The Irishman

It would almost be wrong to call ‘The Irishman’ a film; rather, it acts more like a tapestry. This isn’t telling one story, but a number of stories spanning decades that just so happen to involve the same group of dangerous gangsters, sharing the same threads of beautiful cinematography, great visual effects and patient editing. With his increasingly lengthy run times, Scorsese seems to be realising that a life cannot be condensed down into a clean 100-minute arc, and audiences should get excited by the opportunity to experience the art of film in this way. It’s a sight to behold.

• Ashley Teresa

Read Ashley's full article... https://www.maketheswitch.com.au/article/review-the-irishman-kissing-scorseses-ring-again

Far too long, but arguably Scorsese's most thematically complex

Don't let any man into your cab, your home, or your heart, unless he's a friend of labour.

• Jimmy Hoffa

When Jimmy saw that the house was empty, that nobody came out of any of the rooms to greet him, he knew right away what it was. If Jimmy had taken his piece with him he would have gone for it. Jimmy was a fighter. He turned fast, still thinking we were together on the thing, that I was his backup. Jimmy bumped into me hard. If he saw the piece in my hand he had to think I had it out to protect him. He took a quick step to go around me and get to the door. He reached for the knob and Jimmy Hoffa got shot twice at a decent range – not too close or the paint splatters back at you – in the back of the head behind his right ear. My friend didn't suffer.

• Frank "The Irishman" Sheeran, with Charles Brandt; "I Heard You Paint Houses": Frank "The Irishman" Sheeran and the Inside Story of the Mafia, the Teamsters, and the Last Ride of Jimmy Hoffa (2004)

In 2004, a small publishing house in Hanover, New Hampshire, unleashed a shocker titled I Heard You Paint Houses. It was written by Charles Brandt, a medical malpractice lawyer who had helped Sheeran win early parole from prison, due to poor health, at age 71. Starting not long after that, Brandt wrote, Sheeran, nearing the end of his life, began confessing incredible secrets he had kept for decades, revealing that – far from being a bit player – he was actually the unseen figure behind some of the biggest mafia murders of all time.

Frank Sheeran said he killed Jimmy Hoffa.

He said he killed Joey Gallo, too.

And he said he did some other really bad things nearly as incredible.

_Most amazingly, Sheeran did all that without ever being arrested, charged, or even suspected of those crimes by any law enforcement agency, even though officials were presumably watching him for most of his adult life. To call him...

This being nominated for SAG's "Best Acting Ensemble" is basically like when Bohemian Rhapsody won "Best Editing" at the Oscars.

This uh... This movie's better though.

Final rating:★★★ - I liked it. Would personally recommend you give it a go.

It might not be Martin Scorsese’s best film yet, but it’s one more proof that he’s one of the most talented filmmakers ever. With Robert De Niro delivering his best performance of the decade, Al Pacino going crazy and Joe Pesci brilliantly coming out of retirement, The Irishman is a wonderfully-written, (very) long story about friendship and life. The best editing (Thelma Schoonmaker) of the year makes the runtime smoother, but it still drags on for too long. I also feel that Anna Paquin’s character should have had more impact. The de-aging VFX is mind-blowing, even if it takes a few minutes to get used to it.

Rating: A-

Wanted to love this but there were moments where I sort of lost interest. And while I don't at all mind lengthy movies (Godfather Part II and Apocalypse Now are two of my favorite movies), this one was probably a good 20-minutes too long IMO. That said, nice to see De Niro at least trying to act rather than sleepwalk through a role and seeing Joe Pesci was great. Pacino however I never 100% bought into playing Hoffa. Guess it's worth checking out but doesn't hold a candle to other Scorsese's films. 3.5/5

A fascinating watch - totally worth the 209 minute run time.

There's so much to like about 'The Irishman'. From the top class performances, the ace cinematography, the excellent music and, most importantly, the captivating plot. I enjoyed this more than (the great) 'Goodfellas', which is my only previous experience of a Martin Scorsese film.

Robert De Niro is always a fantastic watch and here he is no different, I absolutely loved every scene of him as Frank. Al Pacino (Jimmy) and Joe Pesci (Russell) are also superb, Pacino particularly. Away from those three, you also have Ray Romano, Bobby Cannavale, Stephen Graham and Harvey Keitel involved. Awesome cast.

No idea how true to life it is, all I care is if it delivers a fantastic film - and it undoubtedly does. I felt entertained for every second. The de-aging effects are cool to see, also. I understand why some may fault this. Me? Loved it!