The Irishman
2019
Martin Scorsese
Pennsylvania, 1956. Frank Sheeran, a war veteran of Irish origin who works as a truck driver, accidentally meets mobster Russell Bufalino. Once Frank becomes his trusted man, Bufalino sends him to Chicago with the task of helping Jimmy Hoffa, a powerful union leader related to organized crime, with whom Frank will maintain a close friendship for nearly twenty years.
Scorsese is perhaps my favourite living director. He easily tops my physical media stats for top director, and I feel I can revisit his films and constantly discover new things about them.
The Irishman perhaps is a minor work in his impressive catalogue, but an enjoyable film nonetheless. It brought together De Niro and Pacino, who deliver excellent performances as always.
I wish the film had received a wider theatrical release. But, as a Netflix production, it had to leave cinemas after only a few weeks. It did get the Criterion treatment later, however, and I’m glad there is a way to physically own a copy of the film for those who are thus inclined.