The Irishman

I'll come right out and say it:

While I enjoyed The Irishman (less than I thought I would however), I think it's a film that only fans of the Mafia/mob genre and/or cinephiles will truly enjoy.

More on that in the review, but one can't help but be amazed that here we are, in 2019, getting Martin Scorsese's newest picture as a streaming option on Netflix. His massive, sprawling 3.5 hour film with Robert DeNiro, Al Pacino, and Joe Pesci is being released into our homes - as opposed to theaters - and right before Thanksgiving no less. I'm not entirely sure what that means for the movie industry (I know Netflix spent a lot of money to capture this one), but you have to admit that's cool. It's high quality content of an anticipated release that I can watch at home and for "free" (in the sense that I was going to pay my Netflix bill regardless). 

It's a big win for Netflix in terms of credibility and between this, a handful of other films, and Roma of last year (yes, I know I wasn't its biggest fan, but it was critically adored), it's starting to look like they may be able to produce some high-quality and exciting films in addition to their strong show line-up. 

Regarding Scorsese, I'm curious what it means for his career. He's obviously talented - The Departed is one of my Top 10 favorite films and I should do a Retro Review about it! - but it makes me wonder between last year's bomb of Silence (which I still need to see) and now this going to Netflix, is he no longer marketable? I hardly doubt that's the case but it's an interesting period in his career nonetheless. Despite how he may feel about the MCU (he's entitled to his own [wrong] opinion!), I still look forward to what he produces. 

The Irishman, warts and all, is no different in that regard. It's an epic film that centers around Robert DeNiro's Frank Sheeran (yes, he's the Irish man) as he moves throughout his life, career, and family. It's better as a whole, meaning, I really appreciated all that it offered once it was over because as you're watching it's a film that feels very random. At 3.5 hours, it's just too long and has too many scenes that are just "there" for me to ignore the fact that it felt disjointed. It jumps back and forth probably more than it should and ultimately the plot is easy, but sometimes feels needlessly confusing or over complicated. With any other filmmaker, the combination of a lot of these things would probably have resulted in a much worse film, but Scorsese is so talented that he makes an immensely watchable film. Hence my earlier comment that I think cinephiles will (and already are) loving this, but general audiences may have less patience and wonder what the f**k is going on and where it's going for a majority of the runtime. Many have said it's his masterpiece and it's a near-perfect film. I disagree and truly believe it could have used some tightening up, BUT if you're willing to watch the whole thing, it's abundantly clear that the film was less about any one or two plot lines and more about the life and the consequences of said life for Sheeran. 

The classic Robert DeNiro stare...

And then the alien invasion started!

I imagine that's a divisive previous paragraph, but I also have to call em like I see em. Building off the final sentence, it's the pensive ending to The Irishman that has stuck with me the hardest. There's no sort of "shock" finale or anything like that, but instead one that is perhaps a culmination of all the gangsters Scorsese has shown before: what happens to the ones that live a life fully in crime? It's immensely sad and allows DeNiro and Scorsese to do some of their best work. It's also the most focused bit of the film. Before that, we're treated to a lot of Scorsese classic filmmaking. There's a streak of dark humor throughout, but also a streak of what I'll call "old man" humor with scenes of Al Pacino losing his cool over little stuff. There's a lot of crime throughout - some of it happening in shocking ways - and it's all filmed with the professional deftness that comes from this director. As it goes through the ages too, the soundtrack continuously accompanies it and gives energy to the film. 

Where I think The Irishman truly shines though is with the performances. DeNiro does turn in a performance that's one of the best of his career (which is saying a lot) and as previously mentioned, in those final 20-30 minutes he's incredible. Al Pacino, playing Union President Jimmy Hoffa - of which a majority of the film is about this time in American history - is tons of fun as he's a hot head, but the chemistry he and DeNiro share creates scenes of wonderful friendship. Joe Pesci plays Russell Bufalino (is that not the most Italian name you've ever heard?) in a reserved manner that helps to counteract the anger of Pacino's Hoffa. They both play roles that are close to Sheeran so he's often stuck in the middle of Pesci's calm and Pacino's intensity which obviously creates some tension. Outside of the "Big 3" the cast is impressive with Anna Paquin, Jesse Plemons, Bobby Cannavale, Harvey Keitel, and Ray Romano all doing fantastic work, even if some of them have few speaking lines. 

Why yes, their dance crew did just get "served"

I'm happy that many are loving The Irishman. Looking at it as a whole, it's quite an impressive feature with a cast that has a long, storied history of being top talent in America. Despite that, I find that I grew frustrated with its lack of focus at times and though it's available for streaming, I'm not sure casual moviegoers will have the patience to dedicate to it all the way through. They should because the thoughtful ending is what makes the whole film worth it, but I don't blame them either because the initial 2.5 - 3 hours, while entertaining in many ways, could have used tightening.

CONS

• It's overlong. There's definitely a lot of content here - most of which should be in here - but there's a lot of fluff and the narrative can have spurts of coming off as disjointed and unfocused
• The de-aging effects, and some other effects, are all pretty obvious and take you out of the moment

PROS

• Historically interesting tale of crime throughout America, specifically related to the Teamsters Union and Jimmy Hoffa
• The final 30ish minutes becomes extremely focused and powerful. It's what will stick with you the longest past the film
• Wonderful collection of scenes with smart, quick dialogue, good humor, or shocking violence
• Scorsese still shows immense talent behind the camera and in his overall vision
• Fitting soundtrack that adds energy
• Some career best performances from actors where that's saying quite a lot. DeNiro owns the film and Pacino and Pesci are equally brilliant. The supporting cast provides wonderful foundations for them to stand upon
• Despite its length and lack of focus at times, The Irishman is still epic, engaging, and well constructed

Rath's Review Score | 8.5/10