The Irishman

We've seen a number of crime films from Scorsese, with either excess, betrayal, redemption or social commentary taking turns to be the fabric of nature for these features. For the first time, the masterpiece titled The Irishman this time, seemed personal. One can't help but think if the legendary director's trying to tell us something here, especially with the ending. Is he saying he's old and his time has come? Is he asking forgiveness for his past unbeknownst to us? Or could this be his very last film? The finale here has an everlasting impact, shoving you through a series of depressing thoughts unlike or not as much as any of his other works. We'll return to this point later. Now, let us take a look at dissecting one of the greatest motion pictures ever made this generation.

What if the best of things congregate to put a film together for us to watch? That's precisely the result of Martin Scorsese's 2019 mob drama. We could technically end the review here with this statement and usher you to the show right away! But, let us try do our job here. The Irishman is a coming-of-age autobiographical gangster flick surrounding Frank Sheeran (Robert De Niro); a Mafia-hitman allegedly responsible for the disappearance / murder of Jimmy Hoffa (Al Pacino). The 3.5-hour runtime is dedicated to show us his steady career growth / progression across 4 decades, right from his days as a meat truck driver to forming a friendship with Russell Bufalino (Joe Pesci) and all the way through meeting Jimmy Hoffa before becoming the President of Local Union 360. Throughout this journey, we see how closely knitted the relationships between Frank-Russell and Hoffa-Frank become. This is crucial as later on, Frank will be stuck in between these two, forcing him to take a choice he'll regret for the rest of his life.

The plot begins with Frank and Russell taking a road trip to a wedding, collecting money from whoever owes them, which leads directly into the biggest target of said mission - Jimmy Hoffa; the politician who threatens the very mob who had his back during his heydays. Screenwriter Steven Zaillian's writing jives in harmony with Scorsese's storytelling flare. He ensured every subject topic of the scenes and situations to be extremely simple with terrific dialogues that catches your attention at entrance, at all times. Cadillac Linen company sabotage, alcohol-soaked-watermelon, pushing cabs and dumping firearms into the river, you name it! Every single time Hoffa butts head with Tony Pro (Stephen Graham), it's extremely hilarious, especially the 10-minutes-late scene! Argument about who will take the back seat and inquiry about the type of fish bought that made said seat wet brings rollicking laughter! Frank and Russell sharing a bread in the beginning and at the end while speaking the Italian language is sweet! And of course, what's a mob action celluloid without homicides, right? All the assassination / violent scenes, be it related to Whispers, Crazy Joe, grocery shop Joe, gun attack in court or the tree-shredded henchman, are written and made to the absolute T! The best sequence in the entire picture definitely goes to the assassination of Jimmy Hoffa! The buildup and journey to the actual act has the level of intensity films have rarely accomplished! From Russell informing Frank about the deed the latter needs to do, charted plane travel to Detroit to actually shooting Jimmy Hoffa from his back, it's easily the most gut-wrenching sequence ever pulled off! We'll have to take a break off Zaillian for a second here to talk about how meticulous of a director Scorsese is! The moment Frank shoots Hoffa is abrupt and shocking, plus notice the tiny scream Hoffa lets out after being shot and before dropping dead on the ground. It's pitch-perfect accuracy! But it's the unflinching trust that Hoffa has on Frank up till the very second of his death is what renders this immensely heartbreaking! You could see the tears in Frank's eyes being hold from falling when the assignment's pushed to him.

Coming back to the screenwriting, in your first viewing, you'll see how layman yet detailed the plot is. But your second-viewing will open your eyes and make you realize how a lot of the pivotal events that happen in this film are the ones left unsaid. Racism has always been the undercurrent motivation behind most of the characters' actions and reactions in The Irishman. Pay attention and you'll see how the Italians have a liking towards the Irish, with Russell hiring Frank and helping Kennedy's presidential campaign even though it goes in direct conflict with Hoffa being prime examples. Since it's clear that Hoffa doesn't like Italians, could this mean it has always been mutual that way from Russell too? Notice how these two have never shared screen together except for one occasion? Notice how Russell conveniently 'buys' Frank away from Jimmy by presenting him the rare ring, right before issuing the assassination order? Or did you manage to notice how Russell's words are never direct, for even the threats may come off warm? Under the hood of 'unsaid', Zaillian's story takes another perspective into its hand by showing how Frank's daughter been reacting to everything that's been happening. The silent stare she lays on her father says so much than any words that could have been spoken on behalf of it! It's haunting to see her gradually gaining understanding about her father's criminal operations, and it's easily one of the major stakes Frank has to lose for choosing this line of work. In fact, that's the whole point of the story. On the surface, The Irishman may seem like a biography or a recount about Jimmy Hoffa's disappearance, but really it is showing you what one is risking by being a mobster. All those captions of horrific fate slapped onto individuals dwelling in this world is just the cherry-on-top to strengthen Scorsese's point.

Performances. Could you imagine how it's like to have the biggest superstars of the underworld genre assembled for a magnum opus of this scale? Robert De Niro, Al Pacino and Joe Pesci under the direction of Martin Scorsese is what forged this a magnum opus in the first place! These born thespians lived their given roles, and we're saying this in every sense of the way we mean it! The caliber displayed here is of the rarest of rare quality you'll ever get to see in cinema. It goes beyond mouthing lines and/or looking the part. It's, again, about living the characters' lives. Getting under their skin. Embodying their beliefs, mentality, habits, traits, pluses and minuses! For example, we know everything about Al Pacino's Jimmy Hoffa just by how it's written on paper and performed on screen. He's a stubborn, brash, childlike, egoistic, compulsive hothead who's unaware about the concept of tolerance. His childlike behavior is externalized by his love for eating ice cream. Russell Bufalino on the other hand, portrayed by maestro Joe Pesci, is a man of few words. He's incredibly silent but dangerous beyond anyone could fathom. He speaks in codes, especially if it's about murder. There's a scene where a young Russell walks into his home after presumably murdering someone, only to stumble upon his wife. His glare at that very moment will send chill down your spine, allowing you to literally feel how it's like to be as cold-blooded as he is! Robert De Niro as Frank Sheeran is as suave as an actor of his stature gets! Every single time he looks into the camera, subtly breaking the fourth wall to make eye contact with us makes you uncomfortable and appreciate the kind of true storyteller Scorsese is, and what an absolute gem De Niro is! Ray Romano as Bill Bufalino, Harvey Keitel as Angelo Bruno, Stephen Graham as Tony Pro, Bobby Cannavale as Skinny Razor and Sebastian Maniscalco as 'Crazy' Joe make a mark as well.

Thelma Schoonmaker's film editing is ever so crisp till this very day! The vehicle wipe to flashback is a meaningfully superb transition! Do not miss the ever stylish and graceful slow motions either! Rodrigo Prieto's cinematography is extremely cool! Just look at all his zoom-ins and focuses! Robbie Robertson's score is epic and the soundtrack choices are suitably unique! Scorsese's usage of voiceover narration is astoundingly funny, with picking the firearms to silence Crazy Joe being the highlight. To address the elephant in the room, the deaging technology is profoundly seamless! Younger De Niro during wartime is stunning! The makers even went further in deaging De Niro's body for a sauna scene. But of course, De Niro's body motions for his age can't be masked sometimes. Only sometimes.

Just like how we didn't want to end up in prison after experiencing The Shawshank Redemption, or just like how we feared mental asylums post One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest, The Irishman's final hours will make you squirm feverishly on your seats, not ever wanting to get old. You would never wish to commit crime. You would never want to be alone lying on your death bed. Frank following the path of Russell - going to church, to hospital and buying himself a coffin in preparation for his death, instigates a feeling never before felt. If this is indeed Martin Scorsese's last picture, cinema will die by a momentous rank.