Scorsese's still got it

Rating: 10/10 (11 November 2019)

This is as close as Scorsese will get to his old style, and yet keep a significant distance between what made films like goodfellas and casino fantastic.

To call this a return to form is an insult to the master, who's last films have been nothing short of great and entertaining but only just scratching above the line of being true classics. The Irishman is well above that line, and it truly solidified itself amongst the ranks of Goodfellas in the last 30 minutes where Scorsese's plan goes from being a entertaining and engaging mess to a piece of art. To put it simply, it tells the story or betrayal and regret for 3 hours but only reveals what it means to Frank in the last 30. Pacino is a true actor in this film, embodying Hoffa and making people like De Niro and Pesci seem like backgrounds to which he can stand and perform. I want to commend Scorsese for giving us this film because no one asked him for masterpiece about ageing and becoming old. No one expected it from him to deliver a tale of this potency. But it becomes so clear that only an aged Scorsese could make a film like this. This is why we waited for The Irishman. This is why we needed another gangster film from him. Because only a veteran director can make you empathise with a part of your life that's 50 or so decades away.