Nathan Christopherson

I can not say I grew up in the 90's, and therefore am unsure of the popular film making styles of the time, however the movie feels forced by over the top directing and production. The only thing that saved the movie was the acting, De Niro of course receiving a nomination for best lead actor, and Lewis receiving a nomination for best supporting actress. As I researched the film I discovered this was one of the first big budget films for Scorsese, and unfortunately he seemed to go too far with it. It lacked the unique style Scorsese usually brings, whether the consistent zooming of the camera, or the confusing x-ray shots, the directing and production felt forced and bland. There was clearly thought out literary references that could have definitely complimented the movie and its themes quite well, and I did like how it made you question right and wrong, however the references were not emphasized enough and felt forced, similar to much of the rest of the film. As I mentioned, the acting pulled this thing from being a waste of 2 hours, however if it were not for the great acting performances then the film would indefinitely be receiving a 1 star review. (P.S. I know it is strange to review movies from the 90's in 2020 but I was bored)