The Irishman (2019) Review

The Irishman (2019) Review

 So it is a bit late, but you know the saying better late then never, so this is my review for easilly Netfilx's biggest project to date The Irishman. The premise of the film documents the life of a gangster as he tells the audience his life story of how he grew in the criminal Underworld.

Main Character

Robert De Niro plays the lead character in this film and he does a really good job in the film, you can tell he really cared about this role and it felt like a role that fit him very well. After this performance and his performance in Joker I think it is fair to say that De Niro is back on form and taking roles he actually cares about. At first the de ageing CGI distracted me but you get used to it as the film progresses and it fits De Niro as lets face it he has always looked the same pretty much.

Supporting Characters

Al Pacino plays Jimmy Hoffa in this film and he does a really good job, he is very charismatic and charming in his role, his and De Niro have really good chemistry together and you care about their relationship in the film and he is probably the most interesting character in the film. Joe Pesci plays the Mob Boss in this film and he is also great in this film, again he and De Niro have great chemistry in the film and you do care about their relationship and seeing these three gentleman give great performances is a very welcome sign indeed. There is also some other smaller but great roles such as Ray Romano, Stephen Graham and Bobby Cannavalle who aren't huge parts of the film but they add a bit of class and top quality performances in these roles.

Story

The story is interesting as it documents this gang culture and the different inner workings of what is going on in higher society in this time period. If I am honest this films story is further enhanced by the performers then the actual plot. This film's plot jumps over multiple time periods and it can become a bit convoluted and you are introduced to lots of characters, some who just aren't given enough backstory for you to care about them. Plus this film has easily 30 minutes on there that just isn't necessary and it makes this film feel more indulgent then it could have been.

Script

The dialogue in most Martin Scorsese films is excellent filled with smart and witty dialogue to make you feel like these are real people even though they are in ridiculous scenarios. The drama especially between the main three characters feels very real, like they are real friends and their relationships do feel very real. The dry humour also works and again makes this film feel quite a bit funnier then it had any right to be.

Style 

The style in this film has a really cool gangster feel to it that fits the performers and the director incredibly well and you can tell they are very passionate about how this movie should be made. Also as mentioned before there is de-ageing CGI in this movie and for me it was used well and wasn't distracting to me at all. However, to the big thing about this film is that it is 3 Hours and 30 Minutes long which is absurd for any movie even if the quality of the movie is high. This film definitley drags along and you kind of just wait for the ending to come.

Overall

This film is another great addition to the gangster genre and if you want to watch a superbly acted but long film then this is a film for you, but just remember that you cannot watch this casually and must fully invest in it. 

Rating - 8/10