The performances and conversations in this movie were an embarrassment of riches, loved every second of it. Wish Plemons had more to work with but what he got was hilarious, the fish conversation in the car was gold.
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The Irishman |OT| The Goodfellas are Back in Town (Open Spoilers )
- Thread starter Naijaboy
- Start date
Well, I loved it. It's fucking LONG, yet I was glued. Pesci is still a force, it was Pacino who seemed weak here. I just never bought him as Hoffa, I just saw Al Pacino. De Niro is wonderful as usual. I love how much of a reserved and stuttering individual Frank is, someone who finds it hard to show his feelings even among his friends and family. He got what he deserved in the end, to be left all alone.
I do agree that the de-age tech was more a distraction than anything. You can de-age all these old farts all you like, but they still move like old men. Still, this is the perfect capstone on Scorcese mob crime drama.
I do agree that the de-age tech was more a distraction than anything. You can de-age all these old farts all you like, but they still move like old men. Still, this is the perfect capstone on Scorcese mob crime drama.
Still processing The Irishman, seen it twice now and there's so many scenes and lines that are still swirling around in my head. It's surprisingly funny, then when that last third hits it's a punch to the gut.
Scorsese has done an excellent job with both Silence and this at forcing the audience to put themselves in the shoes of the respective protagonists and ask themselves what they'd do in the same unwinnable situations presented in both films, it genuinely asks the viewer to invest in the moral quandary being presented and having to make a choice that won't lead to an easy answer.
Scorsese has done an excellent job with both Silence and this at forcing the audience to put themselves in the shoes of the respective protagonists and ask themselves what they'd do in the same unwinnable situations presented in both films, it genuinely asks the viewer to invest in the moral quandary being presented and having to make a choice that won't lead to an easy answer.
Let me start with the negative: they should render the whole body in CG next time they try some de-aging like this. Pacino doesn't quite reach "hoo-ah" levels of 90s Pacino but he's still pretty much the Pacino parody of the last 30 years, got me out of the film a few times.
Still, it's a great film. 210 minutes and not a single one felt superfluous. The kind of film that only an old man can make, and I mean this in the most positive way possible. No wonder Hollywood didn't want to produce it.
Still, it's a great film. 210 minutes and not a single one felt superfluous. The kind of film that only an old man can make, and I mean this in the most positive way possible. No wonder Hollywood didn't want to produce it.
Just finished.
It's great, although any time someone refers to DeNiro as "kid" or such is kinda funny. The whole Hoffa assassination was beautifully done.
The only "I could have done better than Scorsese" comment I have currently is that the whole "so-and-so died in (year) from (whatever)" gimmick could have lent itself to more drama.
It's great, although any time someone refers to DeNiro as "kid" or such is kinda funny. The whole Hoffa assassination was beautifully done.
The only "I could have done better than Scorsese" comment I have currently is that the whole "so-and-so died in (year) from (whatever)" gimmick could have lent itself to more drama.
In what way? I felt like it was a sobering element to remind us that every character that wasn't the focus of the main story died violently, very few of these guys lived long, fulfilling lives. It's Scorsese doing everything in his power to de-glamorize organized crime.
I watched the film, it was OK. I wasn't raving but the performances were great and in general the de-aging was good but I ust didn't feel any agency in the movie. It was too laid back for the whole duration, there was little change of pace and at times it dragged because of that. It also felt a bit aimless, especially in the part before Hoffa showed up. It was well made, well acted, well shot, but it didn't get me invested like I am with his best films. It was decent and at times it was good, but it didn't really satisfy me in the way that Marty's movies can and often do. It's worth watching, split it in two if you need to, but it's not worth getting too excited about.
Today was my third viewing since Wednesday and I'm going for a fourth tomorrow. Marty hit it out of the park.
Good movie. Not best of Marty's but the run time just flew bye. I admit that I didn't like the de-aging one bit, De Niro especially looked waxy and stiff. At first I couldn't think anything but Japanese De Niro from Gaki no Tsukai skit years back https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uQxTPUB0pbw
It was ok. Good acting but as far as entertainment not close to Goodfellas to me. Had some good scenes for sure but not impressed with the last half hour or so trying to depict an order taking robot with no remorse in a slightly softer light. Not convincing. First store scene with the daughter was laughably horrible.
That's because the character wasn't written to be menacing. He was a very average man who became a tool for the truly menacing and corrupting forces around him with very little autonomy to call his own.
What other Scorsese films got a critical pass in your estimation?
It was more the banality of evil. He was an evil man who viewed murder as just another job and a way to support his family. He destroyed lives. You feel some sympathy for him at the end, but you shouldn't. He should have died in jail.
He does die in prison, just not one with literal bars.
For a guy like that, where he ends up might be even worse.
Like many I needed two nights to watch the whole thing. It was alright, but felt lesser than any of Scorcese's other gangster films, which are some of my faves.
The pacing of this is like a Netflix series (funnily enough) rather than a Scorcese movie, some of which have fantastic pacing. It's hard to think that the guy who did Goodfellas or Wolf of Wall street directed this. It often feels like a TV show. All the bits where people flub their lines but they left it in to make it look real (when it makes it feel clumsy).
I felt that once it was about Hoffa, it dragged a lot (Pacino was fine) and I know the Hoffa thing is a huge part of the story, Sheeran seems to be a side player for most of the film.
I really didn't see the point of the de-aging stuff for De Niro, his character never looks younger than 40 something and with a wig and and a little make-up, he could have easier passed for a 40-something in the 50s/60s. Smoking and the prevalent diet of the day aged people like you wouldn't believe. And the eyes, man.
I just imagine De Niro on set performing with black dots all over face and saying "Is this is? This is worse makeup than Frankenstein."
It was cool spotting people from all the gangster shows like Sopranos and Boardwalk empire in there. I nearly shit when I saw Steve Van Zandt ("you fucks cancel lilyhammer and this is all I get?"). Slo-mo Ray Romano was nightmare fuel for some reason.
Joe Pesci was the real star for me. He was brilliant. Totally against type. Cool as a cucumber. sad ending too.
The pacing of this is like a Netflix series (funnily enough) rather than a Scorcese movie, some of which have fantastic pacing. It's hard to think that the guy who did Goodfellas or Wolf of Wall street directed this. It often feels like a TV show. All the bits where people flub their lines but they left it in to make it look real (when it makes it feel clumsy).
I felt that once it was about Hoffa, it dragged a lot (Pacino was fine) and I know the Hoffa thing is a huge part of the story, Sheeran seems to be a side player for most of the film.
I really didn't see the point of the de-aging stuff for De Niro, his character never looks younger than 40 something and with a wig and and a little make-up, he could have easier passed for a 40-something in the 50s/60s. Smoking and the prevalent diet of the day aged people like you wouldn't believe. And the eyes, man.
I just imagine De Niro on set performing with black dots all over face and saying "Is this is? This is worse makeup than Frankenstein."
It was cool spotting people from all the gangster shows like Sopranos and Boardwalk empire in there. I nearly shit when I saw Steve Van Zandt ("you fucks cancel lilyhammer and this is all I get?"). Slo-mo Ray Romano was nightmare fuel for some reason.
Joe Pesci was the real star for me. He was brilliant. Totally against type. Cool as a cucumber. sad ending too.
I was so excited for this movie that I called my mom to tell her it was out and she told me she had already tried to watch it but fell asleep because how boring it was.
I'm really enjoying it, though I'm not finished yet. I don't have time to sit and watch in one sitting. The cgi is jarring because Deniro looks younger but still moves like a seventy year old man.
I don't know if it's better than Goodfellas, but it's currently my favorite of all his gangster movies. This is easily one of his most densely packed movies. It's unreal that he has this, Silence, and Wolf of Wall Street all in him at his age.
Also holy shit at the number of dudes shot multiple times in the head from 1979-1980. What the fuck was going on during that stretch?
Also holy shit at the number of dudes shot multiple times in the head from 1979-1980. What the fuck was going on during that stretch?
Government finally starting cracking down on the mob. You saw how easy they operated from the 50-70s. Once the crackdown started, mob wars, succession fights and old scores settled. It was fucking insane how much power they had. They ran everything, at least in NY from where I saw it.
Silence and Hugo were both decently reviewed films that I hated deeply. I keep trying to give him a chance and this is the third time in recent memory that I've been let down
Good movie but I feel it was kinda too long. Felt like I watched a whole season of a tv show.
The de-aging shit was weird and distracting. They should of just cast different actors for the young versions.
The ending was certainly poinent and sad though. I think its telling of Scorsese's view on gangsters that every almost every one of them was murdered, or died in prison. And the one that didn't, will die alone, unloved and forgotten in an old peoples home.
It gets me wondering though. What does the italian mafia of 2019 look like?
Does it even still exist in any recognisable form?
The de-aging shit was weird and distracting. They should of just cast different actors for the young versions.
The ending was certainly poinent and sad though. I think its telling of Scorsese's view on gangsters that every almost every one of them was murdered, or died in prison. And the one that didn't, will die alone, unloved and forgotten in an old peoples home.
It gets me wondering though. What does the italian mafia of 2019 look like?
Does it even still exist in any recognisable form?
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Mafia is still around and strong. You see stories about Ndrangheta on international level every now and then. And in Italy there is plenty of news about various mafia groups.
Also, Gomorrah book by Roberto Saviano is still great. 00s look into Mafia around Campania https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gomorrah_(book)
To be honest, I really didn't feel the ending. Maybe it's just because I'm cynical and I know many old people will die alone even without being mass murderers.
BTW why did Joe Pesci semi retired after Leathel Weapon 4? He was seriously great, best part of the movie.
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There was a lot of organized crime violence in the US in the early 80s.
Though it's important to remember that the book this film is based on is almost certainly bullshit, so it makes sense he would make up stories mostly about dead people.
You keep repeating this and while absolutely true I don't think it matters. Narrative film is fiction and shouldn't be looked upon for learning facts. The film tells a story based in greatly embellished facts which shouldn't be taken at face value (at all) but of central importance are the themes and characters not their basis in actual history.
Didn't former NYC mayor Ed Koch come in and took a hard stance against organized crime and city corruption?
In fairness to the stilted old man movement on younger Deniro, he does mention later on that the arthritis started after he fought in the war, so maybe he had those moves because of that. It's my head Canon anyway.
Also, great to see the Jerky Boys star Frank Rizzo make a cameo
Also, great to see the Jerky Boys star Frank Rizzo make a cameo
/s
I didn't mean it as a criticism of the film, I was replying to a post that asked about real-life events.
There is good reason to believe there is some selection bias here toward people who can't confirm or deny, it is something common to see in "ex mafia hitman" tell-all books of suspicious historicity, which I Heard You Paint Houses is not the first or the last one in that genre.
I really enjoyed it. I loved seeing Joe Pesci again, all those years away haven't hurt his acting ability. It was great to him alongside De Niro and Pacino. They are so effortless in their acting.
The CGI was overly pretty good, some scenes it was obvious, but most of the time I forgot they were using CGI.
The CGI was overly pretty good, some scenes it was obvious, but most of the time I forgot they were using CGI.
It's a reminder of no matter how big, powerfu, or influential you are - we all waste away in our own ways. Very depressing scene indeed.
Also, DeNiro and Pacino was great, but Pesci killed it. Should be in the running for best supporting actor easily.
How about when he's showing the photo to the nurse, and she doesn't even know who Jimmy Hoffa is? And then De Niro says "You've got your whole life ahead of you..." That was a very poignant scene about the futility of his life.
Powerful movie. It flew by for me, especially considering its length. Like most people, that last shot absolutely stunned me. In fact, that whole part starting from where they show him and Pesci as really old guys in prison managed to instil in me an immense sense of loneliness like no other movie ever has. Like, I know he's a murderer, and deserves what he's got, but I think the notion of being confronted with the consequences of your own actions is something we all can empathise with as a bitter pill to swallow.
And yeah, it's kinda sad to know that this could likely be the last thing actually worth a damn we'll see these actors in, let alone all of them together. End of an era, although this movie was more like a revival of an era already long past.
And yeah, it's kinda sad to know that this could likely be the last thing actually worth a damn we'll see these actors in, let alone all of them together. End of an era, although this movie was more like a revival of an era already long past.
That's all well and good, I'm just talking about the number of people referenced in the film that got killed that way during that time period. That's not exactly something that can be fabricated.
You could feel their presence still in Las Vegas, especially when Goodman was Mayor of Vegas. He was formally a lawyer for the mob.
Yup. It's a reminder that positive connections with people based on love and friendship ultimately have more value all said and done then money or power or fear/dominance can ever have.
Those last 30 minutes is what may make this a better film than Goodfellas or Casino. Arguably, of course.
Another interesting--if less germane--parallel between this and OUaTiA: both The Irishman and Sergio Leone's film are based on rather, shall we say, fanciful books written by former gangsters not exactly known for their truthfulness. (In the latter case, Harry Grey's--a.k.a., Herschel Goldberg--The Hoods.)