brilliant film with a gimmick not ready for prime time

Rating: 9/10 (29 November 2019)

I won't go through the plot. I will say it was a joy to see Robert DeNiro, Al Pacino. Joe Pesci, Bobby Cannavale and others in "The Irishman." There are many reasons to praise Scorsese's work but I think for a film to last nearly 3-1/2 hours and move so quickly is amazing and a tribute to his artistry.
The acting is superb. The three stars manage to create characters that are completely fleshed out. In many ways it's a sad story, with DeNiro's character, Sheeran's, last scenes heartbreaking.
In actuality, according to a Hoffa expert of 40 years. the disappearance of Jimmy Hoffa didn't quite go down as portrayed. Like "JFK" the source is one person, and there are conflicting stories. Nevertheless it's compelling.
Now I'll go into why I gave this film a 9. I'm sorry and I don't care what anyone else thinks, CGI isn't there yet. Both DeNiro and Pacino looked as if they had scoliosis and no necks, wearing clothes too big for them. I found it very distracting. In one of the first scenes, DeNiro is a young man driving a truck. I didn't recognize him. Too gimmicky. The aging - and I think they made these guys look older than they are - was much better than the deaging.
If it didn't take away from anyone's experiences, I'm glad. You can do so much with actual makeup and lighting -- it was at least worth a try.