One of Scorsese's More Somber and Reflective Works

Rating: 9/10 (7 December 2019)

Getting right into it, if you're a fan of Scorsese, and you love movies, I would say you gotta see this. But I don't think it will be for everyone. For some, it will run a little too long. Personally, I think the running time is justified and works to great cumulative effect by the time the credits roll.
"The Irishman" is story based on some real events surrounding Frank Sheeran, a real life WWII vet played by Robert Dinero. This feels like a real performance. A summation of both the kind of roles Dinero plays very well with a real sense of finality to his body of work. It feels like a grand finally performance, yet is so subtle and so subdued, I doubt it will get attention in that way. The story revolves his relationship with Jimmy Hoffa, a guy from history you don't know about, played by Al Pachino, and maybe my favorite performance from Joe Pesci as a mob overlord named "Russel". Everyone here is absolutely wonderful with Joe Pesci giving my favorite performance in the movie. He's a terrifying, quiet, little man. He never raises his voice.
This movie takes it time. It allows scenes to play out in real time in a few places. And this is a story about time. Don't you love movies that make you think about the nature of your mortality and your legacy on this earth and the fact that you're going to die? It's a story that provides perspective, from all angles of the conflict. It's one of my favorite forms of storytelling. The main character here who is caught between two sides, both of whom have his complete trust. So the conflict here gets very messy. And I think having that three and a half hour run time benefits that main conflict that builds and falls gracefully.
This is one of Scorsese's more somber works. Between his last film, SILENCE, and this one, there marks a noticeable shift in his direction. I pegged the director as the guy who made cautionary tales about the dangers of "excess" of young men. And while this movie has certain elements of that... it's told from a man at the end of his life's perspective. You get the sense that this is a filmmaker who's getting older who not only wants to entertain, which he does in spades, but wants to pass down something. Wants to say something of substance. As I mentioned earlier with Dinero, all the actors here are seasoned, giving performances that are filled with subtitles and no doubt their real life experiences.
The CGI de-aging was noticeable at first. I don't know if I just decided to roll with it, or if it just got better as time passed, but it worked for me and it didn't seem to detract from the movie in any meaningful way.
But yes. This is a great movie.
Over the past month, I've mostly purged myself from watching any major franchise movies and went back to the classics like 12 Angry Men... and I just find myself starting to understanding what Mr. Scorsese said regarding Marvel not being "cinema"... Cinema is about small moments rather than huge battles. Not to say that all battles aren't cinema. "Battle of Peilnor fields".
Do I think his comments were a bit narrow minded? Probably, I mean, I love Marvel for what it is, which is a good time at the movies with my friends...
But...
There is a difference between this... "Worm hole"
And this... "12 Angry Men"
Scorsese's climax are in the small moments of tension that you can feel 10 times more than a climax in a blockbuster with flying space ships. Why is that? Scorsese would say "cinema". An undefined term of a filmmaker using writing, cinematography, and performance to illicit an emotional response from a viewer. And that's powerful.
So while Marvel is cool. And I enjoyed Endgame as much as the next guy. Let's not forget about the smaller movies that are reaching for something just a little more. But hey, to each his own.
I watched this on Netflix, but it should still be out there in theaters so if you have the chance to go support this movie by buying a movie ticket, then go do it. Or if you want to write in the comments that I'm a hypocrite and that I should go buy a ticket I get that too.