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First critic reviews for Scorsese’s THE IRISHMAN
- Thread starter Scullibundo
- Start date
I'm only about 30 min in but the scene that is the flashback where they meet is some of the worst fx work I've ever seen. Its not quite Black Panther bad but it looks really really weird. Unfortunately it really pulled me out of the moment.
Yes, essentially. He makes it pretty clear that he would have been killed whether Sheeran was there or not, hence the original plan for Sheeran and Buffalino to not meet Hoffa at the arranged time and stay at the motel. But I suppose Buffalino felt it important that Sheeran do it himself, hence arranging for him to fly to Detroit and be at the meeting.
He was referring to the phone call he has with Jo Hoffa after killing Jimmy.
He was referring to the phone call he has with Jo Hoffa after killing Jimmy.
That's the point. Frank has to make a decision if he's in or he's with his friend.
Not being in implies that he could be a problem in the future. He's just a cog in the machine that continually turns out bodies.
Not being in implies that he could be a problem in the future. He's just a cog in the machine that continually turns out bodies.
I have one problem with this movie. I keep pausing it whenever I see someone familiar to see if they were on the Sopranos.
Just finished it.
Honestly nothing special for me, it does everything right but nothing great, I could not shake the sense of deja vu off.
Honestly nothing special for me, it does everything right but nothing great, I could not shake the sense of deja vu off.
Just finished it five minutes ago. I don't think a Scorsese movie ever hit me this hard. Christ, the last half hour had me on the brink of bursting into tears nonstop.
It's 1:55 AM here in Denmark and right now I can't really find the words for, how great of a film I think this is.(let alone the English words) So I'll just call masterpiece!
It's 1:55 AM here in Denmark and right now I can't really find the words for, how great of a film I think this is.(let alone the English words) So I'll just call masterpiece!
With all the historical references/backdrop, this film feels like the mob version of Forrest Gump. lol
A perfect film. It slows down as it goes on, you feel tired, you feel the aging. It forces you to ruminate. I loved this and can't wait to see it again.
That's an interesting take on the plot structure. The meandering nature of the narrative was a plus for me. And that final shot...
I really enjoyed it. I don't think it's Scorsese's best, but it's a compelling final chapter in his mob-epic oeuvre. (I just don't see him making another film in this vein.)
The fear of the deaging was really overblown, outside of the eyes a few moments, was really solid, didn't distract me at all.
Only 3 hours 19 start-to-credits, i thought it would be longer, the people it depicts being very busy individuals.
That was an absolute joy to see all those friends of his, just one last time.
I am a lover of these movies, i am so sad the theaters over here snobbed this film of cinema...
Anyway, now i've seen it, and i'll happily buy the physical if and when it releases. I won't have it lost to a subscription service.
That was an absolute joy to see all those friends of his, just one last time.
I am a lover of these movies, i am so sad the theaters over here snobbed this film of cinema...
Anyway, now i've seen it, and i'll happily buy the physical if and when it releases. I won't have it lost to a subscription service.
This was fine. That's it. Old man, reliving his glory days. And besides Scorsese, the actors too.
One thing I liked in the movie is how
They didn't treat Hoffa's death flippantly. They actually put you in the shoes of the guy doing the deed and took you through his emotional state. And in a weird way they managed to do a Goodfellas bookend with the empty house "meeting".
Just a thought, did DeNiro want the door left open just a crack at the end because that's how Hoffa left his door when they stayed together at the hotel, earlier in the film? Seems kind of like a little, tiny hint that Hoffa had an influence and lasting effect on DeNiro, as much as his cold-faced soldier-attitude wouldn't show it.
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Yeah, that was my interpretation of that as well. It seemed to me like Scorsese wanted to emphasize it in that scene where Hoffa leaves his door open, because Frank sort of stares at it for a few seconds before going to bed.
It was a very subtle, poignant, and beautiful way for Frank to show admiration.
YEP!
People are stupid. Internet critics are always looking for that headline-grabbing hyperbole. Both my wife and I thought the film was outstanding and the visual effects were not an issue. They did a damn good job, and there's one scene with Pesci in particular that is absolutely uncanny, it looks so real.
It's silly to dismiss the criticism as hyperbole. For some people, it really was distracting.
I mostly fell in the middle. The de-aging was mostly good/unnoticeable but young trucker boy DeNiro was absolutely distracting to me and my group, and the grocer scene sticks out like a sore thumb IMO.
Watched Goodfellas again recently and holy shit there's a new Sopranos character every 2 minutes.
Don't take no shit from nobody spider.
(totally who should have gotten Pesci in this one)
So much to love in this but I'm happiest at how incredible Pacino is. For years he'd been playing a parody of himself and this film more than shows he hasn't lost a step. A true GOAT
Now that I finished watching it, the movie at times felt like Silence...with mobsters. I think as Scorsese is getting older he is making more meditative pieces, and what goes through protagonists' emotional state as they go through these enormous cataclysms in their lives, how it affects their outlook, what it means for loyalty, honor, faith, etc. If you look back at Goodfellas, it's a crackerjack screenplay. Pure dynamite. But you don't really feel what Ray Liotta's character is thinking. He is just reacting.
Pacino deserves a goddamn Oscar for his role.
Frank coming to terms with who he is, what he's done, how it impacted his life was an emotional rollercoaster. The scene where he shoots Hoffa hit me like a bag of bricks. There had to be a psychological impact on Frank.
We had to pause the movie with my GF when Anthony Salerno started talking for the first time since he sounded exactly like Herc from The Wire, which is what we've been religiously watching for the past couple of months, and lo and behold, it was him. From there on all scenes with him were sort of ruined, since we couldn't not just see and hear Herc in an old man makeup lol.
Better yet, dismissing the people who find it distracting as stupid. Like, seriously? Is it really so hard to just not insult others for something like that? This fucking place sometimes, geez. The de-aging was massively distracting to me, it always and immediately pulled me out and just made everything look wrong. Does it ruin the film? Of course not. Does it deserve a bit of criticism? I think it absolutely does, it's a visual fucking medium after all.
The de-aging was like a cold shower shock. The very first time you see it, you can tell immediately. And then you settle in to the memerizing acting from Pacino and Deniro. Amazing stuff. Pesci was great too but his role demanded that he play lowkey so its not as impactful as the other two.
the de-aging isn't a big deal, and really shouldn't be the major talking point of this movie. it looks like ass the first time you see it but everything around it is so engrossing that you quickly forget (cliche but it rings true). plus its not that bad really. only time it got distracting after the initial time was when
this is a movie that I'm gonna have to ruminate on for a while. Its not nearly as flashy as his prior mob films, and will be less rewatchable than Goodfellas for sure. Probably because the lead performance is so inward, particular in that last hour. To its credit though aside from Sopranos this is the most contemplative mob media I think I've ever seen. Rarely do you get the time to see such a subtle decaying effect these crimes have on the perpetrators. Its usually just moral decay but you see the emotional effect it can have too on those around them which was refreshing.
And man it was just pure comfort seeing Deniro and Pesci back on screen together again. And Pacino in top tier entertaining form, a damn shame we have went this long without him appearing in a Scorsese flick cuz god damn was he a blast. Also loved seeing some Boardwalk and Sopranos alums in here too. Stephen Graham's scenes opposite Pacino were so dope in particular.
Frank beat the grocer up. What the fuck @ DeNiro moving like a geriatric with that lame ass beatdown lmao. Just a startling contrast to the explosiveness of similar scenes in Godfather with Sonny or Goodfellas with Henry
this is a movie that I'm gonna have to ruminate on for a while. Its not nearly as flashy as his prior mob films, and will be less rewatchable than Goodfellas for sure. Probably because the lead performance is so inward, particular in that last hour. To its credit though aside from Sopranos this is the most contemplative mob media I think I've ever seen. Rarely do you get the time to see such a subtle decaying effect these crimes have on the perpetrators. Its usually just moral decay but you see the emotional effect it can have too on those around them which was refreshing.
And man it was just pure comfort seeing Deniro and Pesci back on screen together again. And Pacino in top tier entertaining form, a damn shame we have went this long without him appearing in a Scorsese flick cuz god damn was he a blast. Also loved seeing some Boardwalk and Sopranos alums in here too. Stephen Graham's scenes opposite Pacino were so dope in particular.
Who is Frank supposed to be narrating to? And can someone explain the whole fish thing?
I'm late to the party, finally watching this tonight. Holy shit. A masterpiece. DeNiro and Pacino have become punchlines for some of the groan inducing roles they've taken this century. But, this film just proves what utterly incredibly artists they have always been. Call me condescending and pretentious, but I truly think that these guys are to film acting what Mozart and Beethoven were to music. They simply inhabit and embody their characters. Moment to moment they simply exist and exude absolute believability. My favourite film is Heat. Think back to 96 and Pacino's cop surveying the scene of McAuley's armoured car heist. Every single word of dialogue, every gesture is real. Then their conversation in the coffee shop. Quite literally a virtuosic Masterclass.
Yes, these guys are now old men. No, digital effects cannot hide their stooped, stiff posture. But, they inhabit their characters completely. Each moment is full of nuance and subtlety.
And that's not even mentioning Joe Pesci! This guy hasn't really acted since the 90s. He, like DeNiro, at 76, returns and delivers a career best performance. The polar opposite to his Goodfellas character. Every word, every glance, every gesture has purpose.
Who gives a shit about digital effects when the performances are this good? Five stars from me.
Yes, these guys are now old men. No, digital effects cannot hide their stooped, stiff posture. But, they inhabit their characters completely. Each moment is full of nuance and subtlety.
And that's not even mentioning Joe Pesci! This guy hasn't really acted since the 90s. He, like DeNiro, at 76, returns and delivers a career best performance. The polar opposite to his Goodfellas character. Every word, every glance, every gesture has purpose.
Who gives a shit about digital effects when the performances are this good? Five stars from me.
I'm skimming these threads for spoilers (yes I know it is a true story) but is there no 4K version on Netflix?
Saw it last night with the wife. We didn't plan on watching all of it but it was so good, we finished it. Great movie.
It's rare that films take their time anymore and I love that Marty made this so meandering and let it take its time. We need that more than ever today as our attention spans have been run into the ground. It's why the last 20 minutes is so emotional... we've had time to know and kinda age with these characters.
The first scenes with the deaging looked like a next gen cut scene but was unnoticeable after a bit. It looked good for as much as they had to use it.
It's rare that films take their time anymore and I love that Marty made this so meandering and let it take its time. We need that more than ever today as our attention spans have been run into the ground. It's why the last 20 minutes is so emotional... we've had time to know and kinda age with these characters.
The first scenes with the deaging looked like a next gen cut scene but was unnoticeable after a bit. It looked good for as much as they had to use it.
It feels like almost no one here has seen Sergio Leone's Once Upon a Time in America, given that the comparison between that and Scorsese's movie positively screams out to be made, and yet has remained largely unremarked upon. Just not a favorite among ERA's gangster film connoisseurs?
I took Charlie's instructions to drive around with the dead fish in his car as a cover for the potential odor Hoffa's corpse would leave behind in the car after they transported it.
OP
OP
Eh. I wouldn't compare this to Once Upon a Time in America. Apart from taking place over decades and starting DeNiro, it's a very different sort of film.
And my wife walked down the aisle to Deborah's theme. So yeah, I'm a bit of a fan.
I'm going to bet a whole lot of people in this thread seen Once Upon a Time in America. I think it's more likely that people just don't see the connection that you see. For example, I have seen Once Upon a Time in America and I don't see any special connection between the movies that must be commented on. You can draw comparisons I'm sure, you can do it with many movies, but I think it's more useful to articulate it than to assume that anyone who doesn't have the same theory as you must have not seen the film.
They're also both elegiac, sprawling 3+ hour long films, made by geriatric filmmakers exploring their own legacies, about fading gangsters looking back on their desolate criminal lives with regret. Heavens' sake, OUaTiA features an effects-aged De Niro reflecting on his past, and even includes his visit to a crypt. Actually, the parallels are very prominent.
I also elaborate on this comparison a bit more in the Irishman OT.
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I've seen OUaTiA (which is the better film) and while there are some parallels I think the two film's style and content is very different. OUaTiA is far more sentimental than The Irishman and paints its characters and the world they inhabit in a different light. It's also less overtly political. It is also probably the more challenging film because while it's sentimental it's also unflinching in depicting how reprehensible the gang is. Noodles is the DeNiro character I hate the most.
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That seems like a pretty surface level comparison to me and I'm not sure it provides much insight about either films, at least not when presented in this abridged version.
I think it's fine to approach film analysis from many angles, but I don't think you should assume that your theory about those films is so inevitable that everyone that saw both must immediately agree with you. You have anecdotal evidence in this thread that this is not the case.