The Irishman – 5/5/ stars
Following a short stint in select theatres across the world, the hugely awaited gangster epic from film auteur Martin Scorsese is finally here.
As special a treat, as it always is each time, a new Scorsese film releases, his first since 2016’s Silence is especially exciting given it reunites cinema icons Robert De Niro, Al Pacinoand Joe Pesci. Offering the convenience of viewing from the comfort of your own home, readily available on streaming service Netflix as the first real deal proper big-scale film to do so, if you weren’t one of the lucky few able to see this in theatres, get ready to lock the doors, put your phone away and dive in to the three-and-a-half hour epic known as The Irishman. Based upon the 2004 book I Heard You Paint Houses by Charles Brand, this top tier film partly based on real life events is easily one of the year’s best and Scorsese at his brilliant best.
As Frank “The Irishman” Sheeran(De Niro) looks back on his life and the hits that defined his mob career, his connections with the Bufalino crime family and the disappearance of his long-time friend Jimmy Hoffa (Pacino) come back to him with particular interest.
Notable for being the film to bring Pesci out of acting retirement and for the use of expensive de-aging technology to make himself, De Niro and Pacino appear thirty to forty years younger as they portray their respective characters across different time periods, the sheer fact this is De Niro and Scorsese’s first collaboration since 1995’s Casino and the reunion of De Niro and Pesci since Goodfellas is reason alone to not miss this one. With a top notch supporting cast that includes Harvey Keitel, Ray Ramano, Anna Paquin, Jesse Plemmons and Stephen Graham, it’s funny, gloriously violent in the right ways and insanely quotable.
In with a good chance to take home the Oscar for Best Picture, Scorsese has delivered yet another excellently crafted, superbly acted epic that is sure to go down as one of the greats as the history of cinema unfolds.
Knives Out – 5/5 stars
Writer/Director Rian Johnson (Looper, Star Wars: The Last Jedi) assembles the best ensemble cast of the year for a modern take on the ‘whodunnit’ murder mystery in Knives Out, a ridiculously fun film boasting an excellent screenplay and terrific performances to match.
Starring the recognisable faces of Daniel Craig, Chris Evans, Ana de Armas, Jamie-Lee Curtis, Don Johnson, Michael Shannon, Lakeith Stanfield, Australia’s own Toni Collette, Katherine Langford and screen icon Christopher Plummer as unique characters all with their own quirks and mysteries, a suspenseful crowd-pleaser which averts certain genre tropes makes for a deliciously entertaining time at the cinema, an absolute must see film before 2019 comes to an end.
When successful crime novelist Harlan Thrombey is found dead at his estate on the night of his 85th birthday, the inquisitive and somewhat famous Detective Benoit Blanc is enlisted to investigate. From Harlan’s dysfunctional family (whom all desperately want a piece of his fortune) to his trusted staff and personal nurse, Blanc begins to unravel a web of lies and despicable going ons within the mysterious family.
Determined to uncover the truth and figure out who hired him in the first place, every family member and attendee of the mansion on that fateful night becomes a suspect as you are left guessing until the very end.
A smart, clever and often funny film that you can’t see where it’s going even when you think you can, this throwback to the days of old where murder mysteries were a dime a dozen sets its own rules and avoids cliches in telling a mature, realistic story that proves its director is not married to one particular genre.
With a break out performance from Ana de Armas after notable roles in the excellent Blade Runner 2049 and War Dogs, she can be seen alongside Craig again in next year’s James Bond film, something to look forward to considering their great chemistry in this.
The knives are out, come and play.
