“The Irishman”

It took me multiple sittings, but I got through the most anticipated drama of the year. The past couple years actually. Is it worth all the hype and Oscar buzz? For the most part, yes, but it’s not without its flaws. Storywise, it’s very engrossing. You do get drawn in right away and most of the characters are pretty interesting. The movie especially perks up when Jimmy Hoffa is introduced. The acting by Robert DeNiro and Al Pacino are terrific. They’re great actors, but both of them kill it, esp. Pacino as Hoffa. This is easily the best work he’s done in decades. He also brings some much needed humor to the film. Joe Pesci is also really good in a quiet role very different than what were accustomed to.This is Scorsese’ wheel house and nobody tackles this genre better. There is a Goodfellas/Casino feel to it with the style and use of camera work and narration. Fans of those past films will also eat this movie up. That being said, this movie is way too long. There is no reason for this to be 3.5 hours. Sorry, the movie is very deliberate in it’s story telling, which many times was an asset to the film, but also brings it down to a slog, esp. the last 30 minutes. Scorsese could have accomplished everything he wanted with this movie in under 3 hours and it would still be a very good movie. I almost wished this was broken down to a 4 part mini-series. I think it might have been a little bit easier to sit through. The aging gimmick isn’t entirely seamless and is a distraction at times. Despite whatever complaints I have, this is still a must see.

Rating: (***1/2)