Misunderstood

Rating: 9/10 (7 December 2019)

Highly recommend people listen to or read the book. After reading the book you can see how well the movie succeeds in its portrayal. A lot of people down rank this movie because of the CGI and the length. However, this story is not something you can tell in less than 3 hours. People complain about the driving scenes but I feel those scenes build the tension that sets the tone for the movie. De Niro's best scenes come later in the film prior to the hit. His portrayal after the hit is raw and real. Frank looks like a shell of his former self and distraught with guilt. The phone call scene and the confessions with the priest show realistic vulnerability and regret. Pacino delivers as he is always does. Pesci gives us a subtle yet powerful performance, almost like Paul Sorvino's in Goodfellas. Scorsese channeled his roots for this movie and was back in element. People should view this movie independently from his others. This is not Goodfellas, Casino or the Departed. Hard not to compare and contrast but I believe it allows viewers to enjoy it more.