The Irishman

— I finally carved out three and a half hours to watch “The Irishman” and see if all the hubbub’s deserved. It is. Scorsese and his acting pals pulled off an extraordinary film, albeit a lengthy one, focused on a mob hit man’s look back at his life. There’s not much wrong with the basics—Scorsese sets a perfect mood throughout, the tale is interesting and written well, and the acting is amazing—but haven't we already seen plenty of top tier mob films? A few things set this one apart, making it even more worth seeing. On a technical side, the use of CGI for reverse aging is something new and incredible. Flashbacks going back as many as thirty years are probably half the film, and De Niro, Pacino, and Pesci are miraculously transformed as need be. Even better, you can detect slight changes in things like posture, quickness, or excitability depending on the age they're portraying, attesting to their skills as actors and to Scorsese’s remarkable direction. Looking at the story, although the historical events occurring in the background and affecting the action seem to drive the plot, the film is really about the relationships of the three primary characters, about a long-term friendship and ultimate betrayal. There's a dreamlike quality to the film, but with matter-of-fact recollections that, taken together, form a portrait of each person that could only exist when an entire life is considered. I would have liked the film to be quite a bit shorter, but I can see how it ended up being so long, understanding a shift that’s happening as a result of streaming, allowing directors to edit a film to the length they believe is best, not based on theater or television time constraints. It's one of those films where all the pieces fit together perfectly and, at the end, you sit back and say "aah" with a satisfied grin on your face as the credits roll. Some people avoid gangster films, but if you don’t, this is “must see” material. [Netflix streaming.]

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[2019. 209 min. Directed by Martin Scorsese. Starring Robert De Niro, Al Pacino, Joe Pesci, Harvey Keitel, Ray Romano, and Bobby Cannavale.]
https://www.theguardian.com/film/2019/nov/10/the-irishman-review-martin-scorsese-robert-de-niro-al-pacino-joe-pesci-netflix