Much has been said about Martin Scorsese’s ambitious gangster drama The Irishman, set to hit Netflix later this fall. The story follows Frank Sheeran, a real-life mob hitman played by Robert De Niro, reflecting back on his life as an old man from his time in World War II to his career in the criminal underworld. Thanks to the decades-spanning narrative, Scorsese used cutting-edge de-aging technology to make De Niro and fellow co-stars Al Pacino (Jimmy Hoffa) and Joe Pesci (Russell Bufalino) appear younger, swelling the picture’s budget well passed the $150 million mark. There’s a reason Paramount Pictures, the director’s longtime theatrical home, passed on the project.
Now, it’s time to see if all that money was worth it.
The Irishman made its world debut at the New York Film Festival Friday and the first reactions from critics are in. Based on these early responses, it sounds as if Scorsese hasn’t lost the singular touch that made Goodfellas, Casino and The Departed all seminal entries in the gangster genre.
#TheIrishman was well worth the red eye flight and well worth every single minute of that 3 and a half hour run time. More to come in a review on @ColliderVideo later but that lead trio is just as good as you’d hope & it marks another triumph for Thelma Schoonmaker. #NYFF
— Perri Nemiroff (@PNemiroff) September 27, 2019
Boy. #TheIrishman is a fitting homecoming for De Niro, Pacino, Pesci, and Scorsese’s ode to gangster cinema. Hilarious and sharply written. A portrait of mortality and legacy, told like a culmination of everything we have ever seen in this genre. It’s LONG but never boring. #NYFF pic.twitter.com/OBTAXem4On
— kevin l. lee (@Klee_FilmReview) September 27, 2019
It’s a masterpiece. Period. #TheIrishman @TheNYFF
— Robert Levin (@Rlevin85) September 27, 2019
#TheIrishman is utterly exceptional – vintage Scorsese. It takes so much from his best films and then becomes its own. Three brilliant performances and the deaging was no problem at all. #NYFF @FilmInquiry @netflix pic.twitter.com/wTCwhuopY9
— Brent Goldman (@bgoldmanphoto) September 27, 2019
#TheIrishman is TERRIFIC! The Holy Trinity of Mobsters—De Niro, Pacino, and Pesci all carry this 3.5 hr movie with ease and Oscar-worthy performances. De-aging works! Scorsese still has the energy of the 70's, and this film offers mafia action with reflective substance. pic.twitter.com/upCf9S4nTL
— Sean Kelso (@SDKELS0) September 27, 2019
THE IRISHMAN is undeniably a 209-minute film. Brimming with actual cinematography and performances, it’s a motion picture made by a team of filmmakers that can certainly be described as existent. Truly one of the films 2019 has to offer.
— Kern (@kernetcetera) September 27, 2019
I wish I could take a photo in he dark of all these people on their phones doing twitter hot takes on #TheIrishman. Here’s mine: it’s middle of the Scorsese pack. Def more of a sober character study than classic tense mob thriller
— Mara Reinstein (@MaraReinstein) September 27, 2019
THE IRISHMAN is an American epic that deals with time & the passing of it..209 minutes of it. De Niro is internal & Pacino is external while it’s great to see Pesci back. Scorsese’s latest is deliberately paced, funny & explores new territory with a genre he’s very familiar with.
— Matt Neglia (@NextBestPicture) September 27, 2019
https://twitter.com/davidehrlich/status/1177625846493908995?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1177625846493908995&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.indiewire.com%2F2019%2F09%2Fthe-irishman-first-reviews-scorsese-1202177022%2F
THE IRISHMAN is like a greatest hits album from a master of the medium. Yes, that’s a positive.
The artifice of de-aging is more feature than bug.
It’s not “slow.” It often moves like lightening & elsewhere it’s downright Bressonian.
This is not a review! Those are embargoed.
— erickohn (@erickohn) September 27, 2019
THE IRISHMAN: An instant Martin Scorsese crime classic that’s everything you want to be, and more.
De Niro’s best work in ages, Pesci lights up the screen, and Al Pacino as Jimmy Hoffa screaming about the Kennedys is the peak of cinema!
— Brett (@BrettRedacted) September 27, 2019
It’s still early, so time will tell if these immediate reactions hold up when full reviews start coming online. Often times, Twitter responses directly after a screening are more positive than the final critical reception. However, Scorsese is a master craftsman and The Irishman is the 1,000-pound gorilla in the Academy Awards race—a heavyweight contender no one has seen until today.
In terms of the film’s Oscars prospects, critics note that it could be a force in a handful of major categories including: Best Picture, Director, Actor, Supporting Actor (Pacino), Adapted Screenplay, Editing Cinematography and Visual Effects. However, despite Netflix’s best efforts, The Irishman will only receive a limited theatrical release ahead of its streaming debut as opposed to the more Oscars-friendly wide releases many awards hopeful pictures receive.
