The Irishman (2019)

(or) I Heard You Paint Houses 

Director: Martin Scorsese

Screenplay: Steven Zaillian (based on the book by Charles Brandt)

Cast: Robert de Niro, Al Pacino, Joe Pesci  

Music: Robbie Robertson

Time: 209 minutes

Bottom-line: A gangster epic; brilliant filmmaking

Following classics like GoodFellas and The Departed, Scorsese is back with his latest addition to the gangster genre. Featuring three big names in Hollywood – de Niro, Pacino and Pesci – The Irishman (also titled I Heard You Paint Houses) is a powerful, detailed story about a hitman, a mobster and a Teamster. Although it’s the most expensive (budgeted at $159 million) and longest Scorsese film, the screen time and the money are worth it.

 

de Niro as Frank

When I was young, I thought house painters painted houses. What did I know? I was a working guy, one of a thousand working stiffs, until I wasn’t no more. And then I started painting houses myself.

The film is divided into three timelines and is narrated by Frank Sheeran (de Niro), currently in a nursing home. The second timeframe is 1975, when we see Frank, Russell Bufalino (Pesci) and their wives go on a road trip. The third timeframe spans across the '50s and '60s. Frank is a truck driver who delivers steak. He meets another mobster, Russell, and starts doing jobs for him, including murders. Russell later introduces Frank to Jimmy Hoffa (Pacino), head of the International Brotherhood of Teamsters. Frank then becomes Hoffa’s chief bodyguard. As Hoffa becomes increasingly difficult to deal with, the other mobsters decide it’s time to do away with him. The rest of the film is about what Frank does, how it takes a toll on his family and how the mobsters eventually end up.

 

Pacino as Hoffa

Scorsese has a great eye for detail, you can tell. He has this knack of making a comprehensive story about people’s lives, especially in the gangster genre. The plot isn’t famous for twists, or high-speed car chases or action sequences; it’s the narrative structure that’s the highlight. The three timelines show stark contrasts in the characters’ appearances (thanks to the excellent use of CGI - the "de-ageing" technology was developed specifically for this film) and behaviour. Just like how GoodFellas shows the rise and decline of Henry Hill in the gangster clans, here, it’s the tale of Frank – a truck driver to a ruthless hitman to an old man repenting for his sins.

 

Pesci as Russell

With Scorsese films, it’s usually a matter of “when” something will happen and not what will happen; the plots are usually pretty straightforward. The only apparent downside of the plot here is the three-and-a-half-hour-long screen time. While you may feel that several scenes are needless (what’s the big deal with the fish? It’s like the kahuna burger scene from Pulp Fiction again!), you have to remember that the intention is to portray someone’s life, and any small sequence which adds value to shaping the story or developing the character is essential.

The three stalwarts have given amazing performances, and my pick among them would be Pacino – the loud-mouthed, speech-giving, crowd-pulling, arrogant Teamster. Pesci – coming out of his unofficial retirement – plays the calm and composed Russell, greatly contrasting his character of Tommy DeVito in GoodFellas. Robert de Niro’s character, for a significant part of the film, seems to have no idea of what he’s doing – constantly negotiating with Jimmy and Russell, wondering whom to support. His acting in the last half hour of the film is what brings out his versatility, and as a viewer, you also become aware of the pitiable condition of the old man, as opposed to the energetic, merciless hitman you see earlier in the film.   

Scorsese’s films also generally perform well in the technical aspects. Thelma Schoonmaker, Scorsese’s editor for over forty years, does an excellent job in this film too, and the cinematography – with long takes and stills – is top notch too. It’s amazing how the film brings together the biggest names in different categories and gives one hell of a tale.  

My Rating: 4/5

Rotten Tomatoes rating: 96%