The Irishman: A Deceptively Deep Mob Movie
Martin Scorsese’s latest mob epic, The Irishman, reunites him with usual suspects Robert De Niro and Joe Pesci, and also marks his first collaboration with Al Pacino. Despite standing at a whopping three and a half hours, the film is a brisk, breezy, and entertaining thrill ride that reaches deeper than any of Scorsese’s previous crime films, arriving at a surprisingly profound and contemplative conclusion that lingers with a quiet sizzle.
This biographical crime thriller follows Frank Sheeran (Robert De Niro) as he recalls his past years working for the Bufalino crime family. Now older, the WWII veteran once again reflects on his most prolific hits and, in particular, considers his involvement with his good friend Jimmy Hoffa's disappearance in 1975.
The Irishman is a sprawling confessional told from the perspective of Frank Sheeran (played by a mostly de-aged Robert De Niro), with the occasional colliding voiceover from another character — a technique that has now become a Scorsese hallmark — as he sits in a nursing home recounting his past as a truck driver turned hitman who “paints houses” (a code word used throughout to signify a hit) for mobster Russell Bufalino (Joe Pesci) and his crime family, chronicling his time working for the powerful Teamster Jimmy Hoffa (Al Pacino), who was allegedly (and most likely) killed by Sheeran. Comprised of mostly flashbacks that span the course of several decades, Frank’s tale — all about the things that are said and unsaid — is one of sadness and regret as he looks over his shoulder, feeling the weight of the consequences of his decisions (based around his post-WWII philosophy of “whatever happens, happens”) and fearful of the kind of finality which he played so much a part of.
The film really feels like a culmination of everything in Scorsese’s career and how he’s refined himself in his Autumn years, blending his energetic and stylistic crime films with his more contemplative work, giving it the feel of Casino/Goodfellas meets Silence. It’s stained with all Marty’s hallmarks (the kinetic camera and smooth tracking shots, freeze frames, multiple-perspective voiceover threads, and, of course violence), and even though his long and successful career has given us some of the most brutal and searing moments of violence in cinema history, he still hasn’t lost his ability to surprise. And speaking of surprises, the way the last hour of the film morphs into something that reaches way deep into the soul really catches you off guard and makes it an instant standout from Scorsese’s previous crime films.
Part of the film’s appeal is how it bring together old and new collaborators, pulling Joe Pesci out of retirement, cementing Ray Romano as a new regular, and tossing Al Pacino, Jesse Plemons, and Anna Paquin into the Scorsese stew for the very first time. The film also reunites Scorsese with regulars from Scorsese’s TV work, like Bobby Cannavale Stephen Graham, along with film regulars, like Harvey Keitel. It certainly is a very cool sight to see these septuagenarians all together on-screen — and often restored to their former glory (something we’ll get into more below) — especially De Niro and Pacino who get quality screen time together (which they’ve only gotten with 2008’s Righteous Kill and 1995’s Heat).
Pesci, Pacino, and De Niro deliver phenomenal, career-defining performances, making it incredibly hard to pick a favorite. Pacino gives a very Pacino performance as Hoffa, full of riled up and boisterous energy. Inversely, Pesci is incredible as the quiet and reserved Russell Bufalino, giving a performance that’s more of Brando Godfather than his roles in Casino and Goodfellas, which shows a side of himself audiences haven’t really gotten to see. De Niro has made a career out of the-man-of-few-words solitary types, and he brings his A-game here, delivering an somber straight man performance loaded with wry humor. Aside from Pesci, Pacino, and De Niro, other characters are pushed to the periphery, which makes it hard to full grasp their involvement. Perhaps the most controversial of all is Paquin because she has little to no lines; however, her presence is a strong one and it plays a vital part in the film, reinforcing the “things unsaid.”
Given the mix of young and old in the film’s cast, there’s an interesting mix of aging forward (with make-up and prosthetics) and backward (with CGI). The film relies heavily on the de-aging technology (which was also on display in this year’s Gemini Man), and outside of a few moments here and there, it never became distracting. The technology still isn’t quite there, but a special effect is effective when it doesn’t pull you out of the story, and we were always engaged and absorbed in what was going on. Sometimes the eyes were a bit problematic, and there’s a few scenes that look awkward because the face is de-aged but the body still feels and moves like an older man — but in the grand scheme, this are really minor quibbles. Solidifying the journey from the 50s to present is the production design from Bob Shaw, set decoration from Regina Graves, and costume design by Christopher Peterson and Sandy Powell, all of which are quiet elegant and instantly tell you where you are in time, which is vital to a story that bounces through history.
Scorsese, now 76, still hasn’t lost his spark, and he finds the right energy to suit every single scene, which is perfected by Thelma Schoonmaker’s editing (which should win her her fourth Oscar). There are several sequences here that feel instantly iconic (the breakdown of a hit being one that springs to mind), and The Irishman definitely stands amongst some of his best work. The way the film uses titles cards to disclose the fates of some of the film’s ancillary characters gives it a Slaughterhouse-Five Vonnegut feel that draws your awareness to Sheeran’s activities and the impermanence of time. As it works towards its final moments, it makes its intentions a bit more clear, leaving you with something profound to chew on.
Recommendation: Definitely check this one out when it drops on Netflix (11/27), and add it to your queue so you can watch it again later.
Rating: 4.5 envelopes outta 5.
What do you think? We want to know. Share your thoughts and feelings in the comments section below, and as always, remember to viddy well!