PHOTO:FILE
KARACHI: Don’t get me wrong. The Irishman is a great film. For any other film-maker, it would potentially be the centrepiece of their career. And that is before one takes stock of an ensemble cast featuring the likes of Robert DeNiro, Al Pacino and Joe Pesci, all on point with their performances.
For a director of Martin Scorsese’s stature, however, the film somehow appears a rather inconsequential entry into a formidable catalogue. Considering that his previous film, 2016’s Silence, may well be the finest film of the decade, his latest feels more a retread of familiar terrain than a return to titanic form.
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From trailers and snippets, one would easily be led to believe that The Irishman is centred around the real life figure of Frank Sheeran (DeNiro), a controversial American labour union official with links to the Italian-American underworld. After all, his nickname does provide the film with its title.
In actuality, however, Sheeran seems more a narrator and POV character than the true protagonist. The meat of the story revolves around the nexus between the Mafia and what was once the largest union in the United States, and the supposed truth behind the disappearance of the latter’s superstar leader, Jimmy Hoffa. Overshadowed in current consciousness by the assassinations of John F Kennedy and his brother Robert, Hoffa’s vanishing was no less enigmatic at the time and sparked a similar number of conspiracy theories.
PHOTO:FILEScorsese’s style of presentation in The Irishman borrows from his previous collaborations with DeNiro, which catapulted both of them to stardom. The confessional style in which Sheeran delivers much of his narration harkens back to Raging Bull, as do the age-bending effects on play. Where Raging Bull saw DeNiro pack up a lot of weight to play an older Jake LaMotta reminiscing on his past, in The Irishman, Scorsese uses CGI-aided de-aging techniques heavily to portray a younger version of Sheeran.
Other aspects make The Irishman seem almost a sister piece to Goodfellas, Scorsese’s most famous mob film before The Departed which, coincidentally, also explored real life events through the POV of its protagonist. While by no means flaws, the thematic and stylistic similarities with his earlier works permeate a sense of déjà vu in The Irishman. As polished and well-crafted as the final product is, in the context of Scorsese’s filmography, it just feels unremarkable.
That is not to say there is no reason to watch The Irishman. Although a lot more meditative and leisurely-paced than the current crop of cinema, Steve Zaillian’s excellent script keeps one hooked throughout the three-hour runtime.
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On a more surface level, just watching DeNiro and Pacino play off each other for an extended duration is a treat in itself. The last time we saw the two of them together was in the critical dud Righteous Kill. The last time they appeared good together was in 1995’s Heat, where they really only shared the screen for a single scene. Add to the mix Joe Pesci, who we haven’t seen on screen for almost a decade, and the acting talent alone is reason enough to make The Irishman this year’s must see.
Still, there is little that sets it apart from being just another Scorsese film. But then, that is perhaps the downside of attaining the heights he has reached. At some point, it just becomes harder and harder to surpass yourself.
Rating: 4.5/5 stars
Verdict: From a polished script that keeps one glued to an ensemble cast delivering masterclass performances, there are many reasons to watch The Irishman. In theme and feel, however, it seems more a retread than a return to form for Scorsese.
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