Great one for the genre

Rating: 9/10 (14 February 2020)

The Irishman is exactly what you would expect from a Mafia movie, content wise The plot, acting and the atmosphere all contribute to an excellent Mafia watch.
The plot is diverse enough, with numerous low-level mafia activities, from familiar to new. Packed as the plot is, the superb storytelling helps it unfold in an interesting way.
The acting is reasonable; after all the cast consists of lots of old-timers. However, although the performances are solid, the all-too-familiar acting styles of De Niro and Al Pacino heavily reduce the movie's original feel.
What impresses me the most (and differ The Irishman from others) is the message of the movie. It does not glorify the Mafia way of life, nor does it show the glamorous path from peasant to boss. The movie, instead, aims to stress on the consequences and trade-offs of such a lifestyle. Family breakups and lengthy jail time all comes at the mobster, one way or another. And or course, tragic death too.
No luxury was shown, no power over citizen was shown. For these low-level gangster, life was just an unavoidable downfall with no real satisfaction and internal peace.
The Irishman covers the same old ground, but delivers a much different message than other Mafia movies, in a satisfactory style.