The Irishman - Scorsese back to his best genre...

Rating: 8/10 (2 December 2019)

This film is brilliant, but by no means perfect.
It feels like a cross between Sergio Leone's "Once Upon a Time in America" and Martin Scorsese's most famous film, "Goodfellas". However, it doesn't have the beauty almost operatic quality of Once Upon a Time in America, or the stylised panache of Goodfellas.
There are some epics out there of a similar run time, where the time flies by without you looking at your watch. In the Irishman, there are definitely moments that lag, and feel a little slow, maybe if it was 45mins shorter it would pack more punch.
The film doesn't have the zip or magnetism of other Scorsese outings, despite the story being a compelling non-fiction tale of Mafia hitman Frank Sheeran, and involves one of the most famous "whodunit's" in US history, in the disappearance of Jimmy Hoffa. (which is exciting source material).
However, the production quality is incredibly high, with vintage vehicles, clothes, absolutely spot on. The editing spliced with an incredible contemporary soundtrack, is trademark Scorsese. The cast is phenomenal, and every single one of them delivers a captivating performance in scene after scene. Great performers, delivering at their very best!
If you only ever watch it once, it's definitely worth the time!