Scorsese’s mob movie came in a little late, but brought a witty, realistic approach that sets it apart from the operatic elegance of old-school classics like “The Godfather”. The main reason is that this time we are not even following the adventures of regal “made men”: the three protagonists get extremely close to living the mob’s glamorous lifestyle, but in fact are nothing more than lowlife scumbags that the actual mafia uses as associates to do the dirty jobs. While their Irish heritage makes Henry and Jimmy unable to become full-fledged members, Tommy is a sociopathic ticking time bomb too unreliable to be sponsored by anyone in the organization. As times change and business start to go wrong, their dream eventually falls apart.
The film is technically excellent, has great dialogues, and always feels dynamic and entertaining despite the lack of action and its episodic nature. However, I have to admit that I was not too fond of any of the characters and struggled to empathize with Henry most of the time. The performances are good and as impetuous as the tone requires, but it feels like they missed something that makes a character memorable. Still a solid movie nevertheless.
Review by manicureVIP 4BlockedParentSpoilers2021-05-01T14:10:53Z
Scorsese’s mob movie came in a little late, but brought a witty, realistic approach that sets it apart from the operatic elegance of old-school classics like “The Godfather”. The main reason is that this time we are not even following the adventures of regal “made men”: the three protagonists get extremely close to living the mob’s glamorous lifestyle, but in fact are nothing more than lowlife scumbags that the actual mafia uses as associates to do the dirty jobs. While their Irish heritage makes Henry and Jimmy unable to become full-fledged members, Tommy is a sociopathic ticking time bomb too unreliable to be sponsored by anyone in the organization. As times change and business start to go wrong, their dream eventually falls apart.
The film is technically excellent, has great dialogues, and always feels dynamic and entertaining despite the lack of action and its episodic nature. However, I have to admit that I was not too fond of any of the characters and struggled to empathize with Henry most of the time. The performances are good and as impetuous as the tone requires, but it feels like they missed something that makes a character memorable. Still a solid movie nevertheless.