About the film (courtesy of Netflix):
Robert De Niro, Al Pacino and Joe Pesci star in Martin Scorsese’s The Irishman, an epic saga of organized crime in post-war America told through the eyes of World War II veteran Frank Sheeran, a hustler and hitman who worked alongside some of the most notorious figures of the 20th century. Spanning decades, the film chronicles one of the greatest unsolved mysteries in American history, the disappearance of legendary union boss Jimmy Hoffa, and offers a monumental journey through the hidden corridors of organized crime: its inner workings, rivalries and connections to mainstream politics.
The vanishing of Amelia Earhart. The assassination of John F. Kennedy. Area 51. KFC’s secret eleven herbs and spices. These are just a few of the mysteries that have piqued the curiosities of Americans over the last 80 years. While we may never learn the truth, speculation is always an addictive sport. Another subject that is right up there at the top is the disappearance of Jimmy Hoffa. There have been countless rumors and theories as to his fate. And while some have been whimsical and ridiculous, others have well thought out and seem quite feasible. The Irishman falls into the latter, with Martin Scorsese poised to tell a story with Oscar-winning potential.
Over the decades, a few things have become very clear in regards to Martin Scorsese-led projects. For starters, the story will be solid and compelling on one level or another…ummm the fate of Jimmy Hoffa, hellooooooo. The cast will be loaded with talent; Robert De Niro, Al Pacino, Joe Pesci, Harvey Keitel, Ray Romano, Bobby Cannavale, Jack Huston, Jesse Plemons, Anna Paquin and more. No punches will be pulled so that its maximum impact is felt, hence its extremely justified R-rating. Finally, The Irishman wouldn’t be a true Scorsese epic if it wasn’t blessed with an excessively long runtime. In this case, three and a half hours.
Starting with its marathon length and pacing, The Irishman appears intimidating if you just look at the numbers. I mean, committing to 209 minutes of continuous viewing seems challenging. Looking at it from the other side though, it’s really not that bad, especially if it’s a worthwhile watch. In this day and age of binge-watching, you’d be spending more time catching up on half a season of Stranger Things than you would experiencing this singular story that has a lot going on throughout.
The A-list acting troupe deserves a huge nod in that they check their egos at the door and give their all in portraying the respective characters regardless of how big or small their onscreen contributions are. The Irishman is essentially the story of Frank Sheeran (Robert De Niro) and Jimmy Hoffa (Al Pacino), but there are many other moving parts to help fill in the bigger picture. And without each and every person pulling their weight to propel this “heavy” film, the end result could have been far less enjoyable.
The Irishman is a story made by mature adults with mature adults for mature adults. Don’t read the previous sentence as it’s a movie by the elderly, starring the elderly and it’s for the elderly. That is not my intent at all. This is the type of film that feeds off of refinement with emphasis on the art and technicality. Forget about big-budget explosions and elaborately choreographed fight scenes. Just about everything you’ll see in this feature is measured precision. Aside from the heavy handed CGI de-aging of several of its main characters, most of what you’ll see are practical effects and it’s quite, well, effective.
Martin Scorsese does not disappoint in his latest mob journey. He educates while also entertaining while, once again, getting the most of his familiar big three actors. Robert De Niro, Al Pacino and Joe Pesci show exactly why they’re the godfathers of these types of films. Once you’ve watched The Irishman in its entirety, there will be no forgetting about it. You can catch this version of the truth in theaters in select cities for a few more weeks. The best part is that if sitting in theaters for this long happens to be too much of a challenge, Netflix will start streaming it on November 27th. Either way, check it out.
