A Reel Review: THE IRISHMAN

In the 2004 non-fiction book I Heard You Paint Houses by Charles Brandt, former mobster Frank “The Irishman” Sheeran confessed to murdering the infamous labor leader Jimmy Hoffa. His confession has been collaborated by many, and disputed by others…and elevated Sheeran into the higher echelons of American Mafia legend. To bring his story to the big screen, no one was better equipped than the man who brought those Mafia legends to modern audiences, director Martin Scorsese. 

Sheeran (Robert DeNiro), recounts his life and times as a hitman for the Bufalino crime family, led by Russell Bufalino (Joe Pesci). His tasks cover decades, including a working relationship with labor leader Jimmy Hoffa (Al Pacino). 

THE IRISHMAN follows the life of Sheeran as he rises from a WWII soldier to simple truck driver, to petty thief to one of the most dangerous hitmen ever to pull a job. The film has the framework of an aged Sheeran, at the end of his life and in a nursing home, telling his own story…presumably to author Charles Brandt. It’s a tried-and-true method of storytelling for Scorsese, as he relies heavily on the narration of his protagonist to drive the story. It of course works, and keeps THE IRISHMAN whacking along. With Sheeran telling his own story, the film has a lot of flashbacks and flash-forward going on, with the look of the actors keeping our place in the expansive timeline. It’s masterful work in the editing department, and it’s never difficult to keep a sense-of-place. 

Underneath that and the usual Mafia business of settling problems with avenging blood, THE IRISHMAN is surprisingly reflective and philosophical. Characters dig into each other often, and Sheeran’s home-life, with his oldest daughter Peggy (Anna Paquin), giving him a gut-wrenching silent treatment. Sheeran comes off as a man who despite being so good at killing people, struggles with it silently. It’s a fascinating look at the mob and the men who made it all so dangerous. 

At over three-and-a-half hours, THE IRISHMAN is a hulk of a story. Decades pass with events of American history unfolding in the background with direct and in-direct consequences for Sheeran and the Bufalino Family. The film doesn’t feel that long thanks to the pacing and the energy of the actors, although the last half-hour feels like it could have been trimmed by a lot;  following a climactic scene with Sheeran and Hoffa…THE IRISHMAN takes a long time to wrap things up. 

For the first time in his storied career, Scorsese is relying on more visual effects and CGI than ever before. The de-aging process done on actors DeNiro and Pesci are there for most of the film, and the effect ranges from good-to-great…depending on the shot and the lighting. Daylight scenes are a little rough, while scenes taking place in shadowy restaurants and bars look great. The stark contrast between the two is noticeable.

Acting is tremendous. Robert DeNiro turns in his best performance in years, giving us that internal struggle and intimidation at the same time. Joe Pesci is a delight to see on the big screen again and hasn’t lost a bit of his edge. Al Pacino is a bit shouty as usual, but is excellent…as is the rest of the supporting cast; Anna Paquin, Ray Romano, Bobby Cannavale, and Harvey Keitel. 

Despite the third act taking a long time to put the cap on things, THE IRISHMAN finishes with a powerful punch, and will certainly send audiences to the reference books to see if this stranger-than-fiction tale really did unfold the way Scorsese says it did. If it did or didn’t, this is still a great, late-career masterpiece for Scorsese; grand, important, and with just enough depth for it to resonate. This is a marvel of a film. 

BOTTOM LINE: See it