“I heard you paint houses” is slang for being a hitman. It is also a novel that director Martin Scorsese bases his epic mob film, ‘The Irishman.’ As Netflix continues to influence the way we watch movies, we’re fortunate it was ever made. A running time that clocks in at 3 ½ hours is not conducive to a movie theater. The scope of the story is massive spanning decades of American history through a mafia hitman’s perspective. ‘The Irishman’ feels like vintage Martin Scorsese. It is reminiscent of his masterpiece ‘Goodfellas’ but with the violence toned down a notch. It contains masterful performances from Robert De Niro (his best performance in decades), Joe Pesci (he came out of retirement for the role) and a larger-than-life Al Pacino (his first time working with the director). Scorsese is to mob films what John Ford is to Westerns. ‘The Irishman’ is a masterpiece.
The opening scene is signature Scorsese. It is a long tracking shot through a retirement home. We meet Frank Sheeran (De Niro), an old man telling us about his days in the mob. He was a teamster who claimed right before his death that he was the one who killed Jimmy Hoffa (Pacino). Through flashbacks and de-aging special effects, we see how Sheeran becomes a trusted gangster. He becomes friends with Russell Bufalino (Pesci), one of the top figures in the Philly mob. This leads him to help out “our friend in Detroit” who happens to be Jimmy Hoffa, president of the Teamsters union. Hoffa is played with bravado by Pacino. It is when Pacino enters the picture that ‘The Irishman’ reaches its full octane level.
Sheeran’s loyalty to the mob takes its toll on his family life. His daughter Peggy is played as a little girl by Lucy Gallina and an adult by Anna Paquin. The biggest weakness of the film is that there are no strong female characters. It is not a huge jab but it would have been nice if Paquin’s character was fleshed out more. The mob wives are also relegated to just complaining about taking smoke breaks during a road trip to Detroit. Sheeran’s estrangement from his daughter signifies his guilty conscience. It’s an intimate and heartbreaking portrait of a man that devoted his whole life to the violence and code of the mafia.
Scorsese manages to create an opus on life in the mafia. Death is always looming around the corner. It is something none of the characters can escape. Whether it is being whacked or by old age, it is an inescapable part of life. All the main characters including the director are in their 70s. When new characters are introduced, Scorsese flashes an obit on the screen how that mobster eventually is led to his demise. It reminds us what a dangerous and violent world Sheeran has chosen for himself. We see several flashbacks to Frank painting a wall with blood of one of his victims. What made his moral compass go astray? It is anyone’s guess but he seems to treat killing like any other job in order to provide for his family.
Nobody can make a mafia film like Scorsese. Nobody! There is something real special here. It is like a reunion for him with a glorious cast including De Niro and Pesci. Pacino as Hoffa is pure gold. Pesci ultimately steals the show. His performance is flawless and heartbreaking. All three actors are at the twilight of their careers. To see all three in a Scorsese film will go down in cinematic history. ‘The Irishman’ is a terrific epic not to be missed.
Excellent review, Dan. I agree with you completely. Well done.