Killers of the Flower Moon (#475)

I entered the theater yesterday with trepidation because I was faced with the prospect of a THREE AND A HALF HOUR movie, which is borderline extreme punishment!  Surprise!!  It was not any form of punishment; it was an excellent experience and never once felt too long or too boring.  In his introduction to KILLERS OF THE FLOWER MOON, director et al Martin Scorcese explains he had wanted to do this film every since he read the book.  He did it with glorious cinematography, excellent scripting and first class performances by all the cast.  This, as many of you (but not me) know, is the story of the serial murder of indigenous people,  the Osage, in Oklahoma in the 1920s.  They are the wealthiest people in the world thanks to  oil found on their land, and certain people, lead by a sycophantic and duplicitous King Hale, a superb performance by Robert De Nero,  resent them.  Aided by his needy nephew, Ernest, played by Leonardo DiCaprio in his best ever acting role, King surreptitiously launches a series of murders of the Osage, distancing himself by benevolent acts of kindness to those people.  It is not until Ernest’s Osage wife goes to Washington and persuades the president to send the newly formed Bureau of Investigation (eventually known as the FBI) that events come to a head.  Every actor was in top form, even the ones I didn’t recognize like John Lithgow and Brendan Fraser.  In my opinion, it was an epic masterpiece and never lagged or bored despite its length.  93% of critics also liked it, but audiences were a little less admiring with only 72 % giving it a thumbs up.  This one is headed for a number of awards come Oscar time.  I recommend it highly.