The Irishman (2019)

“You always charge a guy with a gun! With a knife, you run away.” – Jimmy Hoffa

Number of Times Seen – 1 (28 Nov 2019)

Brief Synopsis – A former union member recounts his past connections to the Philadelphia mob and his friendship with Labor Union leader Jimmy Hoffa.

My Take on it – This is a film that has been hyped for over a year and I’m glad that I finally got to see it.

Martin Scorsese is an amazing director and this film is fitting for his resume.

It may seem a bit too much like some of his other gangster movies and at certain points in the film, it’s hard to diffrentiate between this film and the others.

The film is very comprehensive in nature and adding to that the excessive length of things, works against things more than for them.

Robert DeNiro once again gives a superb performance in the lead role and he s helped along by such a vast and stellar supporting cast that includes Al Pacino and Joe Pesci.

The story is tole in a very comprehensive and detailed way but the fact that there are so many characters who pop in and out of focus, it’s a bit difficult to keep track of them all even with the way that the film uses captions to try and help with that.

I’m surprised that even at 3 and a half hours long, this film doesn’t actually drag along at all and moves at a great pace.

Unfortunately tho, by the end, it is quite a draining experience because of the vast amount of information that we must retain.

This film is not a masterpiece yet it definitely moves along in the right direction.

I assume that this film will be collecting lots of awards and nomination in the coming months, but I’m still not convinced that this film is among the very bets that 2019 has had to offer us.

Bottom Line – Another great Scorsese film yet the length and comprehensive nature of the movie work against it. DeNiro does a wonderful job in the lead role and is helped along by a stellar cast that includes Pesci, Pacino and lots and lots of other famous actors. The story is quite comprehensive and their are far too many characters in order to keep track pf each of them and what eventually happens to them. Somehow, despite being 3 and a half hours long, this film doesn’t feel long and boring, but it is a bit draining by the end because there is so much information that needs to be taken in along the way. This is not a masterpiece of film making but it definitely is pointing in the right direction. I expect this film to garner lots of awards and nomination in the coming months, but I’m still not convinced as to whether this can be considered the best film of the year. Recommended!

MovieRob’s Favorite Trivia – At three hours and thirty minutes, this is the longest film Martin Scorsese has directed, and the longest mainstream film released in over twenty years. (From IMDB)

Rating – Globe Worthy (8/10)