Silence (2016)

The title of the film would be my exact response to those who disagree. Martin Scorsese's passion project took him years to get to the screen, and it was seen by few on release, and received a mixed response. It isn't among his finest masterpieces perhaps, but Silence tells its story rather finely with some very solid performances from Liam Neeson, Andrew Garfield and Adam Driver. The story of two Catholic missionaries who travel to Japan in search of their missing mentor, it is a fascinating tale of religion, apostasy, and history, and Scorsese's attention to detail both in the mise en scene and historical facts is second to none. Scorsese takes his time with it, and this is the key to the films success. Like The King of Comedy (1982) this should be filed under Scorsese's underrated ouvre, although it doesn't quite hit the impressive notes of a deluded Pupkin's actions. 7.4/10