The Irishman Review
A glorious reunion of some Hollywood heavyweights that gives us the best film of the year, in this mobster epic.
The Irishman is the best film of the year. That’s it, that could really be the review done and dusted to be honest. But, there’s so much to talk about as this film is quite simply a masterpiece and is the film I expect to be given the Academy Award for Best Picture at the Oscars next year. It’s a crime/gangster film directed by Martin Scorsese and includes the acting talents of: Robert De Niro, Al Pacino, Joe Pesci and Harvey Keitel to name a few.
Martin Scorsese has been more in the headlines in recent weeks and months for the war he’s waged against Marvel and superhero movies. Calling them out as an extension of amusement parks and brushing them off as not real art or cinema. But, he is, definitively, one of the greatest film makers to ever walk on this planet and he’s caught a lot of flak recently. When Marty speaks, we should really listen. With his latest film The Irishman, we can, thankfully, move the conversation back to how much of a genius he is and how great his films are.
This film came out at the beginning of the month in cinemas, but was released on Netflix November 27th. I made the decision to wait for it to come out on Netflix for one pretty major reason and something I think a lot of people will be talking about after this film – its run time. The Irishman clocks in at a rather huge run time of 209 minutes. The greatest compliment I can give that relates to this is that it doesn’t hinder the film at all and in fact gives at an even greater sense of feeling epic. But people saying it feels short are chatting out of their asses. It’s three and a half hours, it’s going to feel like three and a half hours. That’s not a critique in any sense, but rather just stating the factual obvious which I see others are weirdly not saying. But, that is the beauty of seeing this film on Netflix – you can split it up in a way that suits you best and it does feel almost like a TV series where there are clear parts to take a break where you feel like it.
As mentioned, this is a film that has a story on such a grand and epic scale it’s very difficult to even talk about or allude to plot points. All anyone should know before going into this film is that Robert De Niro plays Frank Sheeran who becomes a hit man for mob boss Russell Bufalino, played by Joe Pesci. Through these connections, Sheeran works alongside labor union boss Jimmy Hoffa, played by Al Pacino. Know that, and just see the movie. So, with that being said I think the remainder of this review should follow as such: talking about the performances of De Niro, Pacino & Pesci, gushing about its Oscar chances and finally giving it a perfect score. Sounds good to me.
Robert De Niro, to me, is one of the baddest men on the planet. When it’s all said and done, the question is really where amongst the top 3 actors of all time does he rank? He’s simply that good. He’s a man who has gifted as all with supreme acting performances across the years and in this film he gives us another one. I’ll come onto it later, but in a film where is surrounded by immense acting talent he is the fulcrum and everything revolves around him. The incredible de-aging technology used means we see a younger De Niro and the great make up work means we get to see a very old De Niro. Regardless of his age, he keeps the ship level and his performance is calming and reassuring in an ironic way considering this a mob film. Parts of the film include his narration and everything is seen through his perspective, Robert De Niro is The Irishman in every sense.
Al Pacino is again, acting royalty. I think he’s a unanimous pick for top 10 actors for any true movie fan and despite this, I was scratching my head thinking when he last gave a performance this good. The short answer is, not in a very long time. He dominated the 1970s and he’s back with an almighty bang. Jimmy Hoffa is a character so stubborn and so funny, Pacino plays him superbly. Whenever he’s in a scene, he stands out for being so different to everyone else. Whilst this film is dominated by tough guys, Hoffa is a bit of a dorky, clumsy individual. I loved what he did, and I think you will too.
Joe Pesci, Joe Pesci, Joe Pesci. Please put some respect on this man’s name. In a review where I’ve mentioned Robert De Niro and Al Pacino, for me it was Joe Pesci who carries the most impactful screen presence. But this isn’t a one off, he’s done this before. Pesci is scary and he’s mean, and when he’s talking with someone in this film – you feel a whole different sort of energy. He was supposedly begged to come out of his unofficial retirement to do this film. And thank heavens he did, because he’s just a beast and I’ll see any film he’s attached to.
I’ll acknowledge this review hasn’t said too much about the film itself. I’ll briefly say elements such as: the screenplay, the score, the cinematography, the set design and so much more are perfect. But, it is the masterful acting performances and direction that make this the film of the year. The way Scorsese can tell a film and the stylistic beats he implements are really second to none. This film has a great feel and I can’t find anything to fault it.
I’ll only say for now I think it will win Best Picture – although maybe I’m a prisoner of the moment as there more to come. But, in terms of nominations put your money on it that Scorsese gets one for directing, De Niro for Best Actor, Pacino and Pesci for Best Supporting Actor, Zailan for Best Adapted Screenplay and pretty much all the technical awards. This film is beyond simplistic reviews and, in this case, you should actually just do yourself a solid and watch it. The Irishman is Scorsese and the actors he uses at their best, and this film is the best of 2019.