Martin Scorsese returns to familiar territory with his newest drama, The Irishman. It is a story about organized labor, and the organized crime that accompanied the rise of the Teamsters in the 1950s and ’60s. It is about the fate of Jimmy Hoffa, the labor leader who disappeared so mysteriously in 1975, based on the book I Heard You Paint Houses (the film’s alternative title) by Charles Brandt. I was actually unaware of all of this before I saw the film.

Martin Scorsese’s film focuses on Frank Sheeran (Robert De Niro), the Irishman of the title, who works his way into the union hierarchy, eventually becoming the bodyguard / assistant to Hoffa (Al Pacino). As the Teamster boss alienates the government (the Kennedys), the mafia (who wants in) and, finally, his own union members, it becomes clear that his life is in grave danger. Like Scorsese’s earlier stories about organized crime, a myriad of details and rituals fleshes out exactly how business is conducted, wealth is distributed and men protecting their own power deal in death.

De Niro is fine as the truck driver who moves up in the union, taking on ever more responsibility until he can never escape. Pacino is loud and profane as Hoffa, but he also personifies the man quite nicely. The best performance is given by Joe Pesci, who is marvelous as the quiet, ever-respectful mob boss who keeps things running smoothly and takes a shine to De Niro’s character. The star power goes a long way toward keeping this film on track and moving along.

But negative aspects prevent this film from becoming the classic that the director expected. First, the thing is three-and-a-half hours long, and that’s just too darn long. Second, the women have almost nothing to do but smoke and stand by and watch and wait while the men tackle all the drama. This may be accurate to real life, but it certainly isn’t cinematic. Finally, there is almost no sensationalism; everything is low-key, from the technical aspects to the acting. Because of the extreme length, this lack of razzle dazzle is readily apparent. It is a good film, but it can be a slog unless one is thrilled by Scorsese’s brand of ultra-realism. ☆ ☆ ☆. 6 December 2019.