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“The Irishman” (R)

The cinematic worlds of Martin Scorsese and Francis Ford Coppola collide with brute force in Scorsese’s epic crime drama “The Irishman,” a in-depth look into the rise and demise of legendary Teamsters president Jimmy Hoffa and his relationship with mob heavy Frank “The Irishman” Sheeran.

Clocking in detailed yet exhaustive 3 1/2 hours, the film – made for the big screen by Netflix with the idea of attracting its main audience on its streaming platform less than 30 days after its qualifying theatrical awards run – is sure to satisfy Scorsese fans with its grand, big screen presentation, but will be digested better in chunks by its home audience. That’s not to say “The Irishman” is a TV movie (as some famous filmmakers would suggest), it’s just that Scorsese has packed so much into the film’s time frame that breaks are probably warranted to sit back and absorb the amazing chronicle of the mob and Hoffa and their influence on labor unions in the 1950s, ’60s and ‘70s, culminating in the disappearance of Hoffa and speculation as to who was actually responsible.

Longtime Scorsese collaborator Robert De Niro stars in the title role as Sheeran, a meat truck driver who by happenstance befriends Russell Bufalino (Joe Pesci), the head of an Northeastern Pennsylvania crime family who taps Sheeran as a hitman because for one, he’s loyal and would never drop names if arrested; and two, he fought in Italy in World War II and wasn’t afraid to pull the trigger on the enemy.

Rising through the ranks of the organization, Sheeran eventually is introduced to Hoffa (Coppola favorite Al Pacino in his first Scorsese film), who quickly develop an affinity for one another as Sheeran himself eventually becomes a powerful union head. But when Hoffa goes to prison for fraud stemming from witness tampering in a court case, the upper echelon of the Teamsters union changes under the rule of Frank Fitzsimmons (Gary Basaraba), and escalating conflicts with the mob spell doom for Hoffa as he tries to regain control of the powerful labor organization.

Based on the novel “I Heard You Paint Houses” by Charles Brandt and a screenplay adapted by Oscar-winning scribe Steve Zaillian (“Schindler’s List”), “The Irishman” is presented in vintage Scorsese fashion, as the lead actor (in this case, De Niro), narrates the story throughout a sprawling tale over decades. Captured within is all the narrative depth, character development, smart dialogue (complete with wry humor), classic music selections lining the background and brilliant acting that you’ve come to expect out of a Scorsese crime drama, a la “Goodfellas” and “The Departed.” Unfortunately, since Netflix gave Scorsese the keys to the cinematic kingdom to make a film as long as he wanted, “The Irishman” lumbers to the point of self-indulgence at times.

That’s not say Scorsese hasn’t earned the right to make the film that he wants, it’s just merely too much of a good thing in this case. Even slicing a half-hour from the film would have worked wonders, giving “The Departed” Oscar winner at three hours still far more time to tell his story than most of his fellow filmmakers are accustomed to.

It’s easy to see why Scorsese wanted to keep the story of “The Irishman” intact, however. The performances are hard-hitting across the board, from De Niro (who, despite being attracted to garbage like “Bad Grandpa” over the years, is clearly in his element and is at his very best under the auspices of the director) and Pacino (in yet another jaw-dropping performance) to Pesci (who shows his range in a rare, subdued performance). Quite simply, it’s a thrill to watch all three iconic performers in the same film together, since let’s be honest, chances are few that we’ll see the trio in another film ever again. The cool thing is, we get to see them at different points of their lives via the wonders of de-aging CGI, which allowed for the actors to become their younger selves.

Scorsese also gets the best from those new to his movie universe, including Ray Romano in a pivotal role as Russell Bufalino’s cousin, Bill Bufalino, a persuasive mob attorney; Jack Huston as Hoffa’s White House foe, Attorney General Bobby Kennedy; and red hot comedian Sebastian Maniscalco in a deathly serious turn as reckless mob legend Joey Gallo (Maniscalco isn’t the only comedian who turns up in the film – Jim Norton is impressive in a short turn as the young version of insult comedy great Don Rickles).

While the acting core looms large in “The Irishman,” there are some name actors who appear whose characters turns are underwhelming. Harvey Keitel has barely a presence as Philadelphia crime family boss Angelo Bruno (save one great scene where he confronts Sheeran about his hitman side work), while the talents of Anna Paquin and Jesse Plemons feel wasted as they play the adult children of Sheeran and Hoffa, respectively.

Apart from the controversy over its promised wide-turned-limited theatrical release in the continuing pissing contest between the secretive Netflix and understandably upset theater owners in the run-up to awards season, “The Irishman” is bound to run into problems over the accuracy of its story. The depiction of Hoffa’s demise (much like Danny DeVito’s “Hoffa” starring Jack Nicholson) is speculative because it’s based on rumors rather than an actual confession, which will spell trouble for the film when it comes to the Oscars and those oh-so-ugly whisper campaigns from rival studios.

For a film, at least, the argument seems plausible, and its far different than the tales of his remains being buried in the end zone of Giants stadium. At least Scorsese has the opportunity to score big points for his running tally of mobsters who get dead throughout the film, as he displays in captions in no uncertain terms how each of them most often met a cruel demise. Whether it be Hoffa or lesser-known figures in the criminal underworld, crime is a dangerous game that definitely does not pay.

Tim Lammers reviews movies weekly for “The KQ92 Morning Show” on KQRS-FM, “Paul and Jordana” on WCCO Radio, “It Matters with Kelly Cordes on WJON-AM, KLZZ-FM, “The Tom Barnard Podcast” and “The BS Show” with Bob Sansevere, and reviews streaming programming on WCCO Radio’s “Paul and Jordana” as well. On TV, Tim has made hundreds of guest appearances on “KARE 11 News at 11” (NBC).

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“Once Upon a Time … in Hollywood” (R)

Clearly made as a love letter to the La La landscape of the late 1960s, “Once Upon a Time … in Hollywood” is a surprisingly tame entry in writer-director Quentin Tarantino’s otherwise wild body of work as a filmmaker. It proves that Tarantino’s love for the end of the Golden Era in Hollywood is warm and fuzzy, but when its framed as a feature film, perhaps “Once Upon a Time” is warm and fuzzy to a fault. In short, the film lacks the Tarantino bite we associate with the inventive filmmaker until its third act, leaving in its wake several bland moments during the first hour and a half of the film.

“Once Upon a Time … in Hollywood” is largely about TV star Rick Dalton (Leonardo Di Caprio) and his longtime stuntman-turned-personal assistant Cliff Booth (Brad Pitt) as Rick begins to realize his downslide as lead actor who is now largely relegated guest shots as “the heavy” on episodic television. Of course, Rick and Cliff are fictional characters in Tarantino’s “Hollywood,” but much like writer-director did with “Inglorious Basterds,” he drops the characters in among real-life figures and settings to construct what becomes a revisionist tale set over nine months in 1969 Hollywood.

AUDIO: Hear Tim review “Once Upon a Time … in Hollywood” with Jordana Green and guest host Todd Walker on “The Paul and Jordana Show” on WCCO-AM. Segment brought to you by Mike Bryant and Bradshaw & Bryant.

Most prominent of the real-life figures portrayed are actress Sharon Tate (Margot Robbie), who cruelly met her fate while eight-months pregnant along with friend/Hollywood hairstylist Jay Sebring (Emile Hirsch) and two others at the hands of the murderous Manson family on Aug. 9, 1969. Tate’s husband, director Roman Polanski (Polish actor Rafal Zawierucha) is also featured briefly in a few fleeting scenes, while Charles Manson (Damon Herriman) only turns up once in the whole film.

A slow burn set over 2 hours and 41 minutes that eventually rolls up to the private neighborhood where members of the Manson family plan to kill Tate and Polanski, a restrained Tarantino holds off on his penchant for excessive screen violence until late into the third act. Before that, the other razzmatazz identified with the two-time Oscar-winning filmmaker is spread out in inspired bits and pieces throughout the first 90 minutes.

Among them is a charming (and in retrospect, heartbreaking) scene where Tate sits in a Hollywood theater to soak in the reaction to her work in Dean Martin’s Matt Helm adventure comedy “The Wrecking Crew”; and another where Kurt Russell’s producer character become a wreck on the set of a movie where Bruce Lee (Mike Moh) squares off against Cliff in a backlot in one of film’s funniest moments. Perhaps the biggest scene stealer is Julia Butters (TV’s “American Wife”), who plays a precocious 8-year-old actor (don’t call her “actress”), who puts Rick back on his heels as they’re preparing to film scenes for a TV Western (Butters brilliantly holds her own against DiCaprio in not one but two scenes).

To be sure, “Once Upon a Time … in Hollywood” is a nostalgic ride down memory lane for Tarantino as he expertly recreates the look and atmosphere of Tinseltown in the late 1960s, which not surprisingly has pop music hits of the era woven within. But it’s also a ride that may leave fans of his previous work feeling short-changed, especially for the lumbering first 90 minutes the film.

In short, “Once Upon a Time … in Hollywood” is the most un-Tarantino film Tarantino has ever done – at least until its final 45 minutes. The tension begins to ramp up when Cliff tries to visit his old colleague George Spahn (Bruce Dern) on the Spahn Movie Ranch, a once-viable filming location that is now suspiciously populated by a “community” of Charles Manson followers. It’s there where the Manson Family is plotting out its final steps to murder Tate, who is 8 months pregnant, along with Polanski.

Effectively “Once Upon a Time … in Hollywood” is a 2 hour, 41 minute exercise in wish fulfillment that gives Tarantino – who has long been able to make films carte blanche in Tinseltown – the means to play around in the era of filmmaking (or in this case, TV show making) that he clearly adores.

A sort of insider’s look at the making of TV shows in the late ‘60s (and digitally swapping in Rick for Steve McQueen in “The Great Escape” ), “Once Upon a Time” even gives Tarantino the opportunity to step back in time onto sets to produce classic Westerns through the lens of such directors (turned actor) as Sam Wanamaker. He even peppers the film with several cameos, including Damian Lewis as The King of Cool Steve McQueen and Dakota Fanning in a small but unnerving turn as Manson family member Squeaky Fromme. All but squandered is Al Pacino as agent pushing Rick toward making Spaghetti Westerns; and notably absent is Samuel L. Jackson, who has been a frequent collaborator of Tarantino’s since 1994’s “Pulp Fiction.”

AUDIO: Hear Tim review “Once Upon a Time … in Hollywood” with Tom Barnard on “The KQ Morning Show” on KQRS-FM. Segment brought to you by Mike Bryant and Bradshaw & Bryant.

With DiCaprio, Pitt and Robbie turning in good but not great performances, “Once Upon a Time … in Hollywood” will be remembered as a star-powered film that was a victim of its own hype. Just like the shiny veneer the real Hollywood gives off, the film is ultimately more about looks than it is substance, and thin veil in this case almost completely hides the ugliness of the industry.

Luckily for fans, while Tarantino gets waylaid on his trip back in time, there’s no doubt a ton of satisfaction to be had when the writer-director gives his twisty take on one of the most shocking crimes Hollywood has ever seen to conclude the film. It’s one of the few tales in “Once Upon a Time … in Hollywood” that’s worth telling over and over. The rest you can close the book on.

Lammometer: 6 (out of 10)

Tim Lammers reviews movies weekly for “The KQ92 Morning Show,” WCCO Radio, WJON-AM, KLZZ-FM, “The Tom Barnard Podcast” and “The BS Show” with Bob Sansevere. On TV, Tim has made hundreds of guest appearances on “KARE 11 News at 11” (NBC).

Original Interviews, Reviews & More By Tim Lammers

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Tag Archives: Al Pacino

Movie review: Despite exhaustive run time, ‘The Irishman’ is vintage Scorsese

Movie review: ‘Once Upon a Time in Hollywood’ not typical Tarantino tale

Original Interviews, Reviews & More By Tim Lammers