Outstanding narrative feat.

Rating: 9/10 (16 December 2019)

One of the longest awaited releases in recent memory, The Irishman is Marty Scorsese's mob magnus opus of this decade, something that was long overdue, not to mention him joining forces once again with former associates such as Robert De Niro, Joe Pesci, Harvey Keitel and first-time
collaborator, the magnificent Al Pacino. Scorsese returns to the genre in top form, handling narrative tasks in an extremely substantial manner, with minutious precise storytelling that seems so well-connected from beginning to end. Each scene is composed through a firm thread which stays strong throughout the film, never letting any scene go unnoticed or feel somewhat unremarkable. Each scene has its purpose, whether it is small or big, it ties the story together. The editing is also a marvel to behold, since it brings the narrative element to the highest of standards, prompting to make the viewer feel that the duration of the film isn't something to be preoccupied with as long as there is an excellent film in front of them. The film slowly cooks on low heat like a stew, slowly building up to the point of being done, and the final result is an absolute delight, a feast to the senses involved.
The acting is first-class, supreme and superlative, as if there weren't enough adjectives to describe the immaculate performances of De Niro, Pesci and Pacino. Even the rest of the cast does a magnific job to keep the boat not only afloat but almost floating up in the air. The only thing that results a bit distracting is the de-aging effect, specially on De Niro, just like Will Smith on Gemini Man, specifically the area around the mouth, which is something special effects companies will have to improve to make it as close to reality as possible.
Marty Scorsese and his friends came back for a monumental mob/political piece regarding the disappearance of Jimmy Hoffa, proving that the Scorsese way is still efficient and highly regarded in 2019, where people can still appreciate movies of long duration, with nothing but a story to tell, supported by fine acting, and almost zero effects. The Irishman will only get bigger with time, as it will be regarded as one of Scorsese's finest works of his career, accumulated with efforts of such exceptional quality. Legendary.