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The Irishman (new Scorsese film feat. De Niro, Pacino, Pesci)

Started by Blinder Data, October 16, 2019, 03:57:53 PM

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It's fantastic. Strongly disagree with the de-aging criticism above, I found it completely unnoticeable. If there's any criticism there it's that they didn't de-age them enough because they basically look like old men throughout the movie (but it's not distracting).

DeNiro and Pesci are both excellent. Pacino was on another level, a performance among his career peaks.


magval

Kermode made a good point that even when their faces are younger, they still have the bodies and motion of old men. Especially noticeable when DeNiro's truck breaks down.

Johnboy

Saw it this evening - yeh liked it very good, all the usual heads in the credits inc. thelma, irwin, pileggi et al

halfway through i was thinking, hang on, couldn't this have done with some editing but then really liked the drawn out last third

what's The Shootist the movie playing at a retro cinema in one scene?


Glebe

Saw it Wednesday evening, thought it was very good indeed. Was expecting the CGI to be distracting, but I thought it looked fine on the whole and I kind of forgot about it... the performances are terrific in any case, with De Niro, Pesci and Pacino all on top form (yes, Pacino does his shouty thing a bit but reigns it in enough that it's not over-the-top and hammy). It's a little slow in spots but, despite the marathon run time it doesn't ever really drag and is pretty engrossing for the most part.

There are a share of classic zippy Scorsese moments, but on the whole the mood is more melancholic and serious than the likes of Goodfellas and Casino. Given the subject matter there are, unsurprisingly, a number of nods to people and places from both those movies and some familiar faces pop up... Paul Herman, who played a drug dealer in Goodfellas and had a small role in Casino (and he was also in Silver Linings Playbook with De Niro, among other things) plays small-time criminal Whispers... Welker White, who played Lois (the drug courier who needs her lucky hat to fly) in Goodfellas plays Josephine Hoffa... Kennedy assassination plot suspect David Ferrie, who was played by Pesci in Oliver Stone's JFK, makes an appearance... there's a scene in the Copacabana club in NY, with comedian Jim Norton playing Don Rickles on stage.... Steve Van Zandt appears as Jerry Vale, singing 'Pretend You Don't See Her'... also, there's a scene where Hoffa is being asked for financial assistance for the building of a Las Vegas casino.

It's amazing that it took this long for Pacino and Scorsese to work together. Nice to see Kietel in a Scorsese movie again. Actually, this is Stephen Graham's second role for Scorsese (the first being in Gangs of New York). Anyway, on the whole I was very impressed and look forward to wallowing in a second viewing on Netflix!

oy vey

Jesus, I didn't make all those actor links except for Jim Norton. Yeah, Pacino threw me out in the yelling in the office scene but anyway. Anyway, the scene between Pacino and de Niro afterwards was nice so that makes up for it. It's Pacino's best performance in decades. And didn't Bob carry the film so well. I really want to rewatch this on Netflix.

Glebe

Oh yeah, and apparently Joe Gallo is the 'Joey' of the Dylan song!

Quote from: Glebe on November 15, 2019, 09:02:32 PM
Actually, this is Stephen Graham's second role for Scorsese (the first being in Gangs of New York).

Third, because Scorsese did the Boardwalk Empire pilot, as detailed here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MLaeTBF96JA

Jim Bob

Quote from: Glebe on November 15, 2019, 09:02:32 PM
Saw it Wednesday evening, thought it was very good indeed. Was expecting the CGI to be distracting, but I thought it looked fine on the whole and I kind of forgot about it... the performances are terrific in any case, with De Niro, Pesci and Pacino all on top form (yes, Pacino does his shouty thing a bit but reigns it in enough that it's not over-the-top and hammy). It's a little slow in spots but, despite the marathon run time it doesn't ever really drag and is pretty engrossing for the most part.

There are a share of classic zippy Scorsese moments, but on the whole the mood is more melancholic and serious than the likes of Goodfellas and Casino. Given the subject matter there are, unsurprisingly, a number of nods to people and places from both those movies and some familiar faces pop up... Paul Herman, who played a drug dealer in Goodfellas and had a small role in Casino (and he was also in Silver Linings Playbook with De Niro, among other things) plays small-time criminal Whispers... Welker White, who played Lois (the drug courier who needs her lucky hat to fly) in Goodfellas plays Josephine Hoffa... Kennedy assassination plot suspect David Ferrie, who was played by Pesci in Oliver Stone's JFK, makes an appearance... there's a scene in the Copacabana club in NY, with comedian Jim Norton playing Don Rickles on stage.... Steve Van Zandt appears as Jerry Vale, singing 'Pretend You Don't See Her'... also, there's a scene where Hoffa is being asked for financial assistance for the building of a Las Vegas casino.

It's amazing that it took this long for Pacino and Scorsese to work together. Nice to see Kietel in a Scorsese movie again. Actually, this is Stephen Graham's second role for Scorsese (the first being in Gangs of New York). Anyway, on the whole I was very impressed and look forward to wallowing in a second viewing on Netflix!

Coo.  I was going to watch this anyway but now I'm properly excited.  I hope understand that I'll be holding you personally responsible if it's shit.

The Roofdog

Quote from: Pearly-Dewdrops Drops on November 12, 2019, 02:51:49 AM
It's fantastic. Strongly disagree with the de-aging criticism above, I found it completely unnoticeable. If there's any criticism there it's that they didn't de-age them enough because they basically look like old men throughout the movie (but it's not distracting).

I thought similar actually. With De Niro in the first act in particular I was doing the mental maths all the time: to me he looked about as old as he does in most of Goodfellas for a man supposed to be in his mid-thirties, but then factoring back in the rate people aged at back then it's about right I suppose.

Wet Blanket

There were a couple of scenes in which the actors' shuffling about betrayed their ages - particularly the one outside the grocery store, but by and large I also thought the de-ageing was pretty effective.

Thought the film dragged in parts, was riveting in others. Beautiful camera work as always. Nice callbacks to previous Scorsese pictures. Its meandering, shaggy dog structure reminded me a bit of Once Upon a Time in Hollywood. I made a point of seeing it in the cinema but wonder if it would be better absorbed in a few parts on TV.

Blinder Data

Quote from: Wet Blanket on November 18, 2019, 08:46:00 AM
There were a couple of scenes in which the actors' shuffling about betrayed their ages - particularly the one outside the grocery store, but by and large I also thought the de-ageing was pretty effective.

I agree it was effective, however I couldn't work out how old they were meant to be as they looked late thirties to late fifties at all times pretty much. I don't know why more use wasn't made of body doubles, especially for the grocery store scene.

Anyway, I liked this a lot. Scorsese has still got it. Would benefit from a rewatch. Great performances all round. Anna Paquin did some magnificent meaningful glances.

Glebe

Quote from: Pearly-Dewdrops Drops on November 15, 2019, 11:44:01 PMThird, because Scorsese did the Boardwalk Empire pilot, as detailed here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MLaeTBF96JA

Ah, right!


Quote from: Jim Bob on November 16, 2019, 05:02:27 AMCoo.  I was going to watch this anyway but now I'm properly excited.  I hope understand that I'll be holding you personally responsible if it's shit.

Don't want to get your hopes up too high; Wet Blanket there felt it dragged in parts, I have to hold my hands up and say I was prolly exaggerating a bit when I said it never really drags, it is a little slow in places but it's pretty engrossing on the whole. It's just that there are a couple of scenes with Hoffa's legal woes and such that maybe could have been trimmed down a bit. It's not perfect, but it's the best Scorsese in yonks IMHO.

Calistan

I enjoyed it a lot. The scenes with Graham and Pacino were mesmerising. I agree that the supermarket scene was a bit clunky and maybe De Niro at the very start but for the most part the de-aging stuff wasn't too distracting.

peanutbutter

Quote from: magval on November 12, 2019, 01:13:58 PM
Kermode made a good point that even when their faces are younger, they still have the bodies and motion of old men. Especially noticeable when DeNiro's truck breaks down.
The scene outside of the shop looked like that video of the two old guys fighting and repeatedly falling over.




I thought it was fine, didn't really drag much, the Anna Paquin stuff fell totally flat. Think it's gonna wind up settling as a kind of weirdo outlier film on the whole though, suspect some of the de-aging stuff is gonna look really bad in a few years (basically all the worst parts being right at the start too, unfortunately) and it's kind of hard to view it as its own thing as opposed to this kind of New Hollywood reunion thing.

Stephen Graham and Al Pacino had great chemistry together, highlight of the film for me tbh. Few friends have said they thought Pacino played it too big but I thought it was a perfect time for him to play it big.

Are you people just pretending? Where is the de-aging stuff noticeable other than the "old man movement" discussed above (which is not even unrealistic considering DeNiro's character is, what, 40+ at that point? And probably has war injuries?). Post a screenshot, you frauds!

Maybe it will be more obvious streaming on a computer, but at the theatre it was a non-factor. Even better than the very impressive Samuel L Jackson de-aging in Captain Marvel.

Quote from: Billy on November 08, 2019, 10:44:23 PM
The toilet scrum after the credits, though, geez...

Sounds like a good scene, but a had hypocritical after slagging off Marvel.

Keebleman

This is a movie that justifies itself more the longer it runs.  It's never as routine as dreary mob movies like The Iceman, but the first two-thirds did feel rather familiar and pointless.  The last hour is tense and poignant and unlike anything else in this genre (the choice of The Shootist as the film on the 1976 marquee is very apt), although it may be rather like what Coppola was aiming for in Godfather III, but as he missed by a mile that can be ignored.

I was completely confused by the Jesse Plemons character.  I thought he was meant to be Hoffa's son!  And was he meant to be in a relationship with Peggy?  And was it the disappearance of Hoffa that caused with the breach with her Dad?  That whole subplot was the weakest part of the film, starting with the sidelong glances she was giving her dad and his buddies when she was a little girl: from the way that scene was directed it was impossible to tell what her emotions were.  Admiration? Fear? Repulsion?  Then, when we first see Peggy as an adult, she is sitting next to an actress who looks more like the child Peggy than Anna Paquin does.

But the weirdest aspect for me was that it's not called The Irishman at all!  The film is called I Heard You Paint Houses, the title of the book on which it is based.  Other than 'Netflix presents', this is the only title card at the start of the film.  Sure, 'The Irishman' appears at the end, but it's immediately followed by 'I Heard You Paint Houses'.  So, by two appearances to one, and also by virtue of its prime placement at the start, I declare that the latest film from Martin Scorsese is called I Heard You Paint Houses.

Glebe

Quote from: Keebleman on November 20, 2019, 03:28:42 PMI was completely confused by the Jesse Plemons character.  I thought he was meant to be Hoffa's son!  And was he meant to be in a relationship with Peggy?  And was it the disappearance of Hoffa that caused with the breach with her Dad?  That whole subplot was the weakest part of the film, starting with the sidelong glances she was giving her dad and his buddies when she was a little girl: from the way that scene was directed it was impossible to tell what her emotions were.  Admiration? Fear? Repulsion?  Then, when we first see Peggy as an adult, she is sitting next to an actress who looks more like the child Peggy than Anna Paquin does.

But the weirdest aspect for me was that it's not called The Irishman at all!  The film is called I Heard You Paint Houses, the title of the book on which it is based.  Other than 'Netflix presents', this is the only title card at the start of the film.  Sure, 'The Irishman' appears at the end, but it's immediately followed by 'I Heard You Paint Houses'.  So, by two appearances to one, and also by virtue of its prime placement at the start, I declare that the latest film from Martin Scorsese is called I Heard You Paint Houses.

Yeah, they certainly make it seem like he was his son... some info on Chuckie O' Brien here. I think Chuckie was just good friends with Peggy.

As for the title, I imagine they just thought it was a bit of a mouthful, and that The Irishman was just snappier... as you say, they snuck it in in the titles.

EOLAN

I Heard You Paint Houses would make me associate it with Paint Your Wagon which mightn't be the type of film that Scorsese would look to associate it with.

lipsink

Bonkers scene with Pacino eating steak giving evil eyes to Herc from The Wire in a fat suit while Miami Steve croons.

Also couldn't work out what age anyone was meant to be. Definitely stepped up a gear once Pacino turned up and DeNiro/Pesci started getting closer to their real ages.

Best scenes seemed to be Stephen Graham and Pacino together. They were fantastic. Was expecting more from DeNiro. He had some good subtle moments (like the breakfast scene with Pesci towards the end) but a lot of it felt like he was just coasting along again.

Keebleman

An online critic named Erik Lundegaard has made a good point. He thinks the film is badly hurt by De Niro, not because of the quality of his performance but because he is miscast.  Sheerhan, as the title, sorry, I mean the 'title', makes clear is Irish not Italian; so in the milieu in which the film takes place he is always going to be something of an outsider.  De Niro just can't portray that, in part because of his own ethnicity, but mainly because after four decades of seeing him in mob movies, we associate him too strongly with Italian-American culture to imagine him not being part of it.  This was a problem I had with him Goodfellas, in which also he played an Irish-American, and even more so in Once Upon A Time In America where he and other Italian-Americans (Pesci included) are meant to be Jewish.

bgmnts

Leo Di Caprio was an Italian American playing an Irish American with other Irish Americans.

Seemed to work okay.

It's hardly John Wayne as Genghis Khan.

Also in America Pesci is an Italian I think.

Jim Bob

I haven't seen this yet film yet, but going by the previous comments, I'll ask the pertinent question; does De Niro attempt to put on an Irish accent in this film or not?  If not, then why not?!  Is this film in fact titled The Irishman or not?  Am I currently wearing bra and kickers?  I wanted to see Robert De Niro dressed in a little lycra leprechaun outfit, dammit!  Is that too much to ask?!

Blinder Data

Quote from: Keebleman on November 21, 2019, 06:23:58 PM
An online critic named Erik Lundegaard has made a good point. He thinks the film is badly hurt by De Niro, not because of the quality of his performance but because he is miscast.  Sheerhan, as the title, sorry, I mean the 'title', makes clear is Irish not Italian; so in the milieu in which the film takes place he is always going to be something of an outsider.  De Niro just can't portray that, in part because of his own ethnicity, but mainly because after four decades of seeing him in mob movies, we associate him too strongly with Italian-American culture to imagine him not being part of it.  This was a problem I had with him Goodfellas, in which also he played an Irish-American, and even more so in Once Upon A Time In America where he and other Italian-Americans (Pesci included) are meant to be Jewish.

I disagree. I'm not an expert on ethnicity but I don't think he looks particularly Italian or Irish. In any case, in the context of the film it doesn't matter. I think De Niro successfully portrays that he is a handyman who enters the mafia's world as an outsider and remains a sore thumb in their deeply intertwined world. His Irishness status is just a label for that outsider status.

Hundhoon

its only Italians and Irish that cling onto or celebrate their ancestry in the new world its weird.
the biggest ancestries in the US are English and German yet they are both invisible, may be because historically both were a threat to the country. been at war numerous times.
the little catholic mafia crime family, ginger, alcoholic, sister slamming counties have never been a threat so its okay to celebrate them.

Glebe


thugler

Best scorcese for aaages. Amazing film. De niro is the best i've seen him for decades as well. It's a character study of a void of a person really. The last hour brings everything into focus and makes sense of the earlier stuff, which initially i found a bit all over the place.

Enjoyed it but God that felt like 5 hours, the slowest of burns. Pacino stole the show for me. The CGI was awful in the first scene then you get used to it but De Niro like people say has the old man body and actions with a young face and 'younger' Pesci just felt off like he's never looked like that before in his life

Johnboy

Pacino is hilarious, just unrelentless, won't let anything go, giving Sal a hard time about his glasses, fuckin classic