Louise Stewart

Bold, sentimental or plain out of step? Whilst likely set to become another Scorcese classic, this Mafia epic has left me scratching my head. Despite boasting an impressive collective cast of cinematic heavyweights, on the whole it made more for uncomfortable, rather than creatively challenging viewing. Hard to acertain the creative or culture value in making a film of this nature in 2019; an ode to a man's world, to the absolute exclusion of women - without pause for reflection, deprication or remorse. It barely scratched the surface of either the history or humanity which it proffesses to be hinged on. Digital de-ageing was a big distraction - in particular watching a man depicted as in his 30s act out a violent scene, the fluidity of his moves sadly hampered by the stiffened, bulk of his true 70 year old frame. That said the acting was pretty fine as you'd expect, particularly Joe Pesci, and I'm sure they had a ball. Of the decades it depicts, sure, I get that's how it was, but rewatch Raging Bull, rewatch Taxi Driver, rewatch Mean Streets, hell, emerse yourself in the seductively observed, lusciously styled, visceral, and often laugh out loud funny of Once Upon A Time in Hollywood.