OLDFELLAS - Lions in winter with Scorsese et al.

Rating: 8/10 (4 January 2020)

THE IRISHMAN (2019) *** Robert De Niro, Al Pacino, Joe Pesci, Harvey Keitel, Ray Romano, Bobby Cannavale, Anna Paquin, Stephen Graham, Stephanie Kurtzuba, Jack Huston, Kathrine Narducci, Jess Plemons, Domenick Lombardozzi, Paul Herman, Gary Basaraba, Marin Ireland, Lucy Gallina, Welker White, Louis Canelmi, Bo Dietl, Sebastian Maniscalo, Aleksa Palladino, Steven Van Zandt, Jim Norton. OldFellas could've been the working title of this Martin Scorsese smorgasbord of wise guys, feds and the assorted sociopaths all under the umbrella of a semi-biography of hit man Frank Sheeran (De Niro, like a lion in winter) who crosses paths with Teamsters Union lead Jimmy Hoffa (Pacino equally regal and on top of his game), with the tightrope act of loyalties with bestie Russell Bufalino (Pesci coaxed out of quasi-retirment and equally prime). Yes Scorsese is still a master craftsman with his cinematic eyes, touchstones of past films and a who's who of Mount Olympus screen actors the film is a scoch bloated in its 3 plus hours running time (um, the fish in the car scene goes on way too long) but is allowed his panache for the art of turning an unlikable character into being flawed and tragic.