The Medal of Merit

Rating: 9/10 (21 November 2019)

Martin Scorsese should have won his Oscar for 'The Age of Innocence', but had the misfortune to be up against 'Schindler's List' that year. The Academy finally made restitution by awarding him Best Director for this instead. Thelma Schoonmaker's editing deservedly won a gong too, but they definitely got a bit carried away when they also voted it Best Picture.
It's a terrific thriller with the usual Scorsese virtues of excellent production values & performances (and the usual Scorsese vices of almost comically excessive swearing & violence).
It would never once have been deemed Academy Award material, but it's 151 minutes flies by, is full of twists and surprises, and is easily one of Scorsese's most engrossing films to sit through.