Martin Scorsese delivers an incredibly ambitious, and equally lengthy look at the life of a gangster. However, this time he does so with an outlook that could only come from a filmmaker on the absolute top of his game.

The Irishman (alternatively titled I Heard You Paint Houses), follows the real-life story of World War II veteran Frank Sheeran (Robert De Niro). A man who falls into the circle of the mafia due to a chance encounter with Russel Bufalino (Joe Pesci). The film chronicles the rest of his life, with focus placed upon his close relationship with Jimmy Hoffa (Al Pacino), and in typical Scorsese fashion, Sheeran must begin to face what happens when you make your way too close to the top of the mafia circle.

From this, you would (like me) assume that Scorsese was giving us something we are very familiar with at this point in his career. The rise and fall of a man who yearned too much, Goodfellas, Casino and The Wolf of Wall Street have all become classics among movie fans, however, The Irishman looks to do something more. The film does, of course, feel somewhat similar to these films, it is hard not to when the film is so entwined in the mafia narrative, yet the film for me was at its strongest when it came to the depiction of what comes after. What comes after for a man who has spent his life essentially digging his own grave in the way De Niro’s character has, what does come after is some of the most powerful scenes in the entire three-and-a-half-hour runtime.

Of course, besides the enormous length, the other most prominent aspect surrounding the film is the de-ageing technology used to make the film possible. Many members of the cast are at some point made to appear far younger than they are today, it is the nature of the story that this would have to be done unless you were to cast different actors for the earlier moments. The level of how much this distracts you is going to be a personal one, for me, it was incredibly distracting for at least the first hour. It does manage to reach a point where you can not tell who is and who hasn’t been tampered with, yet I still found it hard to engage with the film until this point hit.

Computer trickery aside, the film’s cast is a dream come true. De Niro, Pacino and Pesci together on screen is glorious, with each of the three doing an incredible job as we would come to expect from three legendary actors. Pesci is somewhat reserved compared to what we have come to expect from his other roles, but the role is fitting when the film’s themes of growing old are reflected upon.

The supporting cast is also great with too many names to list off, Anna Paquin’s role has been heavily criticised due to the seemingly meaningless function and lack of dialogue. Despite not being in the picture a considerable amount, her character is crucial to the film’s best moments and allows to truly earn the ending it gives.

The Irishman is one of the best films of the year, and despite Netflix being the butt of the joke for many years, in this day and age, this production might not have ever existed without them.

Director: Martin Scorsese
Writers: Charles Brandt (book), Steven Zaillian (screenplay)
Stars: Robert De Niro, Al Pacino, Joe Pesci
Kyle Gaffney
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