Before we begin, check out my post on The Irishman on my othe blog, Before I Go See It.
Now, on with the show.
I'm a little embarrassed to say that this is my first Martin Scorsese film, but I'm very glad I saw it. Whether it wins or loses, it will forever be a piece of cinematic history.
The running joke for this film is its massive runtime, but there wasn't a moment of boredom in this modern epic. Long movies get criticized for being an overindulgence of information we didn't really need, and that is true for some. This film, however, is a film that needs to be told this way. You can't rush a story like this. Do you know what happens when you rush a story like this? Live By Night? Ever seen it? No? Well, neither have I because it was pulled from theaters because of its rushed plot and blandness. The long runtime allows you to comprehend every player in the story and why he or she matters. It is a film that you have to dedicate yourself to watching, but it is worth the watch whether you enjoyed it or not.
But it's hard to not enjoy it. It has the humor of The Big Short, the suspense, of Once Upon a Time in the West, the coolness of Ocean's Eleven, and the drama of The Godfather. The characters act so cool, you realize that they are modern cowboys with the hint of a con artist. And the way they lose is so poetic. It's like a game to them. A game of poker. They play life by slowly winning with a couple of pairs, then they get a good hand, win big and take the house. But when they slip up, someone calls their bluff, and they go to jail. Most of them take it in stride because they know they'll be back.
The film sheds a light onto an ugly part of our history where the mafia had a hand in shaping our country from electing Kennedy president to supplying weapons for the infamous Bay of Pigs invasion. You watch their reactions when their decisions don't go their way, like when Kennedy was elected, Kennedy appointed his brother, Bobby, attorney general, and Bobby went after the people who put his brother in the White House. It almost made me wonder if the mafia was responsible for Bobby's death when he ran for president. But it didn't matter because he disappeared from the scene when John died. Another rather ugly moment is when they funded Nixon's campaign to finally elect him president only to have Nixon resign after six years because of the Watergate Scandal. It's like watching
and its sequel that we never got to see. They touch every moment in American history, and it backfires on them.
The film is eerily relatable with the rise, fall, and disappearance of Jimmy Hoffa. Hoffa had the mentality and attitude of a certain major figure we interact with today. And with the way Hoffa went, it almost makes you wonder about the figure I'm referring to. All Hoffa cared about after getting out of prison was winning back his union. Like many mobsters, he fought to give his workers better pay and better benefits. He was very likable, almost like someone we know. until this movie, like Frank suggests, I only knew he disappeared mysteriously. I knew he was a mobster, and I thought he was a member of Congress at one point. I guess that part is wrong.
With all that aside, I did have some thoughts. Regarding the title of the movie, it was advertised for a year, there was a teaser at last year's Oscar ceremony, that the film was called The Irishman. But throughout the movie, the title of the book it's based on, I Heard You Paint Houses, kept popping up. Like, what's the name of your movie? Can you pick a title and stick with it? If you re-brand it with the book's title, that's fine. Call it On Being Frank for all I care, just pick something.
I don't like bringing the trailer into this. I know I've been doing that lately, but the trailer advertised the film like Frank Sheeran was a legend. He was, but the scene used in the trailer was the scene where Joe Pesci's character presents Frank the ring. I understand you want to keep the plot under wraps, and that's good. We need people like to cloud the mystery of their film. It sounds like I'm complaining when I shouldn't. I saw what the trailer had promised, so I should shut up.
I don;t quite understand the ending. I get that Frank has regret for being able to communicate with his daughter, Peggy, and how she distanced herself from him. But the pastor just leaves him in his room at the home, and that's it. I guess there was nothing more to tell, but that's the Lady Bird ending: the main character in its defeated state from the broken relationship they have with a direct relative.
The film recaptured the magic left behind The Godfather by making a gritty crime drama that appeals to modern audiences. I once thought The Godfather was just a cute little film, but I now understand how much of a game changer that film was because of this film. I don't think there could be anymore to tell in this story. Frank is old and in a home. He's likely dead now. But I wonder if there will be others in the future like this. Say what you will about long movies, but when you watch movies like Titanic, The Godfather Trilogy, Avengers: Endgame, Ben-Hur, Out of Africa, Lonesome Dove, and The Lord of the Rings Trilogy, you get why some of the best movies in history are also the longest.
I hope you liked this. Be sure to subscribe and leave a comment about what you thought or if you want to recommend a movie for me to review. Thank you for reading. I'll return next week with another movie. See you then.
Released on Netflix: November 27, 2019
Rating: R
Stars: Robert De Niro, Joe Pesci, Al Pacino, Anna Paquin, Harvey Keitel, Ray Romano, Bobby Cannavale
Director: Martin Scorsese
Rotten Tomatoes Score: 96% Certified Fresh
IMDb Score: 8.0/10
Awards
Academy Awards
Golden Globe Awards
(Click here to view more awards for "The Irishman".)
Now, on with the show.
I'm a little embarrassed to say that this is my first Martin Scorsese film, but I'm very glad I saw it. Whether it wins or loses, it will forever be a piece of cinematic history.
The running joke for this film is its massive runtime, but there wasn't a moment of boredom in this modern epic. Long movies get criticized for being an overindulgence of information we didn't really need, and that is true for some. This film, however, is a film that needs to be told this way. You can't rush a story like this. Do you know what happens when you rush a story like this? Live By Night? Ever seen it? No? Well, neither have I because it was pulled from theaters because of its rushed plot and blandness. The long runtime allows you to comprehend every player in the story and why he or she matters. It is a film that you have to dedicate yourself to watching, but it is worth the watch whether you enjoyed it or not.
But it's hard to not enjoy it. It has the humor of The Big Short, the suspense, of Once Upon a Time in the West, the coolness of Ocean's Eleven, and the drama of The Godfather. The characters act so cool, you realize that they are modern cowboys with the hint of a con artist. And the way they lose is so poetic. It's like a game to them. A game of poker. They play life by slowly winning with a couple of pairs, then they get a good hand, win big and take the house. But when they slip up, someone calls their bluff, and they go to jail. Most of them take it in stride because they know they'll be back.
The film sheds a light onto an ugly part of our history where the mafia had a hand in shaping our country from electing Kennedy president to supplying weapons for the infamous Bay of Pigs invasion. You watch their reactions when their decisions don't go their way, like when Kennedy was elected, Kennedy appointed his brother, Bobby, attorney general, and Bobby went after the people who put his brother in the White House. It almost made me wonder if the mafia was responsible for Bobby's death when he ran for president. But it didn't matter because he disappeared from the scene when John died. Another rather ugly moment is when they funded Nixon's campaign to finally elect him president only to have Nixon resign after six years because of the Watergate Scandal. It's like watching
and its sequel that we never got to see. They touch every moment in American history, and it backfires on them.
The film is eerily relatable with the rise, fall, and disappearance of Jimmy Hoffa. Hoffa had the mentality and attitude of a certain major figure we interact with today. And with the way Hoffa went, it almost makes you wonder about the figure I'm referring to. All Hoffa cared about after getting out of prison was winning back his union. Like many mobsters, he fought to give his workers better pay and better benefits. He was very likable, almost like someone we know. until this movie, like Frank suggests, I only knew he disappeared mysteriously. I knew he was a mobster, and I thought he was a member of Congress at one point. I guess that part is wrong.
With all that aside, I did have some thoughts. Regarding the title of the movie, it was advertised for a year, there was a teaser at last year's Oscar ceremony, that the film was called The Irishman. But throughout the movie, the title of the book it's based on, I Heard You Paint Houses, kept popping up. Like, what's the name of your movie? Can you pick a title and stick with it? If you re-brand it with the book's title, that's fine. Call it On Being Frank for all I care, just pick something.
I don't like bringing the trailer into this. I know I've been doing that lately, but the trailer advertised the film like Frank Sheeran was a legend. He was, but the scene used in the trailer was the scene where Joe Pesci's character presents Frank the ring. I understand you want to keep the plot under wraps, and that's good. We need people like to cloud the mystery of their film. It sounds like I'm complaining when I shouldn't. I saw what the trailer had promised, so I should shut up.
I don;t quite understand the ending. I get that Frank has regret for being able to communicate with his daughter, Peggy, and how she distanced herself from him. But the pastor just leaves him in his room at the home, and that's it. I guess there was nothing more to tell, but that's the Lady Bird ending: the main character in its defeated state from the broken relationship they have with a direct relative.
The film recaptured the magic left behind The Godfather by making a gritty crime drama that appeals to modern audiences. I once thought The Godfather was just a cute little film, but I now understand how much of a game changer that film was because of this film. I don't think there could be anymore to tell in this story. Frank is old and in a home. He's likely dead now. But I wonder if there will be others in the future like this. Say what you will about long movies, but when you watch movies like Titanic, The Godfather Trilogy, Avengers: Endgame, Ben-Hur, Out of Africa, Lonesome Dove, and The Lord of the Rings Trilogy, you get why some of the best movies in history are also the longest.
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I hope you liked this. Be sure to subscribe and leave a comment about what you thought or if you want to recommend a movie for me to review. Thank you for reading. I'll return next week with another movie. See you then.
Released on Netflix: November 27, 2019
Rating: R
Stars: Robert De Niro, Joe Pesci, Al Pacino, Anna Paquin, Harvey Keitel, Ray Romano, Bobby Cannavale
Director: Martin Scorsese
Rotten Tomatoes Score: 96% Certified Fresh
IMDb Score: 8.0/10
Awards
Academy Awards
- Best Picture - Nominated
- Best Director Martin Scorsese - Nominated
- Best Supporting Actor Joe Pesci - Nominated
- Best Supporting Actor Al Pacino - Nominated
- Best Adapted Screenplay Steven Zaillian - Nominated
- Best Production Design Bob Shaw & Regina Graves - Nominated
- Best Cinematography Rodrigo Prieto - Nominated
- Best Costume Design Sandy Powell & Christopher Peterson - Nominated
- Best Film Editing Thelma Schoonmaker - Nominated
- Best Visual Effects Pablo Helman, Leandro Estebecorena, Nelson Sepulveda-Fauser, & Stephane Grabli - Nominated
Golden Globe Awards
- Best Motion Picture Drama - Nominated
- Best Director Martin Scorsese - Nominated
- Best Supporting Actor Joe Pesci - Nominated
- Best Supporting Actor Al Pacino - Nominated
- Best Screenplay Steven Zaillian - Nominated
(Click here to view more awards for "The Irishman".)
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