Hi everyone!
Welcome back for another week of reviews. We’ve got two more weeks left of reviews for we break for the end of the year. The Oscar race is heating up in theaters nationwide, with multiple top-quality films in theaters, including today’s film until it appeared on Netflix just before Thanksgiving, which makes it perfect for Streaming Sundays. I waited until it hit Netflix to see it, and I’ll tell you why in a minute, but for a couple other films related today’s film, check out our review for SILENCE (Episode #061) for another Scorsese film, along with our recent review for the heavily-inspired-by-Scorsese film JOKER (Episode #630), now the highest grossing DC Movie of all time.
We also have another Patreon episode up at patreon.com/onemoviepunch. This week we present part two of “Stories from the Fire”, a collection of the audio essays and mini-dramas from last year’s wildfire evacuation series. It’s a nice way to look back on our podcast, and a nice checklist of goals to review. I’d say we did pretty good. The episode will be publicly available for a limited time, but you can maintain access to it by becoming a sponsor at any level. All contributions go to paying our expenses and helping us to grow with our audience.
We’ll also have a promo from our new friends Susan and Greg at the Honey, You Should Watch This podcast. Well, not really new friends. Susan is the social media genius behind the Top Five for Fighting podcast, of which Greg is co-host with Mike. On the Honey, You Should Watch This Podcast, however, Susan and Greg choose films for the other to watch, and then resent each other forever because of it. I’m sorry, I mean discuss and analyze the films. You can find them on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram @HoneyWatchThis.
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Here we go!
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Today’s movie is THE IRISHMAN, the epic historical crime drama directed by Martin Scorsese and written for the screen by Steven Zaillian, based on the book “I Heard You Paint Houses” by Charles Brandt. The film follows the life of Frank “The Irishman” Sheeran (Robert De Niro), a meat truck driver who becomes attached to the Bufalino crime family, thanks to Russell Bufalino (Joe Pesci). As Frank rises in the ranks, he’s given a job as bodyguard / hitman for notorious union boss Jimmy Hoffa (Al Pacino), and history begins to take its course.
No spoilers.
All right, so I made a conscious decision not to watch this film in the theaters. Not because I don’t think this film would be amazing on the big screen. I hope one day to have that experience, but the theaters featuring the film didn’t have great seats, and I’ve been healing from a pinched nerve since mid-October, which makes sitting for three and a half hours absolutely not possible. I’ve seen a few “which viewing method is superior” arguments, and I’m going to skip past all that, because the answer is unique to each person. No theater experience is going to mask nerve pain. No home experience is going to free from distraction and temptation. Either way, people are seeing this film and absolutely loving it. How they’re seeing it is pretty much an argument only for the Academy.
I’ll also say up front that I watched THE IRISHMAN in three segments at home, for the same reasons as above. I got to avoid the pain of prolonged seating, and get a leftover turkey sandwich in the process. In addition to digesting that turkey sandwich, I was also able to digest the impressive film unfolding before me, and to look up the immense cast of characters that were showing up along the way, before diving back in for another chunk. Three and a half hours is a lot to ask of anyone, and a home viewing experience will lead to a much larger audience, and I think Scorsese understands that. I also think Netflix left money on the table by not giving this film a larger theatrical run, because having seen it once, I would definitely see it again, in a theater with seats that won’t cause me pain.
Scorsese tells his best stories when they don’t fit the classical film structures. Far from being a maximalist tale, full of diversions and lily gilding, every scene in THE IRISHMAN helps to tell the story of Frank Sheeran, which is layered over three different timelines. The narrative voice comes from an interview with an older Frank Sheeran, sometime before his passing in 2003, presumably with Charles Brandt although we never see who he’s talking to. Sheeran begins his tale about a road trip he’s taking with Russell Bufalino in 1975, but we’re quickly brought even further back in time to the 1950s, where a de-aged mid-thirties Sheeran first meets a de-aged late-forties/early-fifties Pesci. Both efforts are well done, but I don’t think either actor could go much younger. And from here, we watch Frank slowly and surely learn his way around organized crime.
De Niro has absolutely no trouble carrying Frank Sheeran throughout the years. De Niro is no stranger to mob roles, which makes his role as Frank feel almost like typecasting. De Niro’s also one of those actors who brings a very distinct gravitas to his performances, unable to shake a certain amount of himself or his career from any role. Which makes him a perfect Frank Sheeran, but a perfect Frank Sheeran as played by Robert De Niro. And he really is perfect, from start to finish, amazing as narrator, on screen, and in his scenes with both Pesci and Pacino. Pesci is wonderfully subdued in his role, making it well worth leaving his unofficial retirement. Pacino has a more difficult time as Jimmy Hoffa, especially when he’s slagging on Italian Americans. Pesci manages to outrun his career whereas Pacino feels a little trapped by it.
De Niro also works well with every one of the cast of thousands who appear in this film. In addition to the top three billing, we have Ray Romano, Bobby Cannavale, Anna Paquin, Stephen Graham, Harvey Keitel, Jesse Plemons, and even Action Bronson. Scorsese empties out his entire contact list to cast all the characters in every major part of Frank Sheeran’s surprisingly well-connected life. Many characters have their epilogues on display throughout the film, most of which were killed in some mob-related encounter. I’m pretty sure the film is a shoe-in for Best Picture, solely because by my calculations, roughly half of the Academy has a role somewhere in this film.
However, that’s never the only reason when it comes to Scorsese. Scorsese masterfully uses well-placed fixed position cameras and mesmerizing, moving long-takes, along with great locations, cars, and costumes for each time period. It takes exceptional talent and skill to make three and a half hours so engaging and digestible. In another filmmaker’s hands, this film would be completely about the disappearance of Jimmy Hoffa, but with Scorsese, it’s just another, although admittedly large part of Sheeran’s life, a fact we understand very well as the film draws to a close through a very extended and enjoyable epilogue. Scorsese always delivers quality cinema, and THE IRISHMAN is no exception, remaining true to his subject by remaining true to his story. Also, a metric shit ton of profanity.
THE IRISHMAN is Scorsese in top form, drawing together a cast of thousands, anchored by three long-time collaborators. De Niro provides a solid portrayal of Frank Sheeran, supported well by Pesci as Russell Bufalino and Pacino as Jimmy Hoffa, retelling a long story from one man’s omnipresent perspective. Crime film fans, especially crime biographies, should definitely check out this film. You’ll see it again at Oscar time, but why wait?
Rotten Tomatoes: 96% (CERTIFIED FRESH)
Metacritic: 94 (MUST SEE)
One Movie Punch: 10/10
THE IRISHMAN (2019) is rated R and is currently playing on Netflix.
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