Review 547: The Irishman

It’s lengthy and  but for patient audiences, The Irishman is a fascinating crime drama film, a mesmerising character study and another superb showcase for the talents of Robert DeNiro and Martin Scorsese.

Based on the nonfiction book I Heard You Paint Houses by Charles Brandt, Frank Sheeran (Robert DeNiro) is an Irish-American mob hitman and World War II veteran who has developed his skills during his service in Italy. Now an old man, he reflects on the events that defined his career as a hitman, particularly the role he played in the disappearance of his longtime friends, labor leader Jimmy Hoffa (Al Pacino) and his involvement with the Philadelphia crime family of Russell Bufalino (Joe Pesci).

An, at times, unbearably slow burn look at an influential middle-teir mobster, Steven Zaillain’s screenplay is crisp, tackling a number of richly poignant themes such as Guilt, Loyalty, Friendship, Isolation and the search for Redemption.

With a runtime of 31/2 hours, The Irishman is almost like a follow up to previous Scorsese gangster films such as Goodfellas and Casino. 

The film sports a killer soundtrack compiled by Robbie Robertson, featuring a number of fantastic songs to represent the many decades that film takes place in. It helps to make us as an audience feel as if we’re traveling through 3 decades worth of a persons life.

Robert DeNiro’s portrayal of the Irish mobster is an understated and nuanced one