Like an aging superstar rock group making a farewell tour, “The Irishman” sees one final (we assume) go-around for the all-time great Italian mobster movie cast we have grown to love and respect over the last five decades. Filmmaker Martin Scorcese is the force behind the 2019 Netflix picture, and brings with him a host of talent – Robert De Niro, Al Pacino, Joe Pesci, Harvey Keitel – names that would make the 1927 Yankees lineup look pedestrian.
Scorcese has a career that has spanned half a century, with the Queens born Italian-American filmmaker receiving an Academy Award for ‘Best Picture’ in 2006 (“The Departed”) and nominations for 11 others over the many years. Scorcese is known for his mob themed stories with “Goodfellas” and “Casino” being the most popular. He’s done other iconic movies like “Mean Streets” and “Taxi Driver” and some not so popular ones like “After Hours” which joins the aforementioned “Goodfellas” in my personal Top 50 list.
We know Scorcese likes history, and “The Irishman” is no exception. Based on the 2004 book “I Heard You Paint Houses” by Charles Brandt, the film spans several decades and tells the story of former Teamster leader and quasi gangster Jimmy Hoffa. Scorcese can tell a great period piece. The era for yesteryear is captured marvelously, with a good soundtrack and dynamic settings like seedy lounges and swanky restaurants. As usual, Scorcese includes a great crew of extras and character actors. Before the film was even released, it had to deal with two elephants in the room; its obscene running time of 3:29, and the pioneering de-aging effects employed to make the stars – all in their late ’70s – to appear younger. We’ll touch on both in a bit.
The film opens with an elderly Frank Sheeran (Robert De Niro) in a nursing home, recanting the story of his exciting life, beginning as a World War II veteran and peaking with his time as a mafia hitman. We’re introduced to the other players quickly, and the story jumps to and from the present as we follow Sheeran in his earlier days working for the Bufalino Crime Family, and his close friendship with Russell Bufalino (Joe Pesci).
Robert De Niro will go down as one of my all-time favorite actors. He’s great in movies I loved like “Goodfellas” and “Once Upon a Time in America,” comedies like “Meet the Parents,” and even great in movies I don’t care for such as “The Deer Hunter.” He’s built for the part no matter what the age, and is right at home playing Frank Sheeran, beating a shopkeeper who scolded his daughter, or executing a former friend on a public street. The scenes he interacts with Joe Pesci, who emerged from a self-imposed retirement dating back to 1999, are a thing of cinematic beauty and a great sendoff for the pair.
Alongside them is Al Pacino, a man who has been the face of the movie mafia since Michael Corleone in 1972’s “The Godfather.” He’s an accomplished actor and excels at fictional portrayals. In “The Irishman,” Al Pacino isn’t portraying Jimmy Hoffa – he’s doing his best Al Pacino impression, and while entertaining, I don’t think it’s very accurate (though who am I to say).
The de-aging effects were hit or miss for me. I thought the De Niro character was quite believable, and because he is such a great presence on screen, you’ll actually forget that you’re watching a current movie and not something from thirty years ago. The technology is cool, but the de-aging of Al Pacino was distractingly weird. Pacino brings his usual fire to the performance but it’s just an off-putting and uncanny site to see him “young,” looking more like a celebrity who got too much Botox.
“The Irishman” has its violence as anyone who knows anything about a mob movie would assume. The story of Jimmy Hoffa is a good one, and it’s fascinating to history buffs and mafia aficionados. But the presentation, coupled with the 3.5 hour run time make it downright boring for lengthy portions throughout. This movie would have been better off as an eight part miniseries. There are so many characters and side plots involved, it still feels shortchanged in areas despite being nearly 1/6 of a day long. If anyone other than Scorcese et al. had been involved, no one in their right mind would watch.
I left with an appreciation for the mob movies and actors I have grown to love. It succeeds as a farewell to these legends, and leaves one misty-eyed that there doesn’t seem to be any fresh faces to play these types of roles again. For fifty years if you needed an Italian tough, you could turn to Robert De Niro, Al Pacino, or Joe Pesci. I don’t think there’s anyone else who can carry the torch going forward.
“The Irishman” is a good story but a tough pill to swallow. The actors are great, the effects are somewhat odd, and the length abhorrent. Give it two or three nights to finish, but don’t expect an all-time mob movie great.
