda's subtle ability to look at evidence from an alternative angle gradually begins to swing the jurors to his side in what was once a sure-fire guilty verdict in a murder case.

Reginald Rose's script, providing a screenwriting masterclass in the development of character and plot, allows each of the twelve jurors to have their time in the spotlight, showcasing some of the finest actors of the decade

Lee J. Coob, Jack Klugman and Jack Warden - to name just a few - all starred alongside Fonda.

Thanks to this and the flawless acting, this is an indispensable edition to anyone's collection.

- The Great Escape - 1963

Directed by John Sturges, this wartime adventure tells the true story of the Stalag Luft III escape.

Bringing an awesome ensemble of international stars together (Steven McQueen, Richard Attenborough, James Coburn),the POWs band together to escape the supposedly impenetrable Nazi prison.

The film will always be prominent in popular culture, not just because of its yearly repeats during the Easter Weekend, but also because of a number of famous and unforgettable scenes; Hilts tossing his baseball, Velinski tunneling, and of course, the infamous motor-cycle chase, the likes of which had never been seen before.

The Great Escape remains one the of great and most popular war movies of all time.

- The Princess Bride - 1987

Written by one of Hollywood’s veteran screenwriters, William Goldman of Butch Cassidy fame, this 1987 gem of a movie still stands today as one of the most original, humorous and bizarre comedy adventures to date.

This film has it all; quicksand; fire swamps; giants; monsters and, errr... ‘Rodents of Unusual Size.’

Structured as a story-within-a-story, complete with star turns by the swashbuckling Cary Elwes and enchanting Robin Wright who appear as the ill-fated lovers.

Under the meticulous direction of Rob Reiner, Chris’ Sarandon and Guest shine as the dastardly Prince Humperdinck and Count Tyrone Rugen and top it off with one of cinema’s finest cameos (Billy Crystal, in case you’re wondering) it’s a cast of pure perfection.

- Goodfellas - 1990

Based on the novel 'Wiseguy' by crime reporter Nicolas Pileggi, Goodfellas focuses on the rise of Irish-Italian mobster Henry Hill (Ray Liotta) through the ranks of the mafia, only to fall back down to earth with a bump when arrested in 1979.

Scorsese's complex study of gangster life remains one of the highlights of 90s cinema. Short, punchy scenes of violence contrast with long, opulent shots of 'the family' extravagantly at leisure; see the now infamous steadicam scene that follows Hill through the Copacabana restaurant.

The calibre of the supporting cast is undeniable, Robert De Niro is superb as Jimmy 'The Gent' Conway, as is mob head Paul Sorvino, but it's Joe Pesci as Tommy De Vito that walked away with the Oscar as well as the majority of the scenes.

It's so easy to see why Goodfellas is considered a modern masterpiece that confirmed Scorsese as one of the greatest directors of his generation.

- Trainspotting - 1996

After the success of Shallow Grave, having to follow the film must have seemed like a rather daunting task. Luckily, in Irvine Welsh's novel, the trio found a scintillating source of material to build upon.

It's rather loose plot structure follows Welsh's anti-hero Renton (Ewan McGregor) and his attempts to kick his habit, while hanging around with his equally wasted mates.
But what a fabulous journey it is. It’s exhilarating opening (McGregor and Ewan Bremner pounding down the streets of Edinburgh to the sounds of Iggy Pop's Lust for Life) is just the tip of a gripping and extremely funny film.

It sizzles with madly inventive direction, fantastic dialogue and of course, one of the best ensemble casts of the decade.

- Sabotage - 2014

Filmmaker David Ayer, acclaimed for his gritty and realistic portrayal of life behind the blue line in End of Watch, pulls together an all-star ensemble cast, as he directs Sabotage, an action thriller that follows one of the best assault teams on the planet, an elite special operations team of ten DEA agents.

The elite team executes what appears to be a tactical raid on a cartel safe house, which in fact, turns out to be an elaborate theft operation, pre-planned by the members of the DEA squad itself.

After hiding $10 million in stolen cash, the rogue agents believe their secret is safe - that is until someone begins methodically assassinating members of the team, one-by-one. As the body count rises, everyone is suspect, including members of the team itself.

Starring alongside powerhouse Arnold Schwarzenegger are Sam Worthington, Joe Manganiello, Terrance Howard and Mireille Enos as the DEA agents, a serious force to be reckoned with.