The Irishman (2019)

The Irishman (2019)

7/10

Starring

Robert De Niro

Al Pacino

Joe Pesci

Directed by Martin Scorsese

I delayed in seeing this movie because of it’s runtime, before the credits come rolling in the movie is over three hours twenty minutes long. For me even after seeing the movie and liking it, I still feel it is too long, and sometimes the pacing seemed slow deliberately to make the movie long.

I sat through this movie in one sitting and it is a good movie, I didn’t bother listening to comments online saying not to see the movie at once.

The movie’s good side is the acting, it is top notch by the lead three people Robert De Niro, Al Pacino and Joe Pesci. The other cast members also did a good job. Then when it comes to Martin Scorsese, his directing of this movie is beautiful.

The movie is based on a book I Heard You Paint Houses by Charles Brandt which details the life of Frank Sheeran (De Niro), a truck driver who becomes a hitman involved with mobster Russell Bufalino (Pesci) and his crime family.

In the movie Russell took a liking to Frank and helped Frank grow in the mob circle. The movie also gives us a glimpse into Frank's personal life and his struggles with being a good father to his girls.

The movie plot then focuses on Jimmy Hoffa (Pacino). Jimmy was assigned Frank for protection, as Jimmy was facing some issues doing his work as the head of the International Brotherhood of Teamsters. This union also has financial ties with the Bufalino crime family. Jimmy's problem was with fellow rising Teamster Anthony "Tony Pro" Provenzano and the federal government.

We are taken through these stories as they tie to what was happening at that time during the Nixon administration and when Kennedy became president. During Kennedy as president his brother was Attorney General and he went after Jimmy with all he got. We also go through the Kennedy assassination and the movie took a different pace from then on, becoming more interesting and very engaging

I Really enjoyed myself and loved the way Scorsese allowed the movie to run three different timelines linking them using Frank. You will like the way the stories caught up, the flashbacks caught up with the ride between Frank and Russell to a wedding, and the ride caught up with Frank telling us this story while he was in the nursing home.

The way Scorsese did all these and not getting you the viewer lost is something you have to see to appreciate. Then comes the huge cast, keeping up with all of them at first seemed like an uphill task, but don’t worry Scorsese found a way of helping us know who these people were with some brief highlights when they come to screen.

The movie’s production cost over $150 million, which I can bet went majorly to the cast. The only studio willing to pay for such is Netflix. This film has received numerous accolades including nominations at the 77th Golden Globe Awards.

The Irishman is the collaboration between De Niro and Scorsese, the fourth film to star both De Niro and Pacino (before this there was The Godfather Part II, Heat, and Righteous Kill). This is the seventh to star both De Niro and Pesci (after Raging Bull, Once Upon a Time in America, Goodfellas, A Bronx Tale, Casino, and The Good Shepherd).

This is the first to star both Pacino and Pesci and the first time Pacino has been directed by Scorsese.