'The Irishman' is good, even reaching greatness at several points, however it has a few problems which bring it down. Firstly, it's long (running for a whopping 3hrs 29mins) and it feels it, mainly due to its pacing. The first two-thirds have a very episodic feel and aren't very focussed. The intent of the piece isn't really clear here. What we see just seems like a selection of random events in the protagonists' life, rather than a carefully constructed, character-building narrative. It actually takes around 3 hours, which is far longer than most complete films, for its main purpose to become clear. That's not to say what precedes it is bad, though. It's actually far from it, as its individual scenes are undeniably entertaining thanks to good writing, direction and performances. It's just never that engaging because of its lack of satisfying coherence. It also follows the traditional structure of the genre, coupled with generic narration, which gives it an overwhelming sense of predictably. The final portion of the film, however, really brings everything together and makes it stand out from other gangster flicks. Here, it offers a reflection and meditation on the genre as a whole, exploring themes of guilt and death in an effective and engaging way. It's an incredibly bold, ultimately genius, way to end things and leaves a great lasting impression. It makes the whole experience more likeable and far less generic upon reflection. Saying that though, one mustn't forget that it takes a long time for it to really be effective. A lot of the first 3 hours or so could easily have been trimmed for a leaner experience, without losing anything essential. It does allow for more time with the performances, though, which are nothing short of outstanding. Joe Pesci is the highlight, appearing in a far calmer role than you might expect. Another notable aspect of the film are the de-aging CGI effects used throughout, which aren't phenomenal and are really noticeable in the first few scenes. Thankfully though, the power of the performances and writing easily allows you to forget about this very quickly. It's surprising how little you even think about it as the film progresses. Overall, 'The Irishman' is definitely worth seeing (ideally on the big screen like I did, although it may be a little late for that now). Even if it's not Scorsese's best and can seem like an endurance test at times, it's still an ultimately effective piece that's undeniably entertaining in the end. 7/10
Review of The Irishman
