Sigh

Rating: 6/10 (23 November 2019)

I came into this movie with high expectations and I was just left with a sad, depressing story that meandered to the point where Cathy leaves Jimmy and Joey stops talking to him as well. Jimmy is supposed to be a unlikable, insecure jerk but there is no true defining moment to me where I can find something endearing to Jimmy's character. I love movies with flawed characters: clockwork orange, good fellas, Taxi driver, eternal sunshine of the spotless mind, there will be blood, no country for old men, her and etc. But there was something there that made me like or at least be sympathetic to those characters. I'll compare him to Travis, who's also played brilliantly by Robert De Niro, and I would argue at their cores, Travis is a way more despicable character then Jimmy. But Scorsese's directing really elevates the point of view Travis has of the filth in New York. His failings with romantic and friendship relationships is relatable and it adds another interesting characteristic of Travis. Travis is a sexist, rude, insecure, PTSD ridden paranoia induced man but I still end up understanding his plan through the end. In Raging Bull, the only nuance to Jimmy's struggles is how he takes his sexual and jealous emotions out on other boxers instead of expressing his feelings in a healthy way to his family. I wanted jimmy to lose every match and I was glad to see Cathy and Joey sees contact from him. Good, let him rot as a fat, drunken bar owner. The reason why this movie isn't ranked lower however Is due to De Niro, Pesci and Moriarty's fantastic performances, Scorsese's masterful directing, the good soundtrack (although I think it was played a bit too obnoxiously in the boxing montages) and the great editing. It's just the script that I hate. It was a bucket list movie and I look forward to never seeing it again.