Frank Ritz’s review published on Letterboxd:
I'm never going to be able to truly do this movie justice. We recorded an almost three hour Podcast, solely talking about the film, and even there it felt insufficient. Because how is one to sum up a life? Maybe it's a dramatic proclamation, but I truly don't think any movie will ever capture the Blue Collar mundanity of working, living, and then dying, as well as this movie has. It's surely still fantastical, and most of us will never get embroiled with the mob, or the biggest public figure of our time, or be directly involved with the murder of countless people, but that's not what this movie is about. It's about friendship, duty, betrayal, ego, and the inability to live for the self. Frank is a worker, and nothing more, and once he has no more work to do, he realizes he is no one; a fate that most everyone seems to be destined for. Even those at the top of fame, fortune, or power, all will be relegated to a death bed (actually, that's only if they're lucky), to reflect and refract, and it seems destined that we will all be sitting there reminiscing with some happiness, but mostly regret.
Somehow, and lord do I have no idea how actually, Sese achieved capturing this, and communicating it into a three and a half hour film that utilizes all his pro tricks, and yet, never feels anything but truthful. Technically no Sese has ever been more confident, and smooth, as well as intelligently written, and thrummed along with perfect editing, and of course it's the best acting all around. De Niro, Pacino, and Pesci give their best performances, full stop; I don't even think it's a conversation anymore. A group of artist all entering the final stages of their life, and just starting to blossom a true well of talent that we may never be ready to receive. I'm so sad we're going to lose Sese one day, fuck, I'm sad I'm going to lose everyone one day, but at least we'll all have had our time together, and at least we'll always have I Heard You Paint Houses.
I've said it a hundred times, but why not make it a hundred and one; the last 90 minutes is probably the most special thing ever filmed, and it only works because we had two hours of build to get us there - a life fully lived.