The Irishman (The Criterion Collection)

Robert De Niro Director: Martin Scorsese Martin Scorsese

Overview

Written by Steven Zaillian and directed by Martin Scorsese, this biographical crime thriller follows Frank Sheeran (Robert De Niro) as he recalls his past years working for the Bufalino crime family. Now older, the WWII veteran once again reflects on his most prolific hits and, in particular, considers his involvement with his good friend Jimmy Hoffa's disappearance in 1975. Also starring Al Pacino and Joe Pesci.

Product Details

Release Date:	11/24/2020
UPC:	0715515253314
Original Release:	2019
Source:	Criterion Collection
Region Code:	1
Presentation:	[Color]
Sound:	[Dolby Digital Mono, Dolby Digital Stereo, Dolby Digital 5.1 Surround]
Time:	3:29:00
Sales rank:	22

Cast & Crew

Performance Credits

Robert De Niro	Frank Sheeran
Al Pacino	Jimmy Hoffa
Joe Pesci	Russell Bufalino
Harvey Keitel	Angelo Bruno
Jesse Plemons	Chuckie 0'Brien
Anna Paquin	Peggy Sheeran
Bobby Cannavale	Felix 'Skinny Razor' DiTullio
Stephen Graham	Anthony Provenzano
Jack Huston	Robert F. Kennedy
Dascha Polanco	Actor
Kathrine Narducci	Carrie Bufalino
Domenick Lombardozzi	Anthony Salerno
Ray Romano	Bill Bufalino
Aleksa Palladino	Mary Sheeran
Sebastian Maniscalco	Joseph 'Crazy Joe' Gallo
Jake Hoffman	Allen Dorfman
Paul Ben-Victor	Jake Gottlieb
Stephanie Kurtzuba	Irene Sheeran
Larry Romano	Phil Testa
Rebecca Faulkenberry	Barbara Hoffa

Technical Credits

Steven Zaillian

Martin Scorsese	Director,Producer
Troy Allen	Producer
Richard Baratta	Executive Producer
Gerald Chamales	Producer
Robert De Niro	Producer
Randall Emmett	Executive Producer
George Furla	Executive Producer
Rob Hinderstein	Makeup Special Effects
Scott Holbert	Makeup Special Effects
Niels Juul	Executive Producer
Emma Tillinger Koskoff	Producer
Ellen Lewis	Casting
Jose L. Lopez	Makeup
Stephanie Glover McGee	Makeup
Caroline Monge	Makeup
Gaston Pavlovich	Producer
Christopher Peterson	Costumes/Costume Designer
Sandy Powell	Costumes/Costume Designer
Jane Rosenthal	Producer
Thelma Schoonmaker	Editor
Bob Shaw	Production Designer
Jai Stefan	Executive Producer
Chad A. Verdi	Executive Producer
David J. Webb	Co-producer
Berry Welsh	Executive Producer
Irwin Winkler	Producer
Tyler Zacharia	Executive Producer
Steven Zaillian	Screenwriter

Editorial Reviews

Directed by the master of his craft Martin Scorsese (Casino, Goodfellas), The Irishman brings together the heaviest hitters in cinema like both a comeback and farewell to the aging tour de force talent supporting it. A combat veteran looking to put his talents to good use finds a place for himself as he becomes first a hit man, and then somewhat of a historical game changer in this underdog story. Crime meets politics in a shockingly true tale. Frank Sheeran (Robert De Niro) is a World War II combat veteran who comes back home to the USA, which is reeling from the side effects of war. As the narrator of his own story, he's as honest as he is unreliable. He pulls himself through hard times delivering meat, coincidentally to some powerful people who back him up when he's accused of theft, and he doesn't rat out any of his clients. Mob boss Russell Bufalino (Joe Pesci) takes Frank under his wing, in part because he sees the utility in having a man who needs work and is capable of both violence and staying quiet. The Bufalino family takes care of their people and provides plenty of opportunities for Frank to prove his loyalty. Union leader Jimmy Hoffa (Al Pacino) becomes friends with the Bufalino family, Frank in particular. Through Hoffa's mafia ties, his rise to fame draws him into sharp conflict with other union leaders, and Hoffa finds that his power grows in conjunction with his conflicts. He hires Frank on as his personal bodyguard to guarantee his safety in a violent and tumultuous world. Over time, Frank has created his own blood family inside of his mob family. Pushed to the brink, he must carefully balance the value of his own life against doing the right thing and serving others who were good to him. The Irishman is like a highlight reel recap of an older man who has plenty of stories to tell, to which he can now personally relate, and he is properly equipped to deal with the requisite feelings. Scorsese draws out fine performances from an all-star cast just waiting to be told how much or how little the scene deserves. The lack of female presence is both surprising in that it has become standard fare for modern cinema, but also fitting for the male-dominated generations throughout which this story is told. Written by Steven Zaillian (Schindler's List, American Gangster) who adapted the book "I Heard You Paint Houses, by Charles Brandt, The Irishman delivers on its expectations, in part due to its well-written script. A movie only runs long if it feels like it, and every minute of this film seems to add to the intensely intricate and wonderful, decades-long world building. Ultimately, there is so much happening in The Irishman that it's almost a double feature, which is perfect for fans of the genre. For anyone reticent to see yet another gangster picture, this is the cream of the crop, and it warrants a watch from even the fussiest of cinephiles.

All Movie Guide - Jules Fox