Scorsese's Netflix vanity project delivers

Rating: 8/10 (23 December 2019)

Going into the 2019/2020 awards season as one of the favorites for taking home accolades ranging from "best director" to "best picture," Martin Scorsese's long-winded period drama 'The Irishman' is surely a film that will capture the attention of a wide, diverse audience.
Sure, the main cast may be comprised of cinematic dinosaurs, but they've all earned the right to be referred to by their last names only: De Niro. Pacino. Pesci. As Scorsese proves here, there is no better actor to play an Irish-American than an Italian-American, with De Niro's Frank Sheeran proving to be one of the most honorably vengeful confidants that lived in the 20th century. At the center of 'Irishman' is the struggle between the Teamsters and the Federal government, with political infighting among the union's leadership serving as the backdrop for much of the on-screen action.
For many, the major takeaway of 'Irishman' is its length. Clocking in at three-and-a-half hours, the film is quite a time investment. But in true Scorsese fashion, this runtime is not for the sake of keeping the audience in its seats - it's all deliberate. For one, the timing allows for proper character development, as we get to see the real ups and downs in the relationships between Sheeran, Pacino's Jimmy Hoffa and Pesci's Russell Bufalino. And there are definitely a number of ups and downs. And what goes hand-in-hand with solid character development is smart dialogue - which there is plenty of to go around here.
Some may accuse 'The Irishman' as being a Scorsese vanity project. And to be fair, it totally is. But it's a very well done vanity project, and for that, it should be appreciated.