Martin Scorsese yet again teams up with Robert De Niro for his latest film, \u201cThe Irishman.\u201d Alongside De Niro, notable actors included in the cast are Al Pacino and the formerly retired Joe Pesci.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Its supporting cast contains equally well-known seasoned actors such as Ray Romano and Harvey Keitel. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
It was shown in select cinemas on Nov. 1 and will face wide distribution through Netflix streaming on Nov. 27, 2019, just in time for the Thanksgiving holiday.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\t\u201cThe Irishman\u201d is based on the book, \u201cI Heard You Paint Houses\u201d written by former prosecutor, investigator and defense attorney Charles Brandt. Much like its source material, the film chronicles the life of Frank Sheeran, an alleged mafia hitman for the Buffalino Crime Family who was known by his moniker, \u201cThe Irishman.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Sheeran helped facilitate organized crime activity into labor unions and personally claimed to have murdered his companion and employer Jimmy Hoffa, the former President of the International Brotherhood of Teamsters. The role of Hoffa is portrayed by Pacino. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cI’m certainly glad I got to work with Martin Scorsese, I’ll tell you that much,\u201d Pacino said in an interview with USA Today, \u201cso much goes into making certain films and it takes more time than you account for. That’s what happened here.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
In past interviews, De Niro voiced the pleasure of having the opportunity to work amongst Pacino for a fourth time. Movies that they have starred together in are, \u201cThe Godfather II,\u201d \u201cHeat\u201d and \u201cRighteous Kill,\u201d which unlike the former films, received overwhelmingly negative reactions upon its release. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
In an October interview with Variety, De Niro recalled how he felt during Rome\u2019s release of \u201cRighteous Kill.\u201d There, he turned to Pacino and subtly expressed his disappointment with the roles they took on.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cI said, \u2018This is a great reaction, but it would be nice if they were here for a movie that we really feel proud about. Next time we\u2019ll do one we like.\u2019\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
However, it would take years for such a movie to exist. \u201cThe Irishman\u201d spent years in development hell, with its first development phase beginning in 2007. Additionally, studios were reluctant to produce a three-hour long film with a budget of $150 million dollars, further making its potential for existence dubious. Still, Scorsese was determined to make his vision seen by the public. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cRobert read Charles Brandt\u2019s book when he was doing \u2018The Good Shepherd.\u2019 He gave it to me,\u201d Scorsese said in an interview with Entertainment Weekly. \u201cI saw he was connected with the character and we\u2019ve been wanting to make something together since \u2018Casino.\u2019 I realized he really cares about the character, and that it\u2019s something that could be moving. So I figured we\u2019d take the trip. It took a while. It\u2019s very special that we got it made.\u201d\u2019<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Rather than finding young male actors who would portray De Niro and Pacino in their youth, Scorsese took a non-traditional approach by using de-aging visual effects (VFX) for his leading stars who are respectively 76 and 79 years old. In an interview, Scorsese would admit that he initially held doubt if VFX was capable to de-age the actors in a believable way. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Therefore in 2015, prior to the principal photography he tested the technology by having De Niro recreate one of his scenes in \u201cGoodfellas.\u201d Satisfied with the results, Scorsese would move on. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Still, everything did not piece together with ease. During a May appearance on \u201cA Bigger Canvas\u201d podcast, Scorsese spoke about his continuous worry for not just the fact the public was accustomed to seeing the older faces of these widely renowned actors, but because of more subtle matters he deemed vital to conveying concealed messages. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cCertain shots need more work on the eyes,\u201d he explained, \u201cneed more work on why these are exactly the same eyes from the plate shot, but the wrinkles and things have changed. Does it change the eyes at all? If that\u2019s the case, what was in the eyes that I liked? Was it intensity? Was it gravitas? Was it threat?\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n
On Nov. 1, De Niro publicly voiced his doubts in the ability to work on another film with his long-time collaborators Scorsese, Pacino and Pesci. \u201cI don\u2019t see us putting on a movie like this. I hope we do other films together, but like this? Not likely. This is it.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Due to the fact that Scorsese is known for the most iconic films centered on organized crime as well as gritty urban life such as, \u201cGoodfellas,\u201d \u201cCasino,\u201d \u201cMean Streets\u201d and \u201cTaxi Driver,\u201d it is being widely speculated that this could mark the end of his iconic take on the gangster genre as we know it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n