Random thoughts


I caught this one tonight.

I think it was really good, but not perfect.

Certainly it's an interesting piece about the possible fate of Jimmy Hoffa and the man who may have killed him.

Scorsese is on point here with his craft and proves once again that while he may be getting older, his ability to make films has not declined. He's going to go down with guys like Eastwood, Altman and Lumet in terms of filmmakers who continued to make strong works all the way to the end. His fallen contemporaries like Coppola and De Palma must be jealous.

Likewise, De Niro, Pacino and Pesci all turn in excellent performances, as if they said to themselves, "Okay, I'm going to really give a shit this time. Let's do this."

For me, seeing Pesci again was fascinating. His last on-screen appearance was in some movie called Love Ranch in 2010. That was basically a decade ago. Before that it was The Good Shepherd in 2006 and before that, Lethal Weapon 4 in 1998. Crazy. I wonder why he decided to come back on set again. The financial offer was too good to refuse? Boredom? He just wanted to work with Scorsese again?

The movie is 3 1/2 hours long. That's almost Lawrence of Arabia long. I did it in two sittings, but I can say I didn't really feel the runtime. Maybe I would have if I had done it all in one go.

My biggest complaint about the film is that the narrative, at times, feels a little unfocused. While the film has a clear overall story arc (only understood once you get to the end), it does not really have a tight plot. There were times where I wasn't quite sure what I was supposed to be understanding or getting out of the film. I had a pretty good idea when it was over, but in between the beginning and the end there times where I felt a bit like I was drifting at sea and a little lost.

I agree with a point I heard one reviewer make, and that's that this film is better viewed at home. I rewound it several times to listen again to a dialogue exchange after I caught my mind wandering and I paused it to hit the bathroom more than once. I think watching it in a theater would be a frustrating experience.

I will say that asking a man to kill his friend is bullshit. That should've never been asked of De Niro's character and it's a little disappointing that he agrees to it. I know he felt like his back was against the wall, but still, damn. What a betrayal on all sides but Hoffa's.

Speaking of Hoffa, you have to wonder how accurate Pacino's portrayal was. I don't know much about the man, but in the archival material I've seen he seemed like a different guy from the man Pacino shows us. You also have to wonder how close to real life the movie is overall.

By the end we have a man who knows his time is about up, he's alone in the world with no one but a (very kind) priest to care about him, and he's fearing death. But one thing he seems to lack is remorse. Maybe he felt like he was just playing by the rules of the mob life, but he doesn't seem too bothered by his own conduct. He's only bothered by the ill effects that have come back on him, or that he may be facing in the world to come.

Overall I thought it was a very good film. I don't think it's going to have the rewatchability of many of Scorsese's other works, but just looking at his mob films, it's probably a better movie than Casino.

B+

reply