Balanced, perfectly paced and sentimental

Rating: 10/10 (21 November 2019)

I saw the movie yesterday in a theater, and upfront I have to tell you this: in contrary to most other reviews, I wish I had seen it at home! Because this film needs an intimate atmosphere and the movie theater just didn't deliver that for me, I can't comfortably show emotions in the cinema (might just be me).
The first half of the film reminded me very much of the typical scorsese gangster movie era of the 90s. Except for one fundamental difference, the funny moments are not solely cynical but more vivid and genuine. This indicates the direction scorsese follows with this movie: he wants to make something more grown up and mature. It is in fact a testimonial of someone who did horrible things in his life, that will naturally haunt him in his late years.
And for the first time, marty actually shows us those late years in a manner, that is truly emotional and disturbing.
His pacing is purposefully slow at times, so that in the end, you can have the same melancholic look-back at franks past and indulge in his misery.
I loved it and I'm going to rewatch it on a slow, silent, melancholic winter night...