The Irishman

Unlike The Irishman, my review will get straight to the point. Martin Scorsese is celebrating what he does best—gangster films—with a 3.5 hour Netflix Original about an Irishman in the Italian Mafia… played by the Italian-American actor, Robert De Niro. The story is in no hurry to develop, and is nothing new or special in comparison with Scorsese’s previous work.

The acting is stellar. Joe Pesci came out of retirement and really shines, giving more bravado and flare next to the internally-composed De Niro. Al Pacino as Jimmy Hoffa is a blast and is sure to inspire quotes and imitations. His role really drives home the emotional crutch of the story: the Irishman’s daughter, Peggy. Played silently by Anna Paquin, Peggy’s relationship with her father is the only stake in the conflict. Many critics were against Anna’s lack of lines in the script, but she has since spoken about how powerful she felt because of her silence in each scene. I fully agree with her; Peggy’s silence is the only obstacle that completely shatters her father’s defenses. The problem, though, was that this portion of the story was not the main focus—it was more a subplot that somehow did not have enough screen time in the 209 minute film.

The de-aging effects are smooth and almost invisible. What it reveals, though, are the limitations of the actors themselves. De Niro is 76, so when his face is supposed to look 24 and he is beating up a store clerk in the street, he kicks the man like a 76-year-old would. His walk is stiff and his mobility is so limited that I knew he was an old man the entire time, even though the film was trying so desperately to tell me otherwise. His age does not interfere with his acting, but it does break the allusion that would have been a flawless execution of the de-aging technology.

Overall, the film is definitely too long towards the end, yet I still never felt the 3.5 hour runtime. There are a few strong moments of tension, but the craft of filmmaking never rises to the same level as Scorsese’s gangster classics. Even though the editing and cinematography is fluid and outstanding, it misses the flare of the films that came before it. I find it ironic that Scorsese accuses the MCU of being nothing but carnival rides that recycle the same thrills with little risk, when Scorsese himself just did his 8th gangster film. There are enough tiny elements to be found throughout, but the entertainment is found more in observing the individual trees rather than the entire forest of the film.

Story Rating: 5/10

Character Rating: 5/10