The Irishman
Scorsese silents critics with a passion project that shows the reality of mob life
At first glance, The Irishman is in familiar territory for Scorsese. A mob film starring Robert De Niro and Joe Pesci, in their first collaboration with the director since 1995’s Casino, is hardly groundbreaking. However, Irishman is anything but your standard mob film.
Based on I Heard You Paint Houses by Charles Brandt and with an adapted screenplay by Steve Zaillian, who had previously worked with Scorsese on 2002’s Gangs of New York, the film follows the book’s main subject, Frank Sheehan (De Niro), a trucker who ventures into the Bufalino crime family, headed by Russell Bufalino (Pesci) and his later friendship with Teamsters union leader, Jimmy Hoffa (Al Pacino).
We open with Frank, alone and isolated in a care facility reminiscing about his days with the Bufalino family. Even though the film frequently becomes a flashback within a flashback, it never feels overtly confusing nor complicated to follow, meaning you can effectively follow the story and enjoy the peeling back of layers.
Not only do you see Frank’s descent into organised crime, but also the impact it has on his family — particularly with his daughter Peggy (Anna Paquin) and his past as a veteran during World War II.
Two points of contention have been widely discussed, which are the length — the film sits at three and a half hours long — and the use of computer technology to “de-age” it’s main stars.
Regarding the former, Netflix is clearly the natural home for Irishman — and not only because they gave Scorsese full-rein and creatively control, but also because it gives the viewer flexibility as to how they watch — whether it be in one go or as a miniseries. I did the latter and through the use of this handy graphic, I was able to end it at key points making the whole experience more memorable and suspenseful.
In relation to the “de-ageing” technology, at first it felt jarring, as if I was watching one of the videos which sit between tasks in Grand Theft Auto, but once you look beyond it, you come to appreciate its value for being able to tell a story that spans decades effectively. The only major issue I found with the technology was when Frank was middle-aged and doing something action-based, because even though the face was of De Niro in his fifties, the body movements were clearly that of a septuagenerian.
There are two standout performances from Pesci and Paquin. Pesci has done a 180-turn in Irishman and could not be further from his portrayal of Tommy in Goodfellas. He’s restrained, so un-Pesci like that it’s compelling and fascinating to watch. Whereas with Paquin’s performance, there has been some criticism that she barely has any lines. Yes, it’s true, she doesn’t say much, however the power in which the nuances of her emotions come to fruition means she is saying far more than dialogue ever could.
De Niro is as good as ever, something that was clearly going to be the case. The only issue with acting I noticed was at times Pacino became too Pacino, especially when Hoffa screams “cocksucker” on multiple occasions, but his performance is still very good.
Whether you watch Irishman in one go or as a miniseries, it will likely impact how you perceive certain scenes. This is most certainly the case with the closing scenes. Near the end of the film, we see Frank in the same state as he was at the beginning — alone, isolated and in a care facility. If you had been watching for the three and a half hours flat out, the slowness will probably frustrate you. However, if you’ve watched it as a miniseries, the scenes have greater potency and power.
Some may be tempted to look over Irishman as it’s just another one of Scorsese’s films about Irish-Americans who are part of the mob. However, don’t be fooled by your expectations, because this is very different from anything he has done before. It is clearly a passion project and a clear signal to those who have previously criticised him for glamorising the mob — something he really isn’t doing in Irishman.
