The Irishman - Review - Vlad Ispas

Being directed by Martin Scorsese, the Netflix exclusive drama “The Irishman” impresses the public before the film has even begun. Bringing together Robert De Niro, with whom the director has collaborated many times in the past, Al Pacino, who plays union leader Jimmy Hoffa, and Joe Pesci, who has quit retirement in order to play the role of mafioso Russell Bufalino, the film is sure to be one of Scorsese’s best projects to date.

The film tells the story of World War II veteran Frank “the Irishman” Sheeran (De Niro), a truck driver who becomes an integral member of the post-war American organized crime scene. The meticulously crafted narrative gives the viewer an utmost feeling of satisfaction seeing it unfold. Because Sheeran is narrating the story of his life, sitting in a hospice, waiting to die, we’re to witness his life all the way, meaning the principal actors are shown/portrayed/presented at different ages, at various points in time. That is thanks to de-aging technology, one of many aspects that draw attention to “The Irishman”, the transformation being almost seamless.

Over the course of the film, we really get to know Sheeran, the many colorful characters that he orbits, and their complex relationships to each other. The enormous length of the film, which it prides upon, feels justified on the whole, thanks to Scorsese allowing these actors to play their characters through their entire on-screen lives.

In my opinion, the finale is what makes Scorsese’s “The Irishman” one of the best films of the year. The numerous nominations and awards received by it cannot truly encapsulate the genius of this film, which I wish it had been longer. But, as Frank notes, “you don’t know how fast time goes by until you get there”, and with “The Irishman”, you can only treasure every second of it.