Over-Hyped, Over-Rated

Rating: 4/10 (29 November 2019)

Charles Brandt's book "I Heard You Paint Houses" is one of the better works I've read in recent years, and I couldn't wait to see the release of "The Irishman." I saw the movie the day it came out, and can't remember being more disappointed in a cinematic production. First of all, in my opinion, De Niro was miscast as Frank Sheeran; rather than an Irishman, he comes off as a digitally-enhanced old Italian playing the Irishman. More generally, the casting of the main characters was weak. Rather than going with good OLD boys of past triumphs, I think the movie would have benefitted from younger actors in the key roles.
Second, the screenplay didn't do justice to the story: insufficient character development, especially of Sheeran prior to his involvement with the mob; difficulty keeping track of several of the characters and their roles in the story; dialog that at times bordered on idiocy; and painfully slow pace, Rather than wondering what was coming next in the movie, I was thinking when the hell is this thing going to climax and be over. It was a 3 and a half hour movie that seemed much longer. Despite some great scenes and great acting, the movie at times was somewhat confusing and even boring in spots. Although I have great respect for him, I don't believe the overall direction of the movie was up to Scorsese's high standards.
In short, I wouldn't discourage anyone from seeing the movie, but rather would recommend lowering your expectations if you've read Brandt's excellent book.