[Review] Killers Of The Flower Moon (7.5/10)

 

Title - Killers Of The Flower Moon
Production - Appian Way, Apple Studios, Imperative Entertainment
Starring - Leonardo DiCaprio, Robert De Niro, Lily Gladstone, Jesse Plemons, Tantoo Cardinal, Brendan Frasier, Cara Jade Myers, Janae Collins, Jillian Dion, Jason Isbell, William Belleau, Scott Shepherd, Louis Cancelmi, Tatanka Means, Yancey Red Corn
Writer - Eric Roth, Martin Scorsese, David Grann
Director - Martin Scorsese
Release - 20 October 2023

I had put off almost two weeks before stepping into the cinema for this, even when it's Martin Scorsese; probably because his previous one, The Irishman, was also almost 3.5 hours long and it was not fun to sit through. There were many scenes I would take out so I didn't like it that much.

This one, similar running time, and I read Leonardo DiCaprio pushed for a longer time after watching another, to me, bore fest of a movie in Midsommar. So I was very uninterested in going into this.

However, once in there, even it felt as long as it ran, but I was kept interested throughout. The pacing this time was very consistent throughout and there were very little where I felt like I would cut out.

DiCaprio was not thoroughly impressive this time around, though his screen presence was as always captivating. Only all the way through to the end, there was a scene where it needed someone with this level of talent to bring forth the performance of humanity to make us feel what he felt. 

This is not to diminish his performances in the first two acts, because we could really feel his dilemma and the kind of effect his uncle had on him. And here was also the brilliance of Robert De Niro, to have an effect on everyone around him; making them think he's a friend who cared. 

Lily Gladstone has no fear. Acting opposite De Niro and DiCaprio, she was able to pull attention towards her instead. 

But I thought the writing and directing did not allow her character to be fully understood. When she found out who really murdered her people, she had zero reaction. It's not like she already knew. And even if she was already dead inside, I think the fact of the reveal should have incited something.

There was a scene I'd like to highlight, which was the comedic one with the two male leads in a car talking about how someone was killed. I thought the way that scene was directed was just perfect.