An exceptionally well-made depiction of one man's ascendance through the ranks of organised crime that only the collaboration of its renowned director and cast could pull off

Rating: 9/10 (5 December 2019)

The Irishman is a crime drama film directed by Martin Scorsese based on the non-fiction book "I Heard You Paint Houses" by Charles Brandt. Starring Robert De Niro, Joe Pesci, and Al Pacino, it is an exceptionally well-made depiction of one man's ascendance through the ranks of organised crime that only the collaboration between its renowned director and cast could pull off.
In Philadelphia in the 1950s, Frank Sheeran (Robert De Niro) works as a truck driver delivering goods to shops all around the city. One day, Frank decides to do some delivery work for the local Italian-American mafia as a means to provide extra income for his family. Eventually, Frank is accused of theft by his company but is let off the hook thanks to the efforts of union lawyer Bill Bufalino (Ray Romano). Bill later introduces Frank to his cousin Russell (Joe Pesci), head of a northern branch of the Philadelphia mafia, who recruits Frank to do some tough jobs for him, including being a hitman if necessary. Over time, Frank gains notoriety and respect among mafia members and affiliates, including the popular union leader Jimmy Hoffa (Al Pacino), who becomes a close personal friend of his.
Epic in both scale and storytelling, "The Irishman" never wanes in holding the viewers' attention thanks to the creative efforts of director Martin Scorsese. Much like his previous mafia-related work "Goodfellas" and "Casino", Scorsese carefully and meticulously uses every moment of the film's long runtime (209 minutes to be precise) to help the audience get to know each character and their motivations in full detail, never once boring them in the process. Few filmmakers could make a movie in this way but if there are any, Scorsese would be high on the list.
At times, I felt strangely nostalgic for this craft of filmmaking, which is a rare occurrence today. The film offers nice on-location sets, creative production design to reflect each decade, and almost no CGI whatsoever (apart from some de-aging used on the lead actors). This is a pure dramatic experience from beginning to end that a modern audience may not get to enjoy all too often. I wish more filmmakers would consider re-embracing this style for their future projects.
In addition to this, all of the lead actors did a fantastic job, being the usual Scorsese heavy-hitters (the only one missing would be Ray Liotta). Robert De Niro gives his finest performance in years as Frank Sheeran, a man who ultimately who just wants to survive in this unfair world. This felt like a return to form for De Niro, a far cry from the abundance of mediocre comedy films he has starred in recently. It is also great to see Joe Pesci again, this being his first notable film role since Lethal Weapon 4 all the way back in 1998, and despite all that time, his acting skills are still as strong as ever. Al Pacino is also a joy to watch, being one of those actors who will chew the scenery in every film his is in, no matter how it may turn out. However, I felt that Harvey Keitel was underused, with his character only appearing in a handful of scenes. This is a shame as I believe there was potential he could have been just a memorable as the rest of the cast, had he been used more frequently.
Overall, any fan of Scorsese or this classic style of filmmaking will find plenty to enjoy in the director's latest outing. I do feel that newcomers to his work may be put off by the film's three-and-a-half hour runtime, but if anyone can handle binge-watching an entire season of a Netflix show in one day, then this shouldn't feel too much different. To quote Roger Ebert; "No good movie is too long and no bad movie is short enough".
I rate it a solid 9/10