Robert De Niro (Raging Bull, Taxi Driver) reunites with director Martin Scorsese (Shutter Island, The Wolf of Wall Street) for this crime drama that sees everything from the mob to the International Brotherhood of Teamsters in this three-and-a-half-hour effort that, if you stick with it, will give at least some sense of satisfaction to those willing to endure it. This all-star cast, which includes Scorsese teaming with Al Pacino (The Godfather, Scent of a Woman) for the first time, also includes Joe Pesci (My Cousin Vinny, Casino), Harvey Keitel (Bugsy, The Piano), Anna Paquin (The Piano, Almost Famous), Ray Romano (The Big Sick, CBS’s Everybody Loves Raymond), Jesse Plemons (Hostiles, The Post), and Bobby Cannavale (I, Tonya, Ant-Man).

Frank “The Irishman” Sheeran (De Niro) is a man we meet in a nursing home reflecting on his life. A former hitman and high official in the Teamsters labor union, he is known for “painting houses,” a euphemism for killing with a gun, a skill he learned while serving in Italy during World War II. His criminal life has alienated him from two wives and four daughters, including Peggy (Paquin). His claim to have played a role in the disappearance of Jimmy Hoffa (Pacino), his lifelong friend, is one of his most notorious claims to fame. The movie chronicles his years working for the Bufalino crime family, headed by Russell Bufalino (Pesci), and the dozens of hits he carried out for the family.

This movie is long and somewhat confusing, mainly due to its length. I had to watch half in one sitting and the other half in another. That said, even though I didn’t understand everything, I still found it gripping. Frank breaks the fourth wall in cinema when he talks to us, the audience. Unlike most of my reviews, I won’t claim to simplify the plot here. I’ll simply say Frank starts as an honest meat truck driver who’s all too easily influenced and driven into a life of crime with the mob, first by stealing his meat and selling it at a lower price than Felix DiTullio (Cannavale) can get from a competitor. Next, Frank is seen as a quick study who can provide the muscle Russell needs. The two develop a lifelong friendship, including Russell introducing Frank to Hoffa.

The Irishman does its best to tell Frank’s story, his ups and downs, and ultimately his legacy. The movie’s last hour follows Frank’s lonely decline to the point where he can barely take care of himself. The one-time notorious killer (who had never been caught for his crimes) whose primary motive was earning enough money so that his family never needed to have good intentions, even if he knew what he was doing was very wrong. Frank runs errands for Russell and Jimmy that he doesn’t always understand. Nevertheless, he remains loyal and carries them out without asking many questions.

Scorsese generally pays homage to his movies and crime movies, especially to his counterpart, Francis Ford Coppola. He goes a little over the top with his imagery and tries to connect these crime movies. Never known for being concise, he stretches it to three and a half hours, which is too long, even for him. But despite its length, it never really gets slow. The story is instead gripping, even if it feels like it could be told in two (or more) different stories. De Niro, who has been mailing it in in many of his most recent roles, goes for broke here and is the main reason to watch The Irishman. But all the performances are remarkable, including those by actors I didn’t mention here (Keitel, Plemons, Romano). The score is good. The New York, Philadelphia, and Chicago backdrops are great. Also, the makeup is top-notch. They aged both De Niro and Pesci exceptionally well. The movie is scary because it shows what can happen under the law.

While I didn’t love it, I liked it. I won’t watch it again because of its length and because I don’t think it needs a second viewing. It will be nominated for many Oscars this year and might even win a few. While 2019 has been an incredibly down year for movies, there are more deserving movies than The Irishman. If you can stomach its length, it’s worth a watch.

Plot 9/10
Character Development 9/10
Character Chemistry 8/10
Acting 9/10
Screenplay 7/10
Directing 7.5/10
Cinematography 9/10
Sound 7/10
Hook and Reel 4.5/10
Universal Relevance 7/10
77%

C

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