It's Not Just You, Murray!

This is one of the early shorts made by Martin Scorsese when he was a student at NYU. In this one, a middle-aged man looks back at his life and how he got successful like making illegal gin during Prohibition or producing some hit Broadway shows. He credits a "friend" with his successes but that "friend" is...not a friend at all! Filmed in black-and-white with some jump cuts and still frames, this was quite an amusing short to watch as an example of the early work of Mr. Scorsese. So on that note, It's Not Just You, Murray! is worth a look. P.S. The mother of the leading character is played by the mother of the director, Catherine Scorsese.

I guess It's Not Just You, Murray! Would count as Scorsese's first crime film, even though it's pretty light on the crime overall and feels more like a broad comedy. Still, I found it to be a fairly fun, is scattershot watch. Another key first is this is, I believe, the first time Scorsese put his mother in a role in one of his films, and she's responsible for some of this short's funniest moments.

I wasn't expecting it to turn into a Federico Fellini parody or homage; it felt a bit like they didn't know how to wrap things up in just 15 minutes. But the bulk of this short film is pretty entertaining, and also succeeded in making me laugh a handful of times - Scorsese's knack for comedy has always been underrated.

It's Not Just You, Murray! (1964)

*** (out of 4)

Martin Scorsese's second short is a nice homage to the gangster pictures from Warner. A middle aged gangster looks back over his life from the start of his career to the present. If you're a fan of the Warner gangster pictures then you'll enjoy this short film with all the references to those earlier pictures.

What's a Nice Girl Like You Doing in a Place Like This? (1963)

** (out of 4)

First film from Martin Scorsese about a writer who buys a painting and soon his obsession with it leads to writers block. There's not too much going on here but I guess that's to be expected with a student film. The camera-work and editing are nice.

This cute, inventive student film is Scorsese's second time in the director's chair, and this film is the beginning of his fascination with crime and double-crosses. Like with his brilliant debut, What's A Nice Girl Like You Doing In A Place Like This?, his techniques in generally unfolding the story and his clever cinematographic eye...you know what? I praise too much. I think I'm boring when I praise. I praise Martin Scorsese all the time. Everything he makes turns to gold in my eyes because I think he makes movies the precise way I think they should be made. I love the guy, that's all. There's nothing specific to say pertaining to why I like even his early student short films such as this one. I just think he's the man. If you think he is the man, I would check this one out just to say you saw it and to see the foundations of his ingenious later work.

Murray has done ok for himself. Expensive ties, shoes, cars the self aggrandizing Murray admits he could not have done it without Joe. Problem is Joe and his wife have this thing for each other.

Martin Scorsese's influence and go to territory over the next half century reveal themselves early in this well shot amusing student film. The Fellini (Germi less so) influence is a blatant but impressive homage while some of the imagery and characterization could fit smoothly into Raging Bull. Populating his filmography with Little Italy good fellers and wise guy mainstays Murray and his "good friend" Joe would be the prototype for decades to come. Here they have a sly charm but the single cuckold theme can only go so far in this overall well mounted little short.