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The Irishman

A review by Brooks Rich


I had some trepidation as this film's release approached. The de-aging technology they used on the actors sat weird with me, especially after how odd that same technology came off in It: Chapter 2. So I was worried about an entire three hour plus film having to de-age Robert De Niro, Al Pacino, and Joe Pesci. Yeah ......  that didn't matter because this film is one of the best films to come out in a long time. I don't care what people say .....  Martin Scorsese"" is one of the greatest filmmakers of all time.

The Irishman tells the story of Frank Sheeran, played brilliantly by Robert De Niro, a former hit man for a crime family run by Joe Pesci, who is unbelievably good in this, who claimed that he was involved in the disappearance of famed teamster Jimmy Hoffa, played by Al Pacino, doing some of his best work in years. 

Four icons of American cinema ...... what else could he need?! Scorsese returns to his roots and has delivered yet another masterpiece of mobster cinema. We haven't seen him make a film like this since Casino, which I always looked at as kind of the end of one part of his career and the start of another. This is an epic American movie ....... and the kind of film that could only be made by Scorsese. 

Scorsese's usual trademarks are all here. A character from the film narrating the whole time. Pervasive language throughout, fuck is every word in some scenes, especially coming out of Pacino's mouth. Brutal mob violence as only Scorsese could deliver. Some of these scenes could be right out of Goodfellas or Casino. 

The film is very long. It clocks in at about three hours and twenty-nine minutes. But I never felt the length. I was always engaged. Scorsese has always known how to tell a good story. His films are always long, but they never drag. 

I miss films like this. The classic American film seems to be a thing of the past. I know Scorsese is not making any friends with his comments about the current state of cinema, especially the popularity of superhero movies. But, in a way, he's right. They aren't cinema. They are rollercoaster rides. There's nothing wrong with that, but let's not get it twisted. They aren't brilliant cinematic achievements. The Irishman is. This is easily one of the best films of the year, and one of the best films in a long time. I think it's Scorsese's best film since Goodfellas. It's on Netflix right now. See this movie if you're a film fan. There's no excuse. This is one of our finest directors working with some of our finest actors. Fantastic. 

Rating: 5/5


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