Somewhat of a disappointment

Rating: 6/10 (4 December 2006)

Don't get me wrong. This movie is OK, but it wasn't what I was expecting with all the hype the movie was preceded by. For one, I thought that the acting was somewhat formulaic and overdone. Neither Damon, Sheen, Nicholson, Di Caprio, Wahlberg or Baldwyn's performances were up to par. They were just phoning it in. There was no background on the plot for those of us who don't know much about Boston, Southie or the Irish mob. What was the motivation for the characters to do what they did? There was not much conflict of character, no near misses or suspense. Everythinbg was so predictable. What is the deal with an Irish mobster with a name like Frank Costello? Wasn't Frank Costello a REAL LIFE Italian mobster from the 1930's and 40's? I thought the movie was going to be about him. While the movie is entertaining, it is no Celtic version of the Godfather. The thing I liked the best was the ending, because it was unexpected. But there is too much violence, to much coarse language. Does anyone really talk like that? Mr. Scorcese has disappointed me. 6 stars out of 10.