Yes, this movie was totally awesome.

Rating: Null/10 (15 October 2006)

While this movie was quite awesome, I do not think it was as good as other Scorcese classics or by any means the best American film in ten years. Mostly for two reasons: one, character and backdrop development could have occurred earlier on and been more thorough, respectively; and two(not to give too much away), the ending was so disturbing, different, and nonchalant that it almost seemed unsuitable for a movie of this caliber, yet on the other hand it might just be what made this movie so great. It's been hard for me to decide if it was good or bad.
The reason I say that character development could have occurred earlier on is because the chance was there, and it might have made the difference between an Oscar caliber film and a non-Oscar caliber film. Maybe it was forfeited on Scorcese's own volition for the purpose of a building effect in the plot line, but I believe that effect could still have been achieved with some added character development early on.
As for the ending, I'm still on the fence about it. Something about it made me feel cheated, not just in the way that I was cheated out of a Hollywood ending (which never bothered me), but in the way that I was cheated out of an explanation of some of the characters emotions. An element to a film which to me seems important, but to other's may not. To me it is a way of providing closure with out being Hollywood and sappy, as well as telling a complete story. However, it might just be that even the kind of closure that I'm talking about is too close to Hollywood endings for comfort for some people, they have to take the risk of not telling a complete story just to squeeze the kind of movie they want out of your emotional responses. If this is the case for Scorcese in this picture then I think he did this in a way that doesn't force the emotions out of the viewer, but finesses them, much like the rest of the film, which all in all makes the ending in addition to the movie as a whole, a very fine film. Maybe it was ONE of the best American films of the past ten years after all. That's for you to judge.
Thanks for reading my review!