Martin Scorsese's latest mob drama is great but will test your endurance

Rating: 8/10 (17 November 2019)

"The Irishman" (2019 release; 209 min.) brings the story of Frank Sheeran. as the movie opens, the camera scans through a seniors home and eventually finds Frank, who begins to tell his story. We then go back in time to 1975, when Frank and his wife, along with Russ and his wife, are getting ready for a road trip from Phillie to attend a wedding in Detroit. We then go further back in tine how Frank and Russ first met... At this point we are 10 min. into the movie, but to tell you more of the plot would plot would spoil your viewing experience, you'll just have to see for yourself how it all plays out.
Couple of comments: this is the latest opus from director Martin Scorsese. This movie has been in development hell for YEARS (over a decade, in fact), but when the right elements finally lined up, Scorsese and his team made the most of it. Robert de Niro (as Frank) has been pushing this project from day 1 and is masterful in the role of Frank, whom we follow over a period of 4 decades or so, from his early days getting involved in the Phillie mafia to his time with Teamsters president Jimmy Hoffa (played masterfully by Al Pacinco). But the best performance comes from Joe Pesci (as Russ). As we see this mobster/union power struggle play out, it's never clear who has the final say, and Scorsese doesn't attempt to resolve the issue, and we are left to make our own conclusions. Much as been made about the movie's 3 1/2 hr. running time (without an intermission, I might add) , and truth be told, the movie could've easily trimmed a good 20-30 min. without losing any of its essence. But then again, who can argue with Scorsese? or de Niro?
"The Irishman" opened this weekend in a very limited theatrical release (before moving the Netflix by the end of the month), and I couldn't be happier that my local art-house theater here in Cincinnati was one of those theaters. The Saturday matinee screening where I saw this at was PACKED to the rafters, to no one's surprise. I quite liked it, even if the movie is a bit overly long for its own good. If you are in the mood for another serving of Martin Scorsese-Robert de Niro-Al Pacino-Joe Pesci mobster drama, I'd readily suggest you check this out, be it in the theater, on VOD, or eventually on DVD/Blu-ray, and draw your own conclusion.