Scorsese gangster movie with a "twist"

Rating: 8/10 (6 October 2006)

Great movie which unbelievably gets worse from about half way through all the way to it's unsatisfactory conclusion. It's so close to being a classic but a series of bumbling mistakes contribute to it's downfall. Flawless acting, very good but not perfect direction and okay editing are here to be seen when all should be of the same standard coming from these people. The romantic triangle is preposterous when it could have been acceptable as a professional relationship and a separate romantic one and it never really serves the story any purpose but the tying up of the story is where it's classic status is strangled. The individuals outcomes are fine but the manner in which they end there are nowhere near the way they should have been. If Mexican stand offs weren't so overused.....However, recommended viewing none the less as it is captivating even as the story heads downhill, perhaps a compliment very few movies in history can boast. The possibility of Oscars will not be the main reason you will want to watch this again but I suspect this will get better and worse with repeated viewings.