The Untouchables

In this riveting take on the old TV show from director Brian De Palma, Kevin Costner gives a star-making performance as Eliot Ness, the quiet Treasury agent and family man who picks up a pump-action rifle in order to rid Chicago of bootlegger Al Capone. Always a showman, if not a show-off, De Palma lets loose with a barrage of bloody set pieces, notably the climax at the railway station — a nod to the famous Odessa steps sequence in The Battleship Potemkin. David Mamet's dialogue crackles, Ennio Morricone's music soars and the production design sparkles. Andy Garcia joins the team, and a plumped-up Robert De Niro plays Capone, yet for many the main attraction of this modern classic is Sean Connery's Oscar-winning performance as the veteran, philosophical Irish cop who shows Costner the ropes.

"...A beautifully crafted portrait of Prohibition-era Chicago....Propelled by scripter David Mamet's rich dialog, Connery delivers one of his finest performances ever. It is filled with nuance, humor and abundant self-confidence..."