We watched Martin Scorsese’s The Irishman twice over the weekend. This film is a Netflix Original with limited release in theaters. A seven-day run in a Los Angeles theater is an eligibility requirement for Academy Award consideration.
The Irishman follows the criminal career of Frank Sheeran, a Philadelphia mob hitman who worked for Jimmy Hoffa. Near the end of his life, Sheeran claimed that he murdered Hoffa. The film is based on Sheeran's account of events.
Joe Pesce as mob boss Russel Bufalino, Robert DeNiro as Sheeran, Al Pacino as Hoffa and Ray Romano as teamster attorney Bill Bufalino, all delivered outstanding performances. I wouldn't be surprised if the film lands a Best Picture nomination along with a Best Director nomination for Scorsese and Best Actor nod for Pacino. At over three hours, it's on the long side, but none of it is superfluous or boring. It has novelistic epic feel about it, and as long as you put yourself in a frame of mind to accept the pacing, the long run-time won't be off-putting. X-ometer: 9.7/10
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