Review of The Irishman (2019) by Frankrog29 — 27 Nov 2019

The Irishman is getting glowing reviews probably because it's Scorsese and company's return to the gangster genre. However, the film is underwhelming, especially when compared with Mr. Scorsese's other epic gangster movies - namely, Goodfellas, Casino, and The Departed.

The plot is epic and worthy of the long running time. My main problems with the film were the casting and acting. First of all, younger actors should have been cast in the film. It lacks vitality because you have geriatric actors (literally) running around playing young men.

All of these actors were terrific in their heyday, but their times have come and gone. Robert De Niro in particular was a problem for me. He hasn't been a top-tier actor for some time now. I generally think of Meet the Parents as the start of his downfall.

Also, I was OK with the de-aging effects, but what's up with Mr. De Niro's green eyes? Were those contacts or were they done with CGI? They look really unnatural and downright bizarre and creepy. I will say that it was great to see Joe Pesci return to the silver screen; he is definitely one of the film's highlights.

Overall, The Irishman is good, but it could have been great if younger actors had been cast. Mr. Scorsese's insistence on casting actors from his peer age group as characters who are supposed to be in the prime of their lives somewhat ruined the film for me, as did the strange, unworldly-looking special effects.