But Killers of the Flower Moon has problems. For starters, it’s 3 and a half hours long. Scorsese keeps the action moving, but the first half moves painstakingly slowly. Yes, the acting is incredible. The camera work is impeccable, but the story is a bit bland. Let me explain. There’s not much nuisance or twists present. I was way ahead of the story. I found myself so far ahead that I was checking my phone to see how much time was left, and when I got to the 90-minute mark, I dreaded the final two hours.
If you’ve seen a lot of movies, you know the exact beats hit here. Ernest falls in love with Mollie. It’s the only thing that keeps him from going full thug. William is not exactly who he says he is. Throughout this epic drama, his plan is slowly revealed. The women are sick, so what/who is making them sick? The men are turned into drunks and wind up mysteriously dead. The Calvary is just around the corner. Choices have to be made regarding loyalty. This picture has no surprises, making it bland.
“…works because of the master storytelling of Scorsese and the brilliant performances of DiCaprio and De Niro.”
However, while this love story/mob story runs slow in the first half, it picks up when Mollie’s plea to the President is heard. He orders the federal government to send an agent from the Bureau of Investigations to look into it all. The agent arrives in the form of Agent Tom White (Jesse Plemons). This is almost treated as the origin of the FBI.
I give Killers of the Flower Moon a mild recommendation. It’s too long and predictable. The saving grace is its performance across the board. Gladstone holds her own against legends DiCaprio and De Niro. Lastly, this is unmistakably a Scorsese flick from visual style to its pacing of action and ability to tape into white guilt. I’m now off to re-watch The Irishman.
"…I was way ahead of the story."
