The Irishman is a lot of things, it's a gangster movie, it's a slow movie, it's a dense drama, it's a technical marvel, but before all those things: The Irishman is a goodbye letter, a play that works best when you understand the Martin Scorsese's career as a whole.
As a good fan of Goodfellas, Casino and The Wolf of Wall Street (films with which he shares many thematic points), my hype for this film was through the roof, and in general terms I feel that it delivered. One may disagree with the classical conceptions that someone like Scorsese has of the art of cinema, but that should never blind us to his ability to do wonderful things.
The Irishman is ambitious, not because its plot is huge in scale or anything like that, but because its execution requires a level of experience that only a genius like him could provide. According to IMDb it is about an old man remembering the days of him "painting houses" for Jimmy Hoffa during the 50s-70s. Hoffa was an American unionist who took great prominence at this time and died in mysterious conditions.
To tell us this story, Scorsese builds one of the most ambitious casts in the last 10 years: AlPacino, Robert Deniro and Joe Pesci. A brilliant triforce that any gangster movie lover will appreciate.
With so many actors of such a level, it is no surprise that each scene of the Irishman exudes quality, all marred by a wonderful script that in its long duration (3 and a half hours) fails to bore. To this must be added the incredible work of the special effects team rejuvenating the cast throughout all these decades.
The Irishman is a film that does not skimp on being violent, but again I want us to remember that it is a farewell letter, so it changes the focus of the situation. Conflicts have a much more intimate nature, when the characters engage in evil behaviors we see how they affect their own environments, their families and friends ... All this is reinforced by the passage of time, time that if we get philosophical ends up being the the film's only real villain.
Films like Goodfellas were built on pillars of hedonism and excess without much regret, here the opposite is sought, The Irishman leaves the camera rolling through time, so we can observe the damage that violence and crime brings to our lives.
In an almost "meta" sense, the directing style of these films is referenced, in order that we understand everything not so much as a glamorous display, but with an impressive melancholy. We are accomplices of their protagonists, their actions and how they destroyed them.
It is not a piece for everyone, some will feel it too long (And it is true) and the CGI pales in the moments where it demands more, but despite all this: I will be eternally grateful to Netflix and Martin Scorsese for giving it life to this beauty.
Actors of category, script, music, direction, costume design ... Everything is perfect, without trying to sound like an old complainer: They don't do it like this anymore.
[All images were taken out of Filmaffinity.Com]
The Irishman es muchísimas cosas, es una cinta de mafiosos, es una película lenta, es un drama denso, es una maravilla técnica, pero antes que todas esas cosas: The Irishman es una carta de despedidas, una obra que funciona mejor cuando entiendes la carrera de Martin Scorsese como un todo.
Como buen fanático de Goodfellas, Casino y The Wolf of Wall Street (Filmes con los que comparte muchos puntos temáticos), mi hype por esta película estaba por las nubes, y en términos generales siento que cumplió. Uno puede no estar de acuerdo con las concepciones tan clásicas que alguien como Scorsese tiene del arte del cine, pero eso nunca debe cegarnos de su capacidad para hacer cosas maravillosas.
The Irishman es ambiciosa, no porque su trama tenga una escala grandisima ni nada por el estilo, sino porque su ejecución requiere un nivel de experiencia que solo un genio como el podría brindar. Acorde a IMDb va de un señor viejo recordando sus tiempos "pintando casas" para Jimmy Hoffa durante los 50s-70s. Hoffa fue un sindicalista estadounidense que tomó gran relevancia en esta epoca y murió en condiciones misteriosas.
Para narrarnos esta historia Scorsese arma uno de los cast más ambiciosos en los ultimos 10 años: AlPacino, Robert Deniro y Joe Pesci. Una trifuerza brillante que cualquier amante del cine gangster apreciará.
Con tantos actores de tanto nivel no es ninguna sorpresa que cada escena del irlandés destile calidad, todo empañado por un guión estupendo que en su extensa duración (3 horas y media) no logra aburrir. A esto hay que sumarle el increíble trabajo del equipo de efectos especiales rejuveneciendo a todo al cast a lo largo de todas estas decadas.
The Irishman es una película que no escatima en ser violenta, pero de nuevo quiero que recordemos que es una carta de despedida, asi que cambia el enfoque de la situación. Los conflictos tienen una naturaleza mucho mas intima, cuando los personajes incurren en conductas malignas vemos como afectan sus propios ambientes, sus familias y amigos... Todo esto se ve reforzado por el paso del tiempo, tiempo que si nos ponemos filosóficos termina siendo el único villano real de la cinta.
Cintas como Goodfellas se construían sobre pilares de hedonismo y exceso sin mucho arrepentimiento, aquí se busca todo lo contrario, The Irishman deja la camara rodando a través del tiempo, así podemos observar los daños que la violencia y el crimen trae a nuestras vidas.
En un sentido casi "meta", se referencia el estilo de dirección de estas películas, con la finalidad de que entendamos todo ya no tanto como un despliegue glamouroso, sino con una melancolía impresionante. Nosostros somos complices de sus protagonistas, de sus acciones y de como los destruyeron.
No es una pieza para todo el mundo, algunos la sentirán demasiado larga (Y es verdad) y el cgi palidece en los momentos en donde exige más, pero a pesar de todo esto: estaré eternamente agradecido con Netflix y Martin Scorsese por haberle dado vida a esta belleza.
Actores de categoría, guión, música, dirección, diseño de vestuarios... Todo es perfecto, sin animos de sonar como un viejo quejón: Ya no las hacen así.
[Todas las imagenes fueron sacadas de Filmaffinity.Com]
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This was an awesome film. It was a little long though.
Yes, it can be rough sometimes, i just love this kind of Films. Thanks for your comment!
Despite being too long... This movie is fantastic (in every single way).
I agree, it's fantastic. Thanks for reading me!
long boring movie
Easily the greatest film of 2019!
I was worried about its length when it first came out but it turned out to be a great film. The only thing I didn't like was when De Niro is kicking someone on the ground, he looks young but his movements are those of an old man. Other than that, this was a perfect film.
Yeah, it’s weird, obviously the don’t have the energy or movement they had when they where young, and yes, other than that is a perfect film