CoolHandDuke’s review published on Letterboxd:
100/100
Scorsese’s latest really does feel like a tribute to the style of filmmaking only he could accomplish, along with the talented cast and crew members he had along the way, and a lot on both ends were able to work on this masterpiece.
First, I wanna mention one the biggest pieces to what makes Scorsese’s films so great and that’s the fantastic Thelma Schoonmaker. She’s been Scorsese’s editor for years, and her work here is a true showcase of her talent. The 3 and a half hour long pace is so smooth sailing, and Thelma’s work might be biggest reason why. Anything from paused shots to fast transitions, is done perfectly and sort of hypnotized me to crave more throughout. Also containing the stunning cinematography from Rodrigo Prieto was more than a nice touch. I will find a new stunning shot to point out each viewing.
Robert DeNiro really got snubbed for this astounding performance. His portrayal of Frank Sheeran was the first of his in a while where I truly got lost into the character and not just at the fact that it’s Robert DeNiro, and I’ll say this now, it is the same to the rest of the cast. He’s able to bring out the grit, determination yet heartbreaking confusion by the time it’s over, and it’s probably going to move me even more the older I get. Pacino as Jimmy Hoffa was immediately one of the most quotable characters that my friends and I would use, but he also has that intimidation and power that he carried every single ounce of on his shoulders. I’m still so happy that he finally worked with Sese, and Hoffa was more than worth the wait. Joe Pesci somehow managed to take the memorability and wow factor of his performance in Goodfellas and turn it into a confident looking, fear inducing and darkly determinate man that while I can’t say is the exact way Russell Bufalino actually was, but was one of the most eye capturing supporting performances of all time. The pace he draws his performance throughout goes through ways I’d have to spoil, so I’ll save it for another time.
I mentioned earlier that this seemed like a tribute to Scorsese’s films by the legend himself. I mainly mean that with how a lot of the praises of The Irishman relate to films of his like Taxi Driver, Goodfellas, and even more recent ones like Wolf Of Wall Street. He is able to create a fantastic story in a pace that would turn most general audiences away, but has the power to bring an experience that combines every kind of movie goer into entrancement. This film goes beyond the atmospheric mobster tone that I and others originally thought it would be when it came out. One of the portions of this story that always shatters me is Frank and Peggy, and if you’ve seen the film, you know that it contains some of the most silently devastating moments of all time. The chemistry that is just fueled with any new character introduced through Frank’s journey is beyond sensational, which kept the amazing work behind the scenes even better and sometimes even more noticeable.
The Irishman after my 3rd viewing is my guaranteed favorite film from Martin Scorsese. It has one of the sharpest scripts, editing, acting, you name it. It’s a story that in the end makes me sit back and really feel the pain this film delivers, while having it be satisfying at the same time.
It’s what it is