Quartile rating: 6.5/10 · 1 rating
An egotistical saxophone player and a young singer meet on V-J Day and embark upon a strained and rocky romance, even as their careers begin a long uphill climb.
Scorsese's lavish homage to Hollywood musicals is visually stunning — the deliberately artificial, studio-bound cinematography is a bold and gorgeous choice that elevates the film well above average. De Niro and Minnelli deliver committed, intense performances, particularly De Niro's volatile Jimmy Doyle. However, the plot is thin and episodic, relying heavily on the toxicity of the central relationship without offering much structural momentum, and the ending feels anticlimactic and unresolved in a way that frustrates rather than satisfies. Novelty sits above average as a deconstructionist take on the classic Hollywood musical, though it doesn't quite reach the singular heights of Scorsese's best work of this era.