The Irishman Review

Rating: 9/10 (1 December 2019)

Martin Scorsese is still at the top of his game even after directing for more than 50 years. This is one of my favorite Scorsese films that he has directed behind Goodfellas and Taxi Driver. This film came so close to becoming a masterpiece if it wasn't for the first 30 minutes being a little too confusing. It was a little hard to understand what was going on but I eventually caught on to what was happening. There is not one bad performance in this film. Every actor brings their A-game especially Robert De Niro, Joe Pesci, and Al Pacino. Each of them is incredible in their roles and adds many different layers to their respective characters but I felt Joe Pesci did the best job. He made Russell Bufalino seem like an intimidating but kind character that was always intriguing to watch. Robert De Niro made his character, Frank Sheeran, seem like a hardcore badass who didn't make enough time for his family and Al Pacino made Jimmy Hoffa feel like a kind yet hotheaded and naive man. The script and de aging effects done on these characters is great also. Most films that use de aging and aging effects don't like that great in the light but Martin Scorsese found a way to make it look really good. The actors make these effects even better. When they are made to look younger, the actors use their physical performance to look younger and the same when they are aged to look older. They use their physical performance to make themselves feel older. Even though the movie is 3 and a half hours long, I never felt the runtime. The story is always investing even when it is confusing. I was never bored throughout the course of the film. The last hour of the film was fantastic. If you have seen the trailers then you know the film has Jimmy Hoffa in it played by Al Pacino and the last hour "deals" with him. It's beautifully executed and acting and the final scene is heartbreaking yet intriguing. Although this is far from Scorsese's first look at mobsters and gangsters, this film does enough that is unique to differentiate itself from his other works. The soundtrack choices were great and fit the tone of the film pretty well and all the other technical aspects were done pretty well. Overall, The Irishman is yet again another great look at mobsters with fantastic performances, a compelling story, and fantastic direction from Martin Scorsese.