Great film, but overrated

Rating: 8/10 (27 February 2000)

I just saw this yesterday. This is definitely one of De Niro's best performances, possibly better than his work in Taxi Driver and Cape Fear. De Niro deserves a 10/10 for his acting, but the plot seems to lack substance. There was too much repetition of scenes in the film, and when the second hour begins, I couldn't help but say, "haven't I seen a similar scene or heard the same line 6 times in the last hour." Some may feel that this repetition was essential to build-up the tension, but I think after the first hour, most educated viewers should have already gotten the point. Besides this detail, I thought the film was very good and I give it an 8/10. People should watch this if only to experience the superb job that De Niro and Scorsese have done. Joe Pesci was very good too, but not as good as his role in the movie Goodfellas.