Review: The Irishman
The Irishman, directed by Martin Scorsese, tells the tale of Frank Sheeran (Robert De Niro), a former WWII vet turned truck driver making ends meat until he gets a new purpose in life “painting houses” when he runs across the mobster Russell Bufalino (Joe Pesci) and his crime family. Through Russell, Frank gets a new gig working as part of the Teamster union lead by Jimmy Hoffa (Al Pacino) and the two began a close friendship that forces Frank to make a fateful decision between which friendship is more valuable to him and his family.
This is the latest film from director Martin Scorsese and a film I’ve been looking forward to since its announcement. With a cast that includes De Niro, Pacino, and Pesci all in one film in addition with Scorsese’s direction it’s almost like a dream that this even happened. The film got picked up by Netflix after spending years in development hell and being dropped by Paramount Pictures over the film’s gargantuan budget. Despite it being available on Netflix’s streaming service starting November 27, I drove quite a few miles to see this film in a theater and believe me this film most definitely deserves to be seen at the largest screen possible.
Based on the book I Heard You Paint Houses by Charles Brandt which is in part based on true events, the film’s story is vastly intriguing. This is not like Scorsese’s previous outings in the mob gangster genre. Like many of Scorsese’s films this one is driven by the complexities of its central character. Frank Sheeran is such a interesting individual; you’re not able to root for him after all the horrible things he’s done, but at the same time you can’t help but go along with his reasoning for why he’s done what he did, and De Niro gives a very nuanced portrayal of the Irishman himself.
The performances all around were very solid. Joe Pesci gives a very different kind of performance compared to his previous collaborations with Scorsese; Pesci manages to be very subdued and quiet yet be very intimidating at the same time. Al Pacino gives one of the best performances I’ve seen all year; he’s charismatic, expressive, and his on screen chemistry with De Niro makes you wonder why these two haven’t been in more films together all these years. The editing is very clever at times, the cinematography is purposeful, the song choices are all very appropriate, and the writing from Steven Zaillian was one of the best all year.
The only real gripe I had with the film is its stupidly long run time. Clocking in at a monstrous three and a half hours, this is quite the movie to sit through, and the film doesn’t make the most out of its run time. Although I recommend seeing this film in theaters as Scorsese intended it to be seen I can completely understand people opting to see this on Netflix instead with access to the pause button for breaks every now and then. Anna Paquin’s character in the film was also very under-developed, leaving hardly anything for the actress to work off of.Those alongside a couple scenes that go on for too long were honestly my only complaints about the film; everything else was immensely enjoyable.
Overall this was another great Scorsese film. While I personally enjoyed some of the director’s past films over this one, I can comfortably say this was one of the best films I’ve seen in 2019 so far. If this sounds like a film you might like and don’t mind its three and a half hour run time then do yourself a favor and check it out. The film will be available on Netflix November 27th, but if you find it playing in a theater near you then I highly recommend seeing it there. Check it out and see for yourself.
Final Verdict: 9/10