A sweeping epic

Rating: 8/10 (30 May 2020)

This review contains spoilers.
The Irishman is a 2019 American epic crime movie. The movie is directed by Martin Scorcese and is based on the book I Heard You Paint Houses by Charles Brandt. The movie stars Robert De Niro, Al Pacino, and Joe Pesci. A delivery truck driver, Frank Sheeran, in Philadelphia sells the contents of his truck to a crime family. This introduces Frank Sheeran to the world of organized crime.
The Irishman is a wide sweeping epic crime movie. This movie paints a broad stroke with its 209 minutes of running time. This running time tells an epic story across the 1950s all the way to the early 1990s. The story follows Frank Sheeran and his interactions with the crime families and Jimmy Hoffa. This story is grand in scope and the movie executes this incredibly well. The actors and actresses have ageing and de-ageing technology that is applied to their faces. As the years continue they also act according to their age. It makes for an involved story as the audience can see that characters ageing before their eyes. It also reflects the changing nature of the characters as motivations and goals change.
The relationship between Frank Sheeran and Jimmy Hoffa is reflected incredibly well in this movie. The movie centers on this relationship as the movie unfolds. Both Robert De Niro and Al Pacino as Frank Sheeran and Jimmy Hoffa are believable and astounding in their roles. I bought into their relationship and it was painful that Frank Sheeran had to kill Jimmy Hoffa. Up until that point Frank Sheeran came to a respectful relation with Jimmy Hoffa and vice-versa. The two men and their families have chemistry on the screen. They also care about one another.
The directing in this movie is not as electric as other Martin Scorcese movies. This movie is much more flat in its direction than the movies such as Goodfellas or The Departed. I felt that the direction could be improved but the direction ultimately has the grand scope that makes the movie involved.
I would recommend 'The Irishman'. The length of this movie is definitely felt by any audience. However any audience that is willing to watch this movie needs to be patient and in the mood for a slow-burning story.
Grade: B