A Study In Real Cinema

Rating: 9/10 (30 November 2019)

At time "The Irishman" does get bogged down by the Netflix inspired episodic feel, but this dissection of the inner workings of union and the demise of Jimmy Hoffa at the hands of a close friend is too engaging to leave for a mini-series. It's to be told by the master of cinema, director Martin Scorsese. And, though his recent comments about superhero flicks being the death of real storytelling, which I emphatically agree with, he has earned his right to say so, and in this flick he's proven his skillful craft combining all his efforts from previous mobster flicks. EXCEPT, everyone involved are so subdued and in character, it's hard to remember that Joe Pesci is the rampant hothead in "GoodFellas" or "Casino" To be honest, "The Departed" wasn't worthy of Best Picture. This is. It's a masterful control of pace, storytelling and character idiosyncratic behavior that could've been easily caricature. Instead, we're dealing with a Steven Zaillian script and anchored by incredible faces with incredible pedigree in how people USE to make films. This is the flick we have been waiting for as the trilogy to complete the modern day crime storytelling (I disregard "Mean Streets" as it's more hood film). In organized crime, most silently nod and people go dead. It's that fast. And the mystery surrounding Hoffa's disappearance is more the MacGuffin of the film than what's at the core. And that is, that friendships within crime don't last long. And that being emboldened to someone through this world does not mean you aren't marked for death. It's comes in many forms. In Robert DeNiro's Frank Sheeran, it is that he is left with the ghosts of people he's wronged. Especially the one who trusted and cared for him the most.
Now, is it a perfect film...no. The biggest flaw is that it doesn't present new information about Hoffa's death. It provides his life. And his stubborness, a lot of arrogance and entitlement. As a viewer we understand the dangers of going against organized crime. In Al Pacino's Hoffa, we see a man so blinded by being a somebody, he's willing to continue to bat at a hornet's nest to get the recognition he craves. And it's his own undoing. What this flick really focuses on, is DeNiro's subdued assassin. And through the eyes of his own daughter, he is a monster that lives in the house. A hand grenade whose pin has been pulled and he spends his life wondering how to put it back. His one daughter, Peggy, played by the adult Anna Paquin, witnessed his brutality at an early age. Though low key, he is a pitbull when called upon to do an ugly job. He justifies all his poor decisions as to the welfare of his family. Which, unlike "GoodFellas" there is a little more class to this than to the thugs of that movie. "GoodFellas" is a hammer to the teeth, whereas "The Irishman" plays at the outskirts of crime. The constant bickering which undoes it all has very little to do with people thriving in crime, and more to do with getting respect. It's a brutal grind to get there, since we know the ending.
As always, the camera is at the perfect spot at all times. This mob one, lensed by Rodrigo Prieto, plays it less glamorous. While eye-poppy in old Ektachrome color, it still remains modern. Even with all the vintage production design. Whereas Michael Ballhaus's dark underworld, classic style, this could be the perfect blend between Robert RIchardson's "Casino" and "Goodfellas"
It's a great journey, and the biggest compliment I can say is that it made me want to know more about The Irishman.
Thank you for pure cinema Mr. Scorsese!