VIEWS ON FILM review of The Irishman

Rating: 7/10 (2 December 2019)

"Something's gotta be done". That "something" is to check out The Irishman which is a true storied flick on Netflix. I mean you could see it at a theater but it's better watched with a plate of linguine and clams, a bottle of wine, and a few bathroom breaks. When you're here (or at home) you're family. Ha-ha.
Anyway, The Irishman is a restrained, Martin Scorsese pic that is his cinematic, greatest hits collection (no pun intended on "hits"). There's a subtle, master-class piece of acting involving Robert De Niro and a ferocious turn from Al Pacino as labor union leader Jimmy Hoffa.
As far as late releases go circa 2019, "Irishman" reminded me of Scorsese's Goodfellas, his 1995 opus Casino, and The Good Shepherd. Yeah the film runs about three and a half hours but hey, those rise and fall minutes seem to glide right by.
Now would I put The Irishman in Scorsese's top five via his 50-year span as a filmmaker? Probably not. Would I recommend it? Of course I would. "Irishman" is a sprawling and calculated epic. It's talky rather than flashy. It's phlegmatic as opposed to being overly violent. Its sense of time and place is sumptuous as opposed to being visibly forced. Its use of flashbacks is pertinent as opposed to being an obligatory gimmick.
The Irishman spans decades while chronicling humble hit-man and labor union lackey, Frank Sheeran (De Niro). Sheeran was once a truck driver in the 1950's until he saw an opening to be part of a high rank crime family. Yup, that's an interesting and dangerous promotion.
All in all, I reveled in Scorsese's remarkable camerawork and his ability to insert one unforgettable tune in the proceedings ("In the Still of the Night" by the Five Satins). Yeah "Irishman's" script by Steven Zaillian is rife with vapid, tough-talking entities. Oh well. Thelma Schoonmaker's editing here is still tight as a drum.
One critic referred to The Irishman as the Forrest Gump of mob movies. This critic thinks of "Irishman" as more The Green Mile version. Now that it's Oscar season, it's time to walk "Irishman's" long but rewarding "mile". Rating: 3 stars.