SLOW BURN

Rating: 7/10 (25 November 2019)

Okay, first off - if you're expecting 'Goodfellas' then you'll be disappointed. This film lacks the 'snap' of the aforementioned movie - the sense of adrenaline-fuelled fear that Jimmy Conway et al induced is nowhere to be seen. De Niro's character seems tame compared to Conway and there were moments when I longed for some of that menace to show through. Pesci looks and acts aged and I was unimpressed with his portrayal of a mob boss. Pacino delivered to some degree however, throughout the movie, I had the distinct impression that he had forgotten some of his lines. The scene in his office was laughable and I found myself wondering why somebody hadn't shouted 'CUT' halfway through his rant. The real gem, for me, was Stephen Graham's performance. His face off with Hoffa in prison was electric and it has to be said he certainly held his own against Pacino. The final meeting between Frank and Hoffa played out way too fast - there was so much opportunity there to take those characters to the edge and it didn't deliver. All in all, and I'm a huge fan of De Niro, I was disappointed with this movie. I feel it failed to live up to expectations when you consider the calibre of the cast. Graham was superb. The rest were totally forgettable.