Film Review: The Irishman

In a career positively littered with jewels, Martin Scorsese manages to surpass expectations once more. The Irishman is a magnificent gem. 

Frank Sheeran recounts his life as a mob hitman and a labour union official. Frank tells of his relationship with union leader Jimmy Hoffa, as well as some of the most powerful mobsters in the second half of the twentieth century…

Based on Charles Brandt’s I Heard You Paint Houses, Martin Scorsese and screenwriter Steven Zallian have created something special with The Irishman. The film is compelling from start to finish. Running at almost three and a half hours, this is no mean feat. Instead, the film flys by in no time at all, which is testament to Scorsese and Zallian’s storytelling abilities. 

Starting with an ageing Frank Sheeran telling his story directly to viewers, the film tells a story through a second story. A road trip to a wedding becomes a vehicle for Sheeran to look back. From here, the narrative unfolds in a chronological fashion, interspersed with scenes from this road trip. The story is woven in an engrossing fashion. The script is fantastic, with snappy dialogue and captivating narration. The Irishman offers plenty of laughs, yet can change tone so effortlessly. 

Focusing on real events, Scorsese knows when to be restrained and when to be outlandish. Tying events to moments of historical importance, the film works almost to expose an underside of 20th century American history. Scorsese both emphasises the impact of one man, and positions the machine behind as a dominating force. 

Scorsese underlines how Sheeran‘s line of work impacted him, particularly later in life. The director has erroneously been accused on glamorising crime and violence in the past. It is unlikely anyone would make that mistake here. The Irishman is an introspective study, with Scorsese pulling no punches where it counts. 

Violence is sparse in the film, and utilised very effectively. Editor Thelma Schoonmaker cuts away from the most visceral on occasion, and at other times Scorsese leaves viewers no place to hide from the brutality. Scorsese’s visual flair is always present. Particularly pleasing is a reverse tracking shot which goes back forward and moves away at a critical point. Scorsese and cinematographer Rodrigo Prieto create some beautiful shots. The film soundtrack is excellent, and helps to set the different eras very well.

For most Scorsese fans it is genuinely a thrill to see the filmmaker reunited with not only Robert De Niro, but also Joe Pesci and Harvey Keitel. Add Al Pacino to the mix, and the result is dynamite. De Niro is wonderful here, and ably assisted by a brilliant Pesci and a fiery Pacino. It is the best performance from De Niro for years, and Pesci has rarely been as strong. Other regular Scorsese contributors Stephen Graham and Bobby Cannavale are an asset in supporting roles.

Any scepticism that the re-teaming of Scorsese and De Niro may be a disappointment can happily be swept aside. The Irishman is a truly stunning accomplishment.

The Irishman closes the BFI London Film Festival in October 2019.

Film Review: Moneyball

To some British folk, baseball is nothing more than a glorified game of rounders. Even to those of this mindset, Moneyball should prove to be an enjoyable movie.

Billy Beane is the general manager of Oakland Athletic. He struggles to compete with Oakland’s rivals, as there is little money to spend on new players. To gain an advantage, Billy must be creative. Meeting Peter Brand, Billy decides to use statistical data to analyse a player’s worth…

Moneyball works as a sports drama because it does not demand too much from its audience. The beauty of Aaron Sorkin and Steven Zaillian’s screenplay is that it makes the concepts of the film understandable without feeling like it has been dumbed down. Even those with little knowledge or interest in baseball will be able to get into the film. Moreover, the data analysis aspect is depicted in enough detail for viewers to comprehend the strategy, without weighing the film down with unnecessary explanation. There could have been an issue with the amount of expository dialogue, but thankfully Sorkin and Zaillian handle this ably.

Director Bennett Miller paces the film rather well. Moneyball gets off to a bit of a slow start, but recovers well. At times, the film can be surprisingly gripping. Nevertheless, the film is not overly emotional. The film lacks the high drama so often pivotal to sports dramas. Audience are not required to make a strong emotional investment in Moneyball. Rather than this being wholly negative, it is actually refreshing to see a film of this kind not resort to theatrics in order to coerce the audience to feel something forced.

Part of the reason the film takes this attitude is undoubtedly down to the protagonist. Billy Beane is a character who appears quite normal, with few distinguishing features. The film focuses so much on his character, yet he is an ordinary guy, despite his ambitions. The supporting characters share his normality; there are no real outlandish types in Moneyball. The film retains a layer of authenticity throughout.

Brad Pitt offers a decent performance as Beane. There is nothing particularly powerful or memorable about his performance, however. Philip Seymour Hoffman is stronger as Art Howe, and Jonah Hill offers good support in his limited role. Kerris Dorsey is great as Beane’s daughter Casey, bringing life to their interactions.

Moneyball is slightly repetitive with its frequent driving sequences. Nevertheless, it is an enjoyable rendition of real events that remains grounded.