More than one reviewer has called the film a “masterpiece”.
We obviously don’t really need to say this, but Martin Scorsese knows how to put a movie together.
However, his most recent film – 2016’s Silence – wasn’t what anyone would call one of his best, and prior to that we had 2013’s The Wolf Of Wall Street, and 2011’s Hugo, so his CV of late has been eclectic, interesting, but not always amazing.
So even though he was returning to the world of gangsters with The Irishman, and reuniting with De Niro and Pesci (after Goodfellas and Casino), and bringing in Pacino for good measure, there might have been some minor concerns that just because all of the ingredients were in place, the final product wouldn’t necessarily be amazing.
Those fears can now be put to rest, with the movie getting its first screening at the New York Film Festival today, and the reaction has been overwhelmingly positive:
THE IRISHMAN – Audacious, epic, a film that feels like it spans lifetimes yet whisks by. Technically bold, performances raw and darkly humourous, it is the culmination of Scorsese's genre fascinations, and a late career triumph. Truly cinematic, demanding to be seen big #nyff57
— Jason Gorber (@filmfest_ca) September 27, 2019
Boy. #TheIrishman is a fitting homecoming for De Niro, Pacino, Pesci, and Scorsese’s ode to gangster cinema. Hilarious and sharply written. A portrait of mortality and legacy, told like a culmination of everything we have ever seen in this genre. It’s LONG but never boring. #NYFF pic.twitter.com/OBTAXem4On
— kevin l. lee (@Klee_FilmReview) September 27, 2019
It’s a masterpiece. Period. #TheIrishman @TheNYFF
— Robert Levin (@Rlevin85) September 27, 2019
https://twitter.com/PatrikSandberg/status/1177621126207475713?s=20
Meanwhile, one of the three leading actors is getting a special shout out for his performance:
THE IRISHMAN: Think GOODFELLAS, but directed by the man who gave us SILENCE. A culmination, meditation and tribute to every Scorsese/De Niro/Pesci collaboration. And yet, Al Pacino towers over all of them with a funny, sad and haunting performance as Jimmy Hoffa.
— Jordan Ruimy (@mrRuimy) September 27, 2019
THE IRISHMAN: Pacino unhinges his jaw and swallows this thing whole like a python choking down a gazelle carcass, berserker mode king shit
— Charles Bramesco (@intothecrevasse) September 27, 2019
The Irishman is a melancholic mob epic. Funnier than expected, and gets better and better as it builds. Pacino truly steals the show, but Pesci and De Niro both are excellent. The deaging tech is mixed, but Scorsese is best there is at what he does
— Ben Yakas (@yenbakas) September 27, 2019
THE IRISHMAN: An instant Martin Scorsese crime classic that’s everything you want to be, and more.
De Niro’s best work in ages, Pesci lights up the screen, and Al Pacino as Jimmy Hoffa screaming about the Kennedys is the peak of cinema!
— Brett (@BrettRedacted) September 27, 2019
So… yeah, we’re pretty excited now.
As we reported earlier, the movie will begin streaming on Netflix from Wednesday 27 November, but will be available to see on the big screen across Ireland from Friday 8 November.
Clip via Netflix
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