Very Long, Complex and Compelling Crime Drama. Solid De Niro film

Rating: Null/10 (2 January 2012)

We rented the nearly four hour director's cut of this film via Netflix. I had heard of this film for years and it's a top rated IMDb film. The story was very interesting and complex. The acting was generally solid. The highly regarded director created a visually stunning and epic film. However, some scenes felt rather plastic at times. De Niro is complex and superb as a character who ages generations on screen. The supporting cast all do their part to play villains and friends well. The hardest thing for me was buying the extreme violence of the youthful characters in the film. Their youthfulness and violence seems unrealistic and bothersome. At times, this crime drama felt like Jack Nicholson era Batman movies--too comic for a true drama. That said, the length of this film gives the director a chance to do an immense amount of storytelling and character development--which are all superb. Film buffs, gangster film fans and De Niro fans should definitely rent the four hour version of this film and make sure you have enough popcorn! 8.5/10. (Viewed in 2011)