This post contains spoilers
As mentioned in one of the early scenes in The Irishman, I didn’t really know anything about Jimmy Hoffa going into this movie. All I had really heard was that his body was rumored to have been dumped into the site of Giants Stadium while it was under construction. I figure most people know about that much, at least. However, the 3 1/2 hours I put into watching this miniseries – I mean movie, answered just about every question you could have about Hoffa.
The stars of this movie are Robert De Niro (Frank “The Irishman” Sheeran), Joe Pesci (Russell Bufalino), and Al Pacino (Jimmy Hoffa)…plus it was directed by Martin Scorsese. All three are outstanding in the film, which spans roughly forty years from the 50’s to the 90’s. And if you’re wondering “all three of the actors you mentioned are well into their seventies in age…how were they able to portray men in their forties and fifties for most of the movie?”. And the answer to that question leads to my biggest criticism of the film: not well.
Now, the historical aspect of the movie is spot-on. It’s based on the 2004 book I Heard You Paint Houses, which references the cover that Sheeran held as a “union” member. The book was written by Charles Brandt, a former homicide prosecutor, investigator and defense attorney, and details the life of Frank Sheeran. Obviously he didn’t actually paint houses. He was a hitman. The film gets into how he goes from being a meat truck driver to the main man of Jimmy Hoffa.
The story itself was badass, and you will truly learn everything about the Teamsters and Hoffa in the 1960’s and 70’s. I kinda hate all these historical movies because I just keep learning about how corrupt many people in power were, specifically post-WWII. I had already sorta known that JFK was elected because of the mob, but seeing how Hoffa’s union, plus mob ties – shoutout Drake – factored into everything was super interesting.
Side note – the Kennedy’s have been through some SHIT. The Kennedy Curse is scary real. There’s no way in hell I’d ever get on a plane or be a politician if I were a Kennedy. The family track record in both of those areas should deter you if you’re someone who ohh I don’t know…likes to live?
Now, Scorsese used a de-aging technique in the movie for flashbacks that helped to an extent, but didn’t completely sell me. And I get it. Flashback scenes are tough because using a younger actor can confuse the audience if not used well. There was one scene where De Niro portrayed a twenty-something-year-old Sheeran where they definitely could’ve used another actor, but didn’t take away from the scene too much.
Where I had a problem with the ages of the actors was in the heart of the movie, when 76 year-old Robert De Niro was supposed to pass for a guy in his forties. There’s a scene in the film where Sheeran (De Niro) goes to kick some guy’s ass, and there was no point where I thought “that’s definitely a guy in his forties”; it 100% looked like a 76 year-old man trying to look badass. I’m honestly shocked that scene made the final cut of the movie because of how unrealistic it looked. And if it sounds like I’m hating on Bobby D, I’m not! He’s old! A 76 year-old man shouldn’t be able to move like he’s still forty, which is why I’m more mad at the editors. Can’t do my mans like that.
As for the other characters, Bufalino and Hoffa, they were a little older in real life, so I guess it’s not as bad? I mean, it still looked like old dudes trying to play guys 20-30 years younger than they really are, but it wasn’t as big of an issue to me. Now, it sounds like I hated the movie. I didn’t. I just had an issue with the de-aging, which took away from the movie just a liiiitle bit for me.
Overall, it was a very good movie. I thought it would drag due to the length, but since the scandals surrounding Hoffa were so extensive, there was never a dull moment. The fact that a studio didn’t pick this up, and Scorsese had to resort to Netflix’s financing is absurd to me. Not sure how you could deny a film with De Niro, Pesci, and Pacino starring. Maybe they weren’t all attached at the time he was pitching it to studios, but with Scorsese’s track record of legendary mafia movies (Goodfella’s, The Departed, Casino) I’m not sure how he was doubted. Once again, De Niro and Scorsese didn’t disappoint.