The Swan Song of Gangster Epics

Rating: 9/10 (30 November 2019)

Captivating, slow-paced, and stylish, this mob drama is everything you could have expected from the defining figures of the genre - Scorsese, De Niro, Pacino; but also much grittier, darker, and sorrow.
Loosely based on real events, just like a long book that builds its characters slowly over a long period of time, before taking you in for a twisted turn, The Irishman doesn't force its plot on you; but rather lets you immerse in the narrative at your own pace, trying to bond with characters who are both attractive and repulsive. Scorsese's documentary-like style does a lot to make you aware that the story is based on real events, but also adds that refined stylishness that we're used to see in the likes of Goodfellas.
Robert De Niro plays Frank Sheeran, an Irish truck driver who gets involved with the mob and quickly rises through the ranks due to his sturdiness and coldness, soon to get involved with the likes of the notorious Jimmy Hoffa (Al Pacino) and the local capo Russ Bufalino. The plot itself is told in non-chronological order, following three different timelines as the main character (De Niro) recalls events from his past. You cannot help but smile during some of the familiar scenes, like when he beats a random man for touching his daughter, or when Pacino yells at his employees. The first part of the movie really does feel like it's a tribute to the genre, with a scene similar to the Goodfellas' famous "Copacabana" scene, or a mob meeting with some red lamps on the table that resemble the "Funny guy" scene from the same movie. The characters are also introduced in a fashion similar to Casino (1995), so you might genuinely worry if that's what this movie is going to be - a nostalgia trip? But as the movie progresses, you realize that it's much more than that. A portrayal of mobsters with their complex morale codes, the incredible feats they are capable of doing with no remorse, all for their "cause". Subtlety is what this movie is all about. That oh-so-sweet mafia dialogue undertone that make you terrified of hearing something like "Tell Jimmy it is what it is"; with knowing what's coming next, even though it is never spoken out loud. The characters grow on you. With each scene the increasing burden that Frank Sheeran carries is revealed, and you wonder and worry, how much is he going to endure. His eyes are watery and foggy (and some criticised the CGI used for the de-aging process, but it might have worked for the cause), telling of a man who is torn, whose dignity is washed, trying over and over to reconcile both sides, to be a father, friend, and a gangster at the same time, but ultimately learning that such thing is impossible and a side has to be chosen. It would be hard to believe that Al Pacino's classic, loud, vibrant character would still work today, but it does. His portrayal of Jimmy Hoffa stands as the most likeable character in the movie, standing opposite of Joe Pesci's cold, calculated, silent boss Russ Bufalino. Not once does Pesci change his facial expression throughout the movie, yet he is able to perfectly convey the cunning, manipulative gangster who feels no remorse for doing what he believes "must be done". As old Frank Sheeran tells us his story, sitting in a wheelchair in a nursing home, we see a man behind whose foggy eyes there was once a man who wanted to be honorable, who wanted to be father and a husband, who wanted to choose side, but ultimately failed, knowing he lost his dignity, his family, now lying at deathbed, trying to find remorse for the life he could've had- but failed to choose a side. Here, with the rather long epilogue, the movie reveals itself for what it really is- a character drama, a story about remorse, failed redemption. A father who alienated his family for the actions that he did, and now, while his clock is ticking, desperately wishes he had his daughter's forgiveness. We don't find out if he took his secret to his grave, but we find out how large of a burden one is capable of carrying when he abandons the truth.
This is a gangster saga like from the old times. It has its funny moments, violent action, epic grand scale feeling and at times cynical portrayal of the mafia that we're used to from Martin Scorsese. Beautifully shot, with unmistakable 60's music score, it breathes and lives the gangster life of the America's post-war era.
This is the best that Scorsese, De Niro, Al Pacino and Joe Pesci could have given us. It might just be the swan song of these men, well in their 70s now, who defined the genre.
Recently, Scorsese caused some controversy criticizing Marvel movies saying that "they are not cinema". Whether or not you agree with him, it is hard to deny that he showed us once again what cinema truly is.