Scorsese's most mature and tragic work in years. Stripping back the glamour and allure of the gangster lifestyle and focusing on themes far more personal and painful.

Rating: 9/10 (13 November 2019)

The first half is Scorsese, the familiar. Gangsters roam around doing nefarious, no good. Tracking shots, wipe fast editing, grisly violence and your Dad's favourite 60's and 70's playlist are all present. Only, this time with an added touch; a slight remove and sprinkles of melancholy. An element which truly comes into play during the movie's second half, which is the director at his most subtle, most deconstructive and possibly, most painful. De Niro's Frank Sheeran is not a far removed character from any previous Scorsese anti-hero, but he is quite possibly his most tragic. A man entirely void of emotional understanding to the people closest to him, the times he lives in or the life he's created for himself.
At 3 and half hours it's a butt numbing experience and bloated around the middle, but breezier than you might expect and funnier. Furthermore, the cast is unbelievably packed and very few names are sidelined. Keitel, Paquin, Cannavale and Graham may appear than disappear at random intervals, but their presence (and relevance) remain forebodingly intact.
Higher up the ladder are of course Pacino and Pesci (the crowd favourites) and they are, who guessed it, incredible. With the exception of some hard to conceal stiff limbs Pacino is as energetic and electrifying as anything from his golden years. Pesci, almost the polar opposite of his previous Scorsese outings, opts for a calmer, far more controlled presence. Which frankly only makes the moments where his darker nature takes the wheel, all the more chilling.
But this is of course De Niro's show and he is the best he's been in a very long time. For Scorsese he opens up his every pore of talent and restrictively infuses the emotionally stunted Frank with pieces of humanity where ever possible.
Ultimately though, what sets this apart is Scorsese. If you're a fan, it's his most mature work in decades and possibly his most personal since 'Raging Bull'
And if you've never heard of him, I recommend watching first 'Means Streets' and/or 'Goodfellas' if you'd like a crash course in the rise and twilight of the man's relationship with gangster cinema. A sub genre he himself breathed new life into over 50 years ago, that's still being mimicked today (mostly to gratuitous effect though).
So it only seems fair he gets to be the one to strip it down, put it on a scale and have final analysis on what a life of crime and violence is worth, in the end.