Technically, the film is an exceptional masterpiece. No one can deny that. Scorsese is still so sharp which is unbelievable. The film is as good as it could be. There is no way to make the movie better and still stick to the gruesome and true story. The actors bring the movie to life, but does DiCaprio lack range?
The movie is very true to the book it is based on. The research behind the book is absolutely incredible. No wonder the rights were expensive. But the fact that the film is so similar to the book is also the only problem I have with the film. The film flows like a non-fiction book and it becomes a little more like a history lesson than a feature film. This is more of a character and story study than most modern films which are usually plot driven. That everything works depends a lot on the fantastic acting.
Gladstone is a great new face who shows a lot of emotion without doing too much. What a performance from her. De Niro is extraordinary and I had a hard time taking my eyes off him. DiCaprio was good as usual but I wasn't completely convinced.
Before the movie started, I had him as the winner of the Oscar statuette. Most actors can only dream of a role like Ernest Burkhart and dream even more to be directed by the master of cinema. DiCaprio sinks into the character and does it phenomenally, but sometimes there slips through a bit of his usual tendencies that make the portrayal similar to much of what he has played before. Does he have somewhat limited range? Every time I see him, it's always DiCaprio I see. He doesn't have the chameleon skills of Denzel, who really lives his characters.
One of the best films of the year and definitely something to watch if you like Scorsese. The film reeks of his style and it's perfectly crafted and directed. Sometimes you could smile because it was so perfect. Everything he does is literally perfect. No other director makes more than one perfect movie. This film deserves its long running time and doesn't feel completely impossible to work your way through. A film that tells an important and tragic story. This is something you will want to revisit many more times in the future.
The movie is very true to the book it is based on. The research behind the book is absolutely incredible. No wonder the rights were expensive. But the fact that the film is so similar to the book is also the only problem I have with the film. The film flows like a non-fiction book and it becomes a little more like a history lesson than a feature film. This is more of a character and story study than most modern films which are usually plot driven. That everything works depends a lot on the fantastic acting.
Gladstone is a great new face who shows a lot of emotion without doing too much. What a performance from her. De Niro is extraordinary and I had a hard time taking my eyes off him. DiCaprio was good as usual but I wasn't completely convinced.
Before the movie started, I had him as the winner of the Oscar statuette. Most actors can only dream of a role like Ernest Burkhart and dream even more to be directed by the master of cinema. DiCaprio sinks into the character and does it phenomenally, but sometimes there slips through a bit of his usual tendencies that make the portrayal similar to much of what he has played before. Does he have somewhat limited range? Every time I see him, it's always DiCaprio I see. He doesn't have the chameleon skills of Denzel, who really lives his characters.
One of the best films of the year and definitely something to watch if you like Scorsese. The film reeks of his style and it's perfectly crafted and directed. Sometimes you could smile because it was so perfect. Everything he does is literally perfect. No other director makes more than one perfect movie. This film deserves its long running time and doesn't feel completely impossible to work your way through. A film that tells an important and tragic story. This is something you will want to revisit many more times in the future.