For someone like me who is obsessed with crime and gangster movies, the Irishman was a movie that I had to watch. I definitely recommend it to all you crime, thriller and mafia lovers.
The following rendition of the book “I Heard You Paint Houses: Frank ‘The Irishman’ Sheeran and Closing the Case on Jimmy Hoffa” written by Charles Brandt.
The film is based in the 1950s which follows the life of Frank Sheeran and his life whilst working for Russell Bufalino and his Pennsylvania crime family.
The role of Frank Sheeran is played by Robert De Niro, who executes his role very well as he “looks back at the secrets he kept as a loyal member of the Bufalino crime family”.
An element which really pulled me to my screen to watch this motion picture was the fact that all the iconic mafia actors were featuring. From Al Pacino who plays Jimmy Hoffa to Joe Pesci who plays Russell Bufalino, I knew this movie without fail would be remarkable. The physical duration was very off-putting – a whole 3 and a half hours was something I was not looking forward too. However, that did not stop me from watching the entire movie as it is very easy to become emotionally invested with it all.
It was especially moving to see the father-daughter relationship between Frank and his daughter Peggy (Anna Paquin). Due to his choice in a career which Peggy is fully aware of, the relationship was very fragile as she somewhat grew to have a fear of her father. Which is beyond the stereotypical norm as daughters usually have a fearless and tight-knit bond with their fathers.
The manner in which the story is told is a very slow process, however, with the immense amount of detail that has been given, it engrosses you more into the film making you want to know more.
If you are looking for a long-duration movie to watch in the cold winter nights, with a thrilling storyline, The Irishman will be one I will definitely recommend.
3.5/5 Stars
Erica Goncalves Lopes
Bethany Aspinall
Megan Kelly