After languishing for years in development hell, Martin Scorsese's epic crime drama is finally here.
Robert De Niro - Frank Sheeran
Al Pacino - Jimmy Hoffa
Joe Pesci - Russell Bufalino
Stephen Graham - Tony Pro
Harvey Keitel - Angelo Bruno
Summary
In 1950s Philidelphia, truck driver Frank Sheeran becomes a hitman and begins to do 'jobs' for mobster Russell Bufalino.
It isn't long before powerful Teamsters boss Jimmy Hoffa recruits Sheeran as his chief bodyguard.
An elderly Sheeran reflects on his career with pride and regret.
Majestic
First things first. How do ILM's de-aging effects hold up?
Very impressive, but not perfect.
Body movements can be out of sync with character's age and De Niro's mince pies are almost neon blue.
Importantly though, it's largely unobtrusive.
De Niro and Pacino are excellent, but Pesci is simply sensational.
Cross this guy at your peril.
Leads inevitably chew the fat for long periods, but unlike Tarantino's Once Upon a Time... In Hollywood, sequences drip with suspense.
Sometimes, silence is golden.
Kudos to Steven Zaillian by the way.
Although decades are shuffled like a deck of playing cards, editing supremo Thelma Schoonmaker ensures transition is seamless.
One word to describe the last 20 minutes or so?
Heartbreaking.
While Goodfellas remains king, this comes mighty close.
And yeah, the famous 'I heard you paint houses' conversation between Hoffa and Sheeran plays out, just like it did in real life.
Robert De Niro - Frank Sheeran
Al Pacino - Jimmy Hoffa
Joe Pesci - Russell Bufalino
Stephen Graham - Tony Pro
Harvey Keitel - Angelo Bruno
Summary
In 1950s Philidelphia, truck driver Frank Sheeran becomes a hitman and begins to do 'jobs' for mobster Russell Bufalino.
It isn't long before powerful Teamsters boss Jimmy Hoffa recruits Sheeran as his chief bodyguard.
An elderly Sheeran reflects on his career with pride and regret.
Majestic
First things first. How do ILM's de-aging effects hold up?
Very impressive, but not perfect.
Body movements can be out of sync with character's age and De Niro's mince pies are almost neon blue.
Importantly though, it's largely unobtrusive.
De Niro and Pacino are excellent, but Pesci is simply sensational.
Cross this guy at your peril.
Leads inevitably chew the fat for long periods, but unlike Tarantino's Once Upon a Time... In Hollywood, sequences drip with suspense.
Sometimes, silence is golden.
Kudos to Steven Zaillian by the way.
Although decades are shuffled like a deck of playing cards, editing supremo Thelma Schoonmaker ensures transition is seamless.
One word to describe the last 20 minutes or so?
Heartbreaking.
While Goodfellas remains king, this comes mighty close.
And yeah, the famous 'I heard you paint houses' conversation between Hoffa and Sheeran plays out, just like it did in real life.
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