Understated, script driven mafia flick

Rating: 8/10 (10 December 2019)

It's not just another Scorcese mob film. Don't expect dramatic car chases, raucous shootouts, scandal or bombastic violence.
This film is a smooth rolling, low-key story that isn't hurried and is more concerned with dialogue and character interchange than with exciting effects and "money shots."
The criticism that this film is boring and slow is far from the truth but I can understand how some viewers receive the movie that way.
The script and acting is top notch. Scorcese never takes himself too seriously and he interjects some playful creative filmmaking elements along the way in classic Scorcese fashion.
He also masterfully makes use of subtle... almost subliminal motifs that add depth and richness to the story (i.e. the use of bread and wine {grape juice} to evoke image of The Last Supper directly before a certain character dies).
I didn't think the movie was boring at any point. I enjoyed every minute of it. But I symopathize with the critique that it could have been tidied up a little, especially in the final act.
The feel and pacing of this movie is best compared to slowly sipping a glass of wine on a lazy evening (as opposed to the frenzy of Mountain Dew and strobe lights Hollywood insists on force-feeding audiences).
8.5/10