This week, anyone who is a fan of classic cinema will be leaping onto their Netflix accounts to inject the latest mobster hit, The Irishman, into their eyes. It’s a true return to form for Martin Scorsese, comfortably cementing itself as his best effort since Goodfellas.
Scorsese effectively combines the slow build technique from The Godfather, with the moodiness and setting from Taxi Driver, and the reflective narrative style of Goodfellas to create one of the films of the decade. The setup of each scene is a work of art, and the music score, complied by Robbie Robertson and Randall Poster, perfectly mirrors the tension in every scene.
The story follows Frank Sheeran, played perfectly by Robert De Niro, as he carefully treads between trade unionist Jimmy Hoffa, played by Al Pacino, and mobster Russell Bufalino, played by Joe Pesci. Frank develops complicated relationships with each of the key players while making his rise up throughout the story, which is seen to impact his own family life.
All of the performances of the main cast are exquisite, with De Niro, Pesci and Al Pacino being hot tips to look at for the Oscars. But the performance of Stephen Graham, saw him confidently go neck and neck with some of the worlds best actors; and stood out. His role as Tony Pro allows him to channel previous roles from This is England, and the end result is extraordinary.
Before watching, serious doubts were cast about the visual technology which would de-age some of the main cast, including De Niro whose age ranged from 24 to 80. However, the effect was hardly recognisable, with it being much slicker than other attempts. Moreover, the three and a half hours running time can be daunting at first, but the narrative reads like a good book.
The only faults of this masterpiece would be some confusion over the exact relationship between Hoffa and the mob, which is especially unclear in the first half of the film, and the fact that sometimes it's hard to identify time jumps as the only indicators were Frank’s greying hair and the age of his daughters.
Martin Scorsese’s risk to work with Netflix seems to have paid off, which will no doubt frustrate the few production companies that turned him away. It's sure to not only succeed in viewing figures but in the idea that it will still be watched thirty years down the line.
Nine/Ten
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