By: Keaton Marcus

DISCLAIMER: IF YOU ARE UNDER THE AGE OF 15, YOU MUST ASK YOUR PARENTS IF YOU ARE ALLOWED, IF THEY SAY NO…IT MEANS NO!

Martin Scorcese's digitally-enhanced, masterful, impressive, long, and compelling capper to his gangster filmmaking just became one of the best films of all-time, and the best of 2019. This movie that I'm ranting on about is "The Irishman", which after being released for several weeks in a few theaters, has spectacularly moved to streaming giant Netflix. It reunites the likes of Robert DeNiro, Al Pacino, and Joe Pesci into one mob flick. Scorcese de-ages the former and the latter with fantastic attention to detail and nostalgically makes DeNiro into his middle-aged, "Godfather Part II" type self with one of the most brilliant performances of all-time. You may age three and a half hours while viewing, but not only does the film hit all the bars flawlessly, it also manages to be worth every second, every minute and every hour. You can dub it the gangster twin of "Avengers: Endgame", which clocks three hours, but even the likes of that can barely compare to the utter epicness of this experience.

It plays exactly like a true story, but that's only correct to a fault. We originally focused on former WWII veteran Frank "The Irish" Sheeran (DeNiro), brilliantly CG'd to look in his thirties. Sheeran begins with an average job of delivering meats, however, quickly after, he makes an acquaintance with Skinny Razor (Bobby Cannonvale treating DeNiro like an adopted son). This get's him a step further towards "painting houses". But the first massive leap is meeting Philly capo Russel Buffalino (Pesci in a more quiet, but excellent role), and far later the infamous President of the Teamsters, Jimmy Hoffa (Pacino). He swiftly finds that his skills with weapons aid him greatly in the world of crime, making himself at home with Buffalino and Hoffa. Oh, boy, it doesn't end there, I've briefly covered the first third or so, there's got to be a signature Scorecese plot turn.

The big reveal is Hoffa's inability to create concrete allies in the mob, and his increasing level of instability in maintaining control. The role of Jimmy is both hilarious, and possibly a tour-de-force. One moment he's succumbing into a tantrum, and another he's tackling his enemy with full force. Pacino's monumental portrayal is un-predictable, off-putting and having a certain charisma that features the actor's immense talent. So what are Buffalino and Sheeran planning to do with him? Google it or be brave enough to watch all 210 minutes of it, but there will be no spoilers. Readers may believe that just performances aren't enough to entertain sufficiently but believe me, that's not the only thing carrying the production. I'm currently telling you to sprint to the TV room with you're closest friends with soda, candy, beer, whatever, and watch the hell out of this movie. Everything is worth it.

While both Pesci and Pacino shine, it's Rob DeNiro that gives audiences closure, till his death due to cancer at 83. Covering all the nuances as a war veteran, and playing the heck out of a mob soldier, Mr. DeNiro is tremendous in his newest role. Normally, a lesser actor would quite literally be hammered into the ground by the computer-generated twist, but DeNiro proves to us once again that he isn't to be put down. Maybe for a couple of folks, the CG is a little distracting, but it's the most accurate, and vivid outing I've seen in a while. Anyway, it's specifically the performance that gives you the chills. From his scenes with his young, and adult daughter (portrayed well by Lucy Gallina, and then Anna Paquin respectively) to his painful last moments. It's certainly not easy to see, but if anybody deserves a massive award, it's him.

To back that voice up is the beautiful editing by Thelma Schoonmaker, the incredible cinematography work by Rodrigo Prieto, and a commanding soundtrack. Additionally, to make sure nothing's boring in the film event of the year is the raw script, written by Steven Zaillian. The screenplay is so glorious that it has reached the achievement to deliver unimaginable dark comedy, and contribute to an artfully shot, superbly done gangster flick. The performances are impeccable, and it plays as something far beyond the simple idea of Oscar bait. In a more concise way: "The Irishman" is a picture like we haven't seen before. Nevertheless, I never thought that Scorcese would be that ambitious as to develop a 160-million production (more than the 150M from "Blade Runner 2049).

That's the trick, though, the acclaimed filmmaker has found a way to make one of the most expensive movies of the year stay amazingly close with his old roots. Principally, Mr. Scorcese has gone to the chemistry room, and mixed classic movies such as "The Godfather", or "Raging Bull", and made a hybrid with the technological advancement that is "The Irishman". It's quite a difficult process, but with winning costume-design, and a knack for sound, Scorcese nearly makes it look basic. People could argue that a beast such as this "could never match up to the good old days", or "a big-budget doesn't mean a solid film", however, it's still the modern classic that we have been waiting for. Expensive, or not. This drama is to be considered art, technology and intelligence wise. It's an unmissable event that should have the entire population on its knees. An ode to the perfect movie.

The final opinion is: Martin Scorcese's long goodbye to his incredible career, "The Irishman", features gripping performances, impressive sound, cinematography, and direction--hitting all the expected bars, and doing so much more...$PLURGE IT, and then watch it again.