Take a second look.
When this tale of gangsters first hit Netflix, there was considerable back-and-forth over the “de-aging” of its stars, the epic running time, and whether Martin Scorsese was just coasting by going back to Gangsterville.
A year-plus later, the dust has settled, and the film can be appreciated for what it is — not a rehash, but a farewell.
Like Clint Eastwood with Unforgiven, Scorsese offers a violent, melancholy coda on the genre films which made his rep.
The glitz and glamour of mob life fade, and all that’s left in the end is beautifully-rendered bitterness and regret.
