One of the most anticipated films of the 2019 winter moviegoing season arrives with Netflix's
The Irishman, another epic crime drama from legendary Oscar Winning filmmaker Martin Scorsese, who previously helmed classics such as
Taxi Driver, Raging Bull, Goodfellas, Casino, and
The Wolf Of Wall Street with the film starring Robert De Niro, Joe Pesci, and Al Pacino. Based on the 2004 bestselling book I Heard You Paint Houses by Charles Brandt, the film focuses on a truck driver named Frank Sheeran (Played by Robert De Niro), who becomes a hitman associated with mobster Russell Bufalino (Played by Joe Pesci), as well as his crime family with the film also exploring his relationship with Teamster Jimmy Hoffa (Played by Al Pacino). Announced as Scorsese's next project after 2016's
Silence, the film ended up becoming the most expensive one to make out of his career with a budget of $159 million along with being his longest film with a running time of 209 minutes. Despite premiering on Netflix in late November, the film received a limited theatrical release beginning on Nov 1st, 2019 with the film having its premiere at the 57th New York Film Festival. The film opened to widespread critical acclaim with praise being directed towards Scorsese's directing (Despite the pacing being significantly slower than his typical films) as well as the performances of De Niro, Pacino, and Pesci. On top of it's critical success, the film also became one of the most widely viewed Netflix movies ever garnering 26 million views, a figure comparable to
Bird Box's debut. The question for those who haven't seen the film yet, is whether
The Irishman lives up to the stellar reputation it's received thus far or if it's even a good Scorsese film. The answer to both questions is both a confident and enthusiastic yes,
The Irishman lives up to its name as being an engrossing mob drama, that's not only well directed by Scorsese, but shows that its legendary acting trio De Niro, Pesci, and Pacino still possess the talent to command the screen with fantastic performances.
The story for
The Irishman is based upon true events and centers around real-life union and mob official Frank "The Irishman" Sheeran (Robert De Niro), while being told through a series of flashbacks. The film chronicles his friendship with mobster Russel Bufalino (Joe Pesci), while also showing his closeness with Jimmy Hoffa (Al Pacino), the President of the International Brotherhood of Teamsters who disappeared mysteriously in 1975. With the story that this film possesses, Scorsese aims to make this an epic gangster tale (With a strong possibility of it being his final one) by revisiting many of the themes from his earlier body of work such as
Goodfellas and
Casino in order to weave them into another classic tale, that ultimately justifies its ambitious running time.
The Irishman is a story that's masterfully told and brought to life through masterful directing, stellar writing, and excellent performances from its main cast. The film combines all of Scorsese's classic filmmaking traits such as lengthy narration from the main characters, fluid cinematography, an extended running time, and graphic-gang-violence. While the film may come across as feeling too long for some viewers, its the way the story is told along with the performances from the main trio that holds it together. The films writing, pacing, and editing are tight and work well together with the films storyline covering key events in American history, while serving as the backdrop for the main characters. At it's core, the film is about an elderly mobster looking back at his early years as well as his friendships with key individuals where his loyalty becomes tested.
One of the key elements that makes the film work so well are the performances from it's main cast. The combination of Robert De Niro, the return of Joe Pesci to the big screen after coming out of retirement, and the resurgence of Al Pacino are dynamic and properly treated as major events for the film. All three actors are not only convincing, but manage to deliver their strongest performances in years. De Niro is fantastic as Frank Sheeran with the story centered around his character. With Sheeran, Scorsese utilizes De Niro's character to deliver information to the audience regarding the films story either through his performance or the characters voice over. De Niro does his finest acting work when he plays his gangster type roles with here being no exception with his talents being displayed with playing both the young and older versions of Sheeran's character. Joe Pesci's return for the big screen is a welcomed one as he delivers his strongest performance since the days of
Goodfellas and
Casino. Whereas his performances in those films were more lively and energetic, Pesci excels at playing a more calm and calculated mobster type figure with the character serving as a low-key protector to Frank, while possessing a menacing side as an insincere mediator. If audiences are expecting his character to be as violent as well as getting in characters faces as he was in
Goodfellas and
Casino, they'll be disappointed as Pesci's character is the complete opposite but still a powerful force on the screen with his calmer yet still intimidating presence. With the character of Jimmy Hoffa, Al Pacino delivers his finest acting performance in decades with him effectively bringing the character of Jimmy Hoffa to the big screen, making him a complexed figure as well as the part of the story that reaches it's maximum potential. With Hoffa, Pacino has moments where he delivers his trademark shouty persona but also switches things up when he tones his character down, allowing his facial expressions to do the work. He does a great job portraying a Hoffa whose insistent on maintaining control of his union, while being unfazed by the dangers of his persistence as well as not heeding the warning of his friends. It's surprising that Pacino and Scorsese finally team up together for a film as the two never worked together previously with the end result not being disappointing. In terms of supporting actors, Harvey Keitel does well with his role as Angelo Bruno, despite having a shorter amount of screen time than the three main actors. His presence only adds to an already remarkable and epic line up of legendary actors reuniting with Scorsese. Ray Romano impresses and does well with his minimal role as Jimmy Hoffa's attorney Bill Buffalino, with him managing to hold his own against the rest of the cast. Despite his character getting overshadowed by the rest of the cast as the film progresses, he still manages to make the most of the time he has and does very well. One of the more understated performances is the role of Pacino's daughter played by
X-Men and
True Blood's Anna Paquin. Her performance as Peggy Sheeran is mostly one that's extremely soft-spoken as she only carries seven lines of dialogue with her character, yet still manages to make her role impactful with audiences in terms of being the distant child to De Niro's character, who appears to be very observant of her surroundings. As a whole, the cast puts a heavy weight on the picture in terms of it being such a stellar piece of filmmaking with the meat of the film coming from the performances of the main trio. Seeing De Niro, Pesci, and Pacino together on the big screen is a special occasion, and one that shouldn't be looked upon lightly. The moments where the trio are on the screen together are terrific with the three titans chewing up the scenery. For these guys as well as Keitel, their involvement in this film is perhaps their final ventures into the monster genre given their ages. If that's the case, one cannot think of a better exit from the genre that Scorsese provides them with
The Irishman.
While the films performances by the main actors are exceptional, it is the pure craftsmanship of Scorsese as director that glues both the acting together with the films strong script. As
The Irishman shows, Scorsese is a filmmaker whose a master at his craft, delivering audiences another mobster tale that pays homage to the films of the past within the genre, while bringing it's story to life in a way that's both eye-opening and engrossing to watch. Whereas the film moves at an extremely slow pace, Scorsese keeps the audience engaged with the characters as well as the events surrounding the story while providing revelations that can be potentially shocking for the audience such as the Chicago mafia's involvement in the JFK assassination, as well as the film showing what could've (And Most likely did) happened to Jimmy Hoffa. Despite the films 209 minute running time, Scorsese keeps the film well-paced and steady, using the first half to set up the main characters with the second half developing Hoffa's real-life story and disappearance. The films visual effects are cleverly used with the de-aging of the main characters due to the story taking place over the span of several decades. What's most impressive about the CGI work is the fact that it was done through the use of an intricate camera system, that was created by ILM which has the ability to show the youthful side of the actors instantly. For the most part, the young look of the actors comes across as convincing both serving as a way of keeping continuity with the story, as well as showing the breakthrough in technology in regards to going backwards in time with the same actors without the need for recasting. The films cinematography is stunning with the film beautifully blending both the retro feel of the eras depicted in the story along with a modern day feel to it. The work that cinematographer Rodrigo Prieto accomplishes in terms of shaving off decades from its main actors, is a major achievement and one that's highly commendable. This is a well-shot film that's simply stunning to look as well as carrying the same mobster style atmosphere that Scorsese's previous films carried with them. The films soundtrack, though effective, complements both the story as well as the visual narrative perfectly. The films score manages to find a mood and feel that's able to transcend through the decades depicted in the film with Robbie Robertson delivering a masterful job. On both a directorial and technical note, Scorsese and his team give their all in terms of delivering a production that feels grand with a look that goes in line with Scorsese's previous mobster films.
The films screenplay by Steven Zaillian is a strong effort that does a phenomenal job of establishing the main characters as well as the story, particularly the subplot involving Jimmy Hoffa's character. The film covers many themes that makes it feel more like a more reflective mobster movie in comparison to Scorsese's previous works. The film places heavy emphasis around themes of trust, loyalty, friendship, and love as they each work their way throughout the plot. The point that Scorsese appears to be making with the story is that when trust is broken and love is lost, there's nothing left as evidenced through the subplot involving Frank and his daughter played by Anna Paquin. Whereas audiences criticize Paquin's character for not having much to say in terms of dialogue, her role plays a key part in the films end message as her character provides the conscience that De Niro's didn't have as he never showed remorse for those he killed, even afterwards. Losing Patty in his life made Sheeran realize the gravitas of the situation as he reflects on it later as an elderly man looking back on his past years. The films ultimate message says that unwavering devotion to any kind of group, particularly that of the mob, only leads to corruption, violence, and loneliness in the end because it requires one to not only betray but lie to their friends and loved ones. In terms of delivering the overall message of the film, Scorsese and Zaillian present it in a way that doesn't feel forced but is conveyed through a natural progression of both the story and characters in the film. Out of all the monster films that Scorsese has directed,
The Irishman is the one that focuses on self-reflection, regret, and paying for the consequences of ones actions with Frank Sheeran being the key in terms of the audience witnessing both his rise and fall as a mobster. Many of the themes in this film are ones that Scorsese used previously in his past mobster films and revisits them here, making the overall experience one that's entertaining, funny, poignant, and ultimately powerful in terms of wanting to show the consequences of living a mobster life.
In the end,
The Irishman is going to be the one mobster movie of Martin Scorsese that will divide audiences as some will find it to be long, boring, and uninspired while those who grew up loving movies like
Goodfellas and
Casino will appreciate the masterful skill and craftsmanship that went into telling such a rich crime story.
The Irishman is a film that feels like it doesn't belong in this decade, but the fact that it exists and is so well made serves as a true testament to both the passion and dedication the cast and crew put into the production. In an era where superhero movies and remakes are dominating the current slate of movies released, it's remarkable to still see a film of this specific genre still get the greenlight. The film puts it's story and characters first with the films visual technology being used as a tool to drive the story rather than make up for it's shortcomings. The story is one that's powerfully told with a cast of veteran actors, whose primes were in the 70's and 80's era show audiences that they still have what it takes to play these parts, while possibly saying farewell to the genre that made them all iconic movie stars along with Scorsese being established as one of the world's greatest filmmakers. As for the movie itself,
The Irishman is a film that lives up to the hype and delivers another powerful statement in the mob genre thanks largely to both it's legendary cast and it's director who like the main character, reflects on his own filmmaking legacy as he crafts another masterpiece on his resume. For those who are weary about watching the film due to it's extreme length,
The Irishman is worth the time, the effort, and dedication to watch it as the story is engaging and the performances of De Niro, Pesci, and Pacino are exactly what you expected and hoped them to be. It's a film that's definitely worth the hype it's generated as well as being worth the 3.5 hour viewing time. Is it a perfect film? No, despite each moment feeling like it was properly utilized, the end result could've been 20 mins shorter and some of the scenes of young De Niro CGI dont fit well with the rest of the movie (Particuarly the scene where he throws the guy through the glass window and stomps him). Despite these minor faults,
The Irishman remains one of if not the best film of 2019, making it a remarkable achievement for Netflix as the film is sure to receive much attention this award season while snagging potential Oscar wins for Best Picture, Best Actor for De Niro and Best Director. If this is to be the final say that De Niro, Scorsese, Pesci, Pacino, and Keitel have on the genre then it's one that provides a triumphant finish to their legacies as both legendary movie stars and filmmakers.
The Irishman is a film that packs an enormous punch as a piece of entertainment, while serving as a powerful morality tale in regards to living a life of crime.
Final Verdict: For fans of Martin Scorsese and Robert De Niro,
The Irishman is a must see.
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