The Irishman by M̵a̵r̵t̵i̵n̵ ̵S̵c̵o̵ NETFLIX
The Irishman: Martin Scorsese’s Magnum Opus or a 3.5h mishandled bore?
Okay. I mean.. right
Look, you have to carefully manage your expectations before seeing this film. If you wanna reminisce about those good old Marty movies like Casino and Goodfellas, you better rewatch Casino and Goodfellas.
I didn’t like it. But out of my huge respect to Martin Scorsese, I think I have to explain myself. I didn’t like anything he made after Shutter Island. That’s a whole 10 years. Nothing. Smth has changed in him.
Let me tell you what I didn’t like point by point and the 2 things that I liked.
Bad: Runtime
3.5 hours is too long. Again just out of respect to him I sat along during all of it, didn’t take any breaks. And it’s a lot to handle. 3.5 hours might be ok for a movie that has things happening in it, that is interesting. But for a movie that literally has nothing interesting happening in it, is just plain bad. Ford v Ferrari dodged this bullet because it was entertaining. The Irishman just tells about the lives of a couple of old people that happened to be big names in the mob. And boy does it get boring.
Bad: Music
…or the absence of it. Total lack of good score. I mean it was okay but nothing of real value. It was ok. But it must’ve been great in such a film.
Bad: Script
Yeah, I admit it, there’s a special value in the fact that Marty didn’t try to romanticize the life of a mob boss, a gangster or an outlaw this time. It was bleak, boring at times, hard and lonely. But I mean c’mon. Are we shooting an arthouse now? Movies were created to entertain people. They were created to tell exciting stories about extraordinary people and events, not about everyday, mundane, mediocre lives. If he wanted to show the real life then he succeeded. But are movies supposed to be that? Was Dunkirk a good movie? It was as close as it can get to a real-life battle. But God it was boring!
A lot of people are justifying the script by saying it was based on a true story but here’s the catch — it isn’t. The book may just as well be a total fabrication. So who knows?
Bad: Acting
These people are legends. Their acting range is phenomenal. And they were huge during THEIR golden age, not now. I’m so sorry but they are slow now, they’re not as exciting and CGI didn’t do any justice to them at all. All of their faces looked weird. Movements looked weird. I felt like watching a football/soccer game where Pele, Maradona and George Best were playing. Yeah, they were great at one point in time but I feel like I have to cheer for them just out of respect.
Good: Actors
:D Nah I’m not contradicting myself. It’s just I can’t ignore the fact that they got JOE FUCKIN’ PESCI in it. The dude hasn’t played in a movie for such a long time that it’s just a marvel they brought him back. I think his character had the most depth and range. I cared for him. I didn’t care for anyone else though.
Good: Cinematography
There’s no fuckin way on earth you won’t get that this is a Martin Scorsese movie..from any shot. It’s his colors, his editing, his views & angles. And it was great. Kudos to Rodrigo Prieto for shooting the film and Thelma Schoonmaker for editing it.
I don’t think I will ever rewatch The Irishman, sorry.