Well Scorsese finally managed to create a villain protagonist who doesn’t feel like he’s being revered for half the movie, while also still feeling sympathetic. Ernest’s contradictory love for his wife and children while murdering the whole Osage side of their family comes through with perfect clarity. The scheming William “King” Hale is also played to perfection by De Niro, with all his long game scheming. Mollie is also an exceptionally well realized character even if she’s defined by a fairly stone-faced performance.
I think the slow burn aspect of this film suits it, but it also means I can’t really count it among my favorite Scorsese films. It certainly has its moments, such as the scene stealing performance of Brendan Fraser. But ultimately there’s just more “cinema” in stuff like The Wolf of Wall Street, Goodfellas, and Taxi Driver.
I’m glad that this story got told and by someone like Scorsese, so that it would get the attention it deserves.