The Audition

Besides this insanely overpriced short film, this year's Killers of the Flower Moon will be the first pairing of Scorsese, DiCaprio, and De Niro and I could not be more excited.

I am amazed that they managed to spend $70 million on 16 minute short. Each actor was paid $13 million for less than two days of work. Bonkers. Scorsese still fits in some of his classic camera movements but there is some awkward CGI. I enjoy DiCaprio and De Niro making fun of themselves, it's crazy that they had never worked together before. Excluding The Audition, Scorsese will have collaborated with DiCaprio 6 times and De Niro 10 times by the end of this year which is just absurd. Best part of the short is the inclusion of the iconic inside joke of Brad Pitt always eating in his scenes.

"I have nothing but respect for him. This is big Bobby D here. He started my career"

Unfortunately, this short film left me disappointed. It deviates from the essence of art and storytelling, resembling more of an advertisement for resorts and casinos. The involvement of renowned actors and directors in such a commercial venture raises questions about the intersection of art and personal branding. The film's subpar direction and clichéd dialogue make it puzzling why Hollywood stars invest their time in promoting resorts or casinos. It's a stark contrast to what one might expect from their illustrious careers. I wouldn't include this experience on my resume, reflecting a trend in today's acting landscape. Enjoy watching "The Audition" short film, but be prepared for a different cinematic experience.

A very strange short film/15-minute-long hotel advertisement starring Martin Scorsese's two favourite lead actors (and Scorsese himself), I guess The Audition is fun for the novelty of seeing De Niro and DiCaprio together, and for providing a little entertainment value, but that's about it. It's otherwise ridiculous that this apparently cost $70 million to make - I guess everyone involved was seen as worth it, from a business perspective, but I wish they'd done a little more with what it was about.

De Niro and DiCaprio both want a part in Scorsese's latest movie. They squabble over it for a while, and then while there is a punchline, it's really not funny enough. I wish it ended with a bit more of a bang, to kind of make the whole thing feel worth it.

Feels ridiculous to even review a commercial, but it's a long and expensive one, and you could generously call it a short film. I wish it either looked a little nicer or was written a little better (even the screenwriter here is a big name - it's Terence Winter, who did the screenplay for The Wolf of Wall Street, wrote for The Sopranos, and created Boardwalk Empire).

You've got the greatest actors and one of the best directors in a short film. What could be better than that?

I don't want to give away the plot, but the actors are competing for a role in one of Scorsese's new movies. He interviews all of them separately at a hotel in Asia.

It's funny, cool. I don't see why they had to make this short film, but it's a nice little watch one random day.

5 stars

"The Audition," directed by Martin Scorsese, left me feeling a bit disappointed and disenchanted. The film came across as somewhat amateurish and indulgent, lacking the depth and creativity that I have come to associate with Scorsese's work. Rather than revealing the brilliance and innovation that define his other films, this short felt more like an ego-boosting exercise with a juvenile imagination. The narrative lacked complexity, coming across as a rather simplistic depiction of what could have been a dream short. Most notably absent was Scorsese's renowned panache, a quality that usually permeates his films with an irresistible charm and sophistication. As a result, I found myself feeling not only let down but also somewhat saddened by this unexpected departure from the director's usual brilliance. While some may find enjoyment in its unique approach, "The Audition" failed to resonate with me and left me longing for the mastery that Scorsese has showcased in his other works."