Whilst there is no denying his skill as a filmmaker, and his substantial movie knowledge, it generally feels a long time since Martin Scorsese’s heyday. That ran from 1973’s ‘Mean Streets’ to the ‘King of Comedy’, a decade later. Admittedly since then, there has been the career high-point of ‘Goodfellas’ (1990) but his last great work was ‘Casino’ in 1995. That is until now.
‘The Irishman’ tells the story of a truck driver in the 1950s, Frank Sheeran, who becomes firstly involved with the mob, and then with the infamous Teamster union boss, Jimmy Hoffa. The story covers Frank’s life over the course of the next 50 years, but is not told in a linear fashion. Usually with that storytelling method, I find myself wanting to get back to the most interesting story-line. But in this case, each one was as fascinating as the next. Steven Zaillian’s brilliant screenplay weaves everything together in a masterful fashion and provides some fantastic dialogue that crackles off the screen.
The cast is pretty much faultless with Robert de Niro, as Frank, showing why he was considered the world’s best screen actor in the 70s and 80s. Al Pacino as Hoffa, gives his best performance in over a decade but it is Joe Pesci – coaxed reluctantly out of retirement as Russell Bufalino, the mobster who befriends Frank – who outshines them all. I can easily see him picking up a best supporting actor Oscar next year. Additionally, Ray Romano again proves what a talented straight actor he is. Bobby Cannavale again shows that he should be a bigger name, and Anna Paquin, as Frank’s mistrusting daughter, makes a big impression despite having little dialogue. It was also good to see Harvey Keitel escape those First Direct ads!
Of course, this is a return to the genre that Scorsese is most closely associated with. Whilst it does not have the same kinetic energy as ‘Goodfellas’ did, it has a stately elegance and terrific pacing. On fact, the film it reminded me of most was Sergio Leone’s swansong, ‘Once Upon a Time in America’, though this is better. There are a couple of trademark tracking shots, but those seem way more measured. He seamlessly brings the different story strands together and delivers some unforgettable sequences. Notably where Frank has to negotiate with Jimmy and Russell at an awards dinner, a heartbreaking phone call to Jo Hoffa, and a beautiful final shot.
I have almost no reservations about this movie. The de-aging technology used to make the leads look younger where needed works pretty well. I found it much less distracting than old person make-up usually is. What the technology cannot do, though, is hide the fact that De Niro is in his mid 70s, so his movements are too laboured for a younger man. That problem is highlighted in an awkward scene when he beats up a deli owner. Also, the third act feels just a little stretched. Whilst, the three and a half hour running time did not feel too long overall, maybe 5 or 10 minutes could have been trimmed towards the end.
But that’s just a minor gripe. If you are lucky, you can catch this majestic movie in cinemas. Otherwise, it is available on Netflix.
Rating: 9.5 out of 10