****** SMALL SPOILER ALERTS, MAINLY IN FINAL PARAGRAPHS ******
I liked it. Didn't love it. But I liked it.
I thought all the actors were good. Pesci was particularly spectacular, especially for someone who's been retired as long as he has been. Pesci has also gotten rave reviews from those close to the late Russell Bufalino, which helps the authenticity of the film. I had my reservations about De Niro. His frequent missteps on SNL and poor choice in roles lately is concerning, but I thought he did bring his A-game. Pacino was good; not his best role but far from his worst. And unsurprisingly, Scorcese knocked it out of the park with the visuals.
My biggest gripe? The runtime. Nearly four hours. The inciting incidents leading up to Hoffa's hit were rather ... uhm ... boring? This is a work of nonfiction, so I respect the filmmakers for not making things more dramatic than they actually were. But it really got slow around 2/3 through. It picked back up with the Hoffa hit. Or, rather, the action leading up to the Hoffa hit. The hit itself, of course, was so quick and "meh." But again, nonfiction. If that's how it happened, that's how it happened. The best scene, IMO, was Frank Sheeran talking about how he was going to do a hit in the restaurant and then what actually happened. That was great stuff.
Overall, I give it a strong 8 out of 10. Not an emotional mob movie, but a dramatic one nonetheless.
