REVIEW: The Irishman

Courtesy of Netflix

Let’s get right to it: The Irishman, Martin Scorsese’s latest epic, is a must-see. Although it’s three-and-a-half hours long, the narrative (loosely based on true events, but heavily adapted by screenwriter Steven Zaillian from Charles Brandt’s book I Heard You Paint Houses) never feels slow and is far more than just another mob movie.

Yes, it’s about gangsters and hitmen. However, like most of Scorsese’s films, those characters represent far more than what’s happening on the surface. The Irishman tackles complex themes like America’s distinct economic shift post-World War II, as well as what happens when men we’ve trained to kill without remorse come home to work “regular” jobs.

It also has a lot to say about the Baby Boomer generation’s version of masculinity, the kind that expects men to remain stoic and ignore emotions, leading to an inability to process trauma. But if that sounds too heavy for you, it’s also poignant and shockingly funny.

Besides, why would anyone want to skip a near-masterpiece that reunites Scorsese with longtime collaborators Robert De Niro and Joe Pesci, who was persuaded to come out of a decade-long retirement to deliver one of the best performances of his career? What’s more, the film somehow marks the first time Scorsese has worked with Al Pacino, who gets back to his pre-“Hoo-ah!” days while playing a real-life legendary figure character.

The Irishman centers on Frank Sheeran (De Niro), whose career spans from WWII vet to truck driver to small-time thief to mafia assassin. Along the way, he ends up becoming a trusted confidant to figures ranging from mob boss Russell Bufalino (Pesci) to larger-than-life union leader Jimmy Hoffa (Pacino). Spanning decades, the film ultimately chronicles one of the greatest unsolved mysteries in American history: Hoffa’s disappearance, as well as the motives behind it.

If that’s not enough to grab the interest of moviegoers, there’s another reason to see The Irishman – or at least pay attention to the impact it’ll have on the film industry and pop culture over the next few months. It’s a $190 million epic that will only play in theaters for a couple of weeks before you can also watch it from the comfort of your couch on Netflix.

So why does a streaming service greenlight a summer blockbuster-sized budget for a comparatively modest film like this? Mainly because Netflix wants to be in the prestige business, and getting Scorsese, De Niro, Pacino and Pesci is a great step in that direction – especially when it comes to establishing credibility and getting Oscar voters to take the company seriously.

Netflix made some great strides last year with Alfonso Cuaron’s excellent Roma, which won for Best Director, Best Cinematography and Best Foreign Film, but it lost the biggest prize to the painfully mediocre Green Book. The company wants to avoid repeating that situation, so it backed a heavy hitter that could theoretically win most of the major categories. (Well, except Best Actress and Best Supporting Actress, although Anna Paquin could surprise there with her comparatively small, yet powerful role as Sheeran’s daughter and the film’s conscience).

Most of the massive budget obviously went toward cast and crew salaries, as well as a significant amount of location shooting to add a sense of authenticity. However, in an unusual move for a film like this, a huge sum of money went toward de-aging visual effects, allowing the septuagenarian actors to play versions of themselves ranging from their 20s to their 80s and 90s.

Scorsese utilizes a slightly “iffier” version of the effects frequently employed by Marvel movies – for example, a scene set during World War II in which Sheeran executes two German soldiers looks like a video game – but they’re mostly solid overall. The “uncanny valley” sensation fades away after a while, likely because the artificial look contributes to the idea of Sheeran as an extremely unreliable narrator.

Aside from that, the biggest distraction with the visual effects is that the characters still move like 70-year-old men when they’re playing younger. I get that when you pay for heavy hitters like De Niro, Pacino, Pesci and others, you want to maximize their screen time – especially since almost everyone in the film is staggeringly great (especially Paquin, Bobby Cannavale, Ray Romano and Jesse Plemons). Still, I can’t help but wonder if hiring other actors to play younger versions of the characters would’ve helped those sequences.

Especially since – dodgy CGI aside – The Irishman is yet another masterful film from one of the greatest directors in the history of cinema. Scorsese probably won’t ever retire, but if he did, his latest would be a powerful swan song. It adds further depth to themes he has focused on his entire career, combining incisive, audience-pleasing fare like Goodfellas and The Wolf of Wall Street with more contemplative films like The Last Temptation of Christ and Silence.

What’s more, it’s great to watch iconic actors elevate their craft to levels we haven’t seen in quite a while. De Niro is the best he’s been in ages, although he’s got a less showy role than his co-stars. Sheeran has been a yes-man his entire life and he’s not too bright, so Pacino and Pesci get to one-up him in every scene by design. Regardless, any time they share the screen together, no matter the combination, it’s a joy to watch three masters at work.

I’d be shocked if they didn’t all get Oscar nods. I think Pesci deserves to win Best Supporting Actor because he’s so incredible at exuding quiet menace (a far cry from the psychotic character he played in Goodfellas), but I have a feeling Pacino might end up holding the statue since he’s got the more outwardly energetic performance. Oscar voters love to confuse “best” with “most,” and I don’t see that changing soon.

While most viewers will be tempted to wait until The Irishman hits Netflix later this month, it’s absolutely worth the drive to see Scorsese’s film on the big screen. The film plays much differently when you’re forced to engage with it in a dark theater, away from your phone, the fridge or other distractions. It’s not always a light, happy watch, but experiencing the immensity of the epic over the course of several hours allows the profound final moments to really hit home.

The Irishman is rated R for pervasive language and strong violence. (Opens exclusively at Midtown Art in Atlanta on Nov. 15 and available on Netflix starting Nov. 27.)

Grade: A-