Of course I’ve been following the path of The Irishman, but I honestly hadn’t paid attention to what the film was actually about. Martin Scorsese made headlines when he partnered with Netflix for the distribution of The Irishman, and that deal became one of those watershed events for Hollywood: even the great Marty Scorsese, who has spent decades preserving theatrical films and championing old-school filmmaking, was getting into the streaming situation. There were conversations about whether the Academy would deny Scorsese any Oscar nominations because of the Netflix deal too. And all this time, I honestly thought The Irishman was going to be some heavy sh-t set in 19th century Ireland or something. I didn’t know it was this sprawling gangster film based on a true story. From Wiki:
The Irishman is an upcoming American biographical crime film directed by Martin Scorsese and written by Steven Zaillian, based on the book I Heard You Paint Houses by Charles Brandt. The film stars Robert De Niro as Frank Sheeran, a labor union leader and alleged hitman for the Bufalino crime family, and Al Pacino as Jimmy Hoffa. Joe Pesci, Harvey Keitel, Anna Paquin, Bobby Cannavale, and Ray Romano also star.
DeNiro is “the Irishman” who is a WWII veteran, who becomes a mob hitman, and likely the guy who killed and “disappeared” Jimmy Hoffa (Hoffa’s body has never been found). Al Pacino plays Hoffa. And man, it’s good/interesting to see Joe Pesci again. I can’t say I missed him during his retirement, but it’s nice and sort of cool that he came out of retirement to work with his friends, Marty and Bobby. And will we finally get some deep, dark scenes between Pacino and DeNiro? I hope so. Michael Mann tried it in Heat (a really good movie), but I trust that Marty will put Al and Bobby in the same frame. Also: Marty really doesn’t want to leave his comfort zone of white gangsters huh. Here’s the trailer for The Irishman. F–k it, I’ll watch this.
Photos courtesy of Backgrid.
We have to discuss those shoes…..
platforms are in!
Shoes would be off camera. They’re trying to make movie magic; add a few inches of height while filming opposite another character.
Yeah, I got that part. But making a movie called the Irishman with no Irish men in sight but instead an Italian who needs platforms is pretty funny.
(Calling Liam Neeson…)
Wonder if Pacino wore shoes like that in the original Godfather to get him up there with Diane Keaton. And of course it’s a gangster film! This is Scorsese! I’m finallyfinallyfinally going to sign up for Netflix so I can see this. What I found interesting was the ‘young’ DeNito, Pesci & Pacino. What kind of cinematic magic was that?Makeup? CGI?
100% all in!
I’ll watch it. I know its his “thing,” but its his thing for a reason. Scorsese does the white gangster movie REALLY REALLY well.
Agreed. I’ll have to reactivate my Netflix account just so I can see this.
It’s his genre, he’s the best at it.
As a daughter of Italian immigrants, I am tired of the constant criminalizing of Italians.
Especially for Sicilians.
It’s getting old. I’d love to see more Italian-Americans depicted on screen that show is as educated, hard-working, honest and decent people.
Just like a little variety.
People do ask if my family is in the mob, do I gasp know anyone in the Mafia.
It feels humiliating.
I am not Italian. But I am a member of a group of people who are also negatively stereotyped in media so I understand your frustration. I don’t understand why all of them, from the director, to Pacino, De Niro, and Pesci, continue to traffic in this area. What more is there to be said in this genre??? Are they really adding any nuance or blowing up people’s expectations??? Or are they continuing to get rich from these women out cliches that are harmful.
My mom was a Genovese, from NYC—third generation Italian Jewish immigrants. Not that Genovese though. My mom had a hard time growing up sometimes. I got the jokes all the time, but my dad is like descended from the pilgrims so it was diluted by the time it got to me.
Why are Irish being played by Italians here???
Because ScarJo was unavailable
Hahahahahahahaha! Omg, wow2, you made me laugh!
Wow2 – that’s awesome! And I agree with Whatever Gurl – I don’t get the non-stop fascination with/glorification of the mafia (every white guy I know likes to pretend he’s in the mob) and it would be nice to see other stories about the Italian-American experience be told. I have such a love/hate relationship with Hollywood: I love TV and movies and the biz part of show biz but Hollywood is also responsible for the perpetuation of so many awful stereotypes and it’s 2019 and they’re still doing it!
De Niro’s grandmother was an O’Reilly tbh, likewise in Goodfellas he paid a Irish-American character (Jimmy Conway based on real life James Burke)
They did Bobby Cannavale dirty with that hair though…
It took me awhile to even realize who that was!
Pacino is damned near unrecognizable. And those platforms are “RDJ in the MCU” levels of ridiculous.
I’ll watch it for Pesci alone!
I think a movie based on the book “Red Mafiya” by Robert Friedman would be more timely and interesting. It’s about how Trump and other lowlifes helped the Russian mob infiltrate the U.S. and Israel in the 1990s by doing their money laundering.
ohhh I would definitely watch that!
Would love to see it, doubt any major studio would touch it, though. Too many oligarchs to piss off.
Deniro plays an Irishman??? Okay. Can Scorsese hire anyone other than Italian Americans in his films?
Well De Niro is part Irish (paternal grandmother was Irish American, mother had irish roots).
Asked about it in Inside the Actor’s studio, he said he never turned his back to this part of his ancestry, but growing up in Little Italy made that other part more relatable.
Keitel should do it for you. Not italian. Sadly the jewish eastern Europe roots may not satisfy you either.
I just saw Danny Huston is in, so the son of Irish John Huston was hired by Scorsese. You’re safe.
That’s silly. Scorcese often hires actors of non-Italian descent. Just so happens DeNiro is part Irish, so it’s perfectly acceptable casting.
Idk if it’s the casting and having seen De Niro in so many previous movies, but the preview reads so Italian American to me.
I wouldn’t watch anything DeNiro is in anymore. His political rants have turned me off. (not because I’m a Republican)
I’m sooo watching this! I love every gangster movie Scorsese has put out. And this cast is *chef’s kiss*
Let the scenery chewing begin.
Yea…
Can we have a BIT of a conversation about…
“Everybody Loves Ray”…Ray Romano since the television show…because he has SHOWN ALL THE WAY OUT as an actor since the show stopped….
I know! That surprised me as well. I didn’t see him in the trailer, though; did they make him as unrecognizable as Cannavale? I remember seeing him in a short-run TV show called Men of a Certain Age. He was really good in that.
@ LALA7_11 & BEANIEBEAN—I KNOW, RIGHT?!?! DAYUM.
Loved “Men Of A Certain Age”, Andre Braugher played my favorite character, he worked for his father selling cars, couldn’t really stand up to Dad AND he was a diabetic on insulin AND used a CPAP machine! You hardly see a character on TV who had diseases that were really a part of a character, not just one & done.
As for Ray Romano–what a fine, nuanced character actor he turned out to be. He was incredible in “Parenthood” he eventually married Sarah, but at first he befriended Sarah’s son Max by having him help with his photography business. Max had autism I believe (PLEASE FORGIVE ME IF I HAVE THE WRONG ILLNESS OR I’M NOT USING THE POLITICALLY CORRECT TERM–I’m on my cellie and I’m afraid if I leave this screen and google the right term my post will disappear 🤯). Anyway, RR’s character eventually realized that he himself had the same illness that Max had…it was so brilliantly and wonderfully told.
I’d love to get behind another project like this with a resurfacing of notable veterans…veterans I grew up watching and enjoying on film. But I’m out. My threshold for this genre, especially with these actors, was long ago surpassed. I’m glad they’re working I suppose, but I’ve personally had enough of Pacino and Deniro.
Paquin+ Keitel, a mini Piano reunion.
I’m more excited by the comeback of Harvey Keitel in a Scorsese’s picture than by Pesci’s to be honest.
I totally missed that connection! Such a beautiful film, and both Anna’s & Holly’s Oscars were well-deserved.
I’m confused. I thought Decaprio was connected with this.?
You might be thinking of Once Upon A Time In Hollywood, which Pacino is in with DiCaprio.
All in
I’m not a Taraninto fan, so I couldn’t get hyped for Once Upon A Time… But this is new Pacino I’m excited for! <3
Didn’t realize we needed another movie about Irish men or Italian men or whatever along those lines…
Never enough! Never enough! Viva Italia!
Haha.. we really need to discuss those shoes, damn
All right now, let me just say this….
The Godfather 1 & 2 were spectacular films. Raging Bull also.
DeNiro and Pacino at their best, IMO.
DeNiro, Pacino, Pesci reuniting with Marty….oh, c’mon it’s almost like a Beatles reunion.
Of course I will watch it. Possibly more than once. Marty, DeNiro, Pacino back in their day all captivated audiences. Dramatic, of the streets, can not look away, violent, excellent movies.
Pesci, in his heyday was an excellent character actor.
It may not be as good as their earlier projects but in the minimum, it will be something to watch that is not comic book based. At 57 y/o, it is damn tricky finding a movie to hold my attention. Netflix will be fine with this, IMO.
A large number will watch this simply to see them all together one more time.