The Irishman

Boasting a powerhouse of gangster actors, Robert De Niro, Al Pacino, and Joe Pesci, is director Martin Scorsese's The Irishman, a dramatization about organized crime history's greatest hit.

Adapted by screenwriter Steven Zaillian from Charles Brandt’s compelling nonfiction narrative I Heard You Paint Houses (2004), about top hitman Frank Sheeran's (De Niro) pivotal role in the 1975 mysterious disappearance of the second most powerful man in the country, Jimmy Hoffa (Al Pacino), a Teamsters union president tied to the Pennsylvania based Russell Bufalino (Pesci) and Angelo Bruno (Harvey Keitel) mob.

Performances are top notch and engrossing. Scene-stealing Joe Pesci, playing against his usual hot-headed type, encapsulates the persona of the soft spoken, reflective, restrained and authoritative mafia don. His minimalist gestures set the tone loudly.

In his first collaboration with Scorsese, Al Pacino's rousing performance, as the infamous Jimmy Hoffa, is marked with bursts of explosive violence with interspersed dry humor, even in the most gruesome scenes.

In what may be one of his best performance since Heat (1995) Robert De Niro delivers a shivering rendition as Frank “The Irishman” Sheeran, filled with some of the funniest scenes of his career.

Scorsese uses to chilling effect silence rather than music, to accentuate tension and mood. However, a more publicized creative choice of the film is the use of groundbreaking, de-aging technology used during flashbacks to portray the actors as younger men. Although not yet perfected, the technology is not distracting.

Well assembled are Scorsese's trademark tracking shots and montages by top notch repeat collaborators cinematographer Rodrigo Prieto and editor Thelma Schoonmaker, sharp costume designs by Christopher Peterson and Sandy Powell, and meticulous production design by Bob Shaw.

The Irishman may be Scorsese's best, most powerful and empathetic film of his almost six decade long career. It is slower in pace compared to most of Scorsese's films. However, the masterful performances and technical detail makes the 209 minutes film viewing brisk, culminating in an elegant, contemplative final act.

The Irishman is majestic, one of the best films of the year.