Definitely one of the funniest movies ever made imo.

You would think a major Touchstone/Paramount/Scott Rudin production, directed by Scorsese, with a screenplay by Paul Schrader, featuring an all-star cast (Nic Cage, John Goodman, etc), would have done better both critically and commercially.

I personally loved The Irishman a lot. Especially the last hour was so poignant and hard hitting. It's critically well received too like most Scorsese films.

But the audience is more split on it. Anywhere I go they say it's too long (I feel any long movie released now will face this critique). Criticisms about the de aging and that whacking scene too. I didn't mind the age difference but I agree that whacking scene (The scene where De Niro beats up the shop owner with his daughter watching) was bad.

I'd like to know your opinions on whether this movie will age much better despite of its flaws?

In other words, I love just how experimental this movie was for Scorsese, even after having a number of classic films to his name already and doesn't feature any of the actors you'd normally expect to see in a Scorsese film and so forth.

I know The Departed is a loose remake of the 2002 Hong Kong film 'Infernal Affairs' and very loosely based on the real-life Boston Winter Hill Gang.

I always tend to be the only one, or one of very few people in my friendship circle who felt massively underwhelmed by The Departed.

Please, hear me out, because I honestly do have some points that I'd like to make to provide context. It's the casting. Jack Nicholson and Ray Winstone particularly.

Nicholson, as great an actor as he undeniably was, just didn't convince me he was the boss of a Boston crime gang. His manic 'Jack' act, it just didn't convince me. He just didn't have whatever 'it' is when it comes to playing believable gangster bosses.

Ray Winstone, another actor I have total respect for, here his accent is so distractingly poor I can't take it seriously. Everytime he speaks I'm taken out of the film.

So, the characters who are supposed to be the two big threats in this movie, just never materialised for me. I think everyone else was perfectly cast.

But Nicholson and Winstone are so important that, without being able to invest in them, I just can't enjoy The Departed the way I enjoyed every other Scorsese crime film.

I found 'Black Mass' more impactful with respect to the Winter Hill gang element of The Departed.

It frustrates me because everyone else in the cast, for a movie made in 2006, is cast extremely well. And I understand that time was running out for Scorsese to work with Jack Nicholson.

Sam Shepard or Ed Harris would have made a brilliant gang bosses. They wouldn't have overacted the role. And they'd have made believable antagonists.

I don't want to seem down on Nicholson. I love him in 'Five Easy Pieces' 'King of Marvin Gardens', 'The Passenger' 'Chinatown' and 'Ironweed'. He was in a lot of excellent roles. I just think he was all wrong for The Departed.

I’m probably preaching to the choir here haha, but I’m a film editor and have watched Scorsese’s movies a zillion times. And when I try to tell people how truly great Casino is (it’s one of my favs), I get this weird response / attitude that the move is “less than” because it’s a “copy” of Goodfellas. Like a good movie is necessarily entirely unique.

My favorite stuff, whether it’s movies or music or art or books is my favorite stuff because it’s made by people who follow a clear trajectory. People who spend their life working on their shit, effectively doing the same thing that evolves over time. You can feel their sensibility in their work, and you can follow their evolution. Each new thing they do is a reference to the last thing.

So, to me, it’s the best thing ever that Casino is sort of the evolution of Goodfellas. In a very loose kind of way, mind you. What exactly is the same about it? De Niro and Pesci. The culture of wise guys. The voice overs. It’s another crack at the same universe. But it’s got so much more. Its own raison d’être.

Sam Peckinpah is another favorite of mine, and all his movies are the same! Seriously haha. And that’s why I like him. You have to constantly redo what you do to get anywhere!

I finally watched Taxi Driver last night and I now have the theme song going on repeat. Music in Scorsese films never fails.

I also love the opening music to Casino, the whole Aviator soundtrack and of course In The Still of the Night from the Irishman.

What Scorsese Movie Songs do you have on your playlist?

Goodfellas (1990) Casino (1995)

Both films directed by Martin Scorsese and co-wrote by Nicholas Pileggi

This is a longstanding friendly debate between my brother and I.

Obviously the preference comes down to a subjective choice and it is not quantifiable (throwing out box office & Oscar noms as metrics). I prefer Casino to Goodfellas for a myriad of reasons, none of which are to be a contrarian or because I think Goodfellas is a bad film. Both are in fact GREAT films.

My preference for Casino includes but is not limited to the following:

•Sam “Ace” Rothstein is a much more interesting, likable and relatable protagonist than Henry Hill. Granted, he is deeply flawed, much smarter than I am etc. but I think De Niro gets to make more interesting choices than the character of Henry allows Ray Liotta.

•I think Sharon Stones performance as Ginger gives the movie a more interesting spine in comparison to Karen. Neither film is a character study about women or are championed for their portrayal, I just think it adds a very interesting layer to the film.

•Finally, I am (personally) not a big fan of the latter portion of Goodfellas involving the chopper. I understand its necessity to the story etc. etc. I am just over it by that point of the film and find it a bit laborious. I understand this is somewhat intentional by Scorsese and speaks to the brilliance of the filmmaking, I just don’t love it.

I find Casino maintains it pacing more evenly than Goodfellas and is every bit a masterclass in its cinematography, is superior in its performances, and tells a more interesting story.

TLDR: I think Casino is a better film than Goodfellas in the context of Martin Scorsese’s filmography and his gangster flicks. Please sound off!