It has been two years since filming began, there has been a bidding war between production companies regarding rights over the movie, including Paramount Pictures and Netflix (who eventually won rights over the movie), and it has taken 106 days to film- marking it as being the longest filming schedule Scorsese has worked on. Nonetheless, these filmmakers have faced through the challenges in order to deliver the trailer for Scorsese’s next hit movie: “The Irishman”. This already highly acclaimed movie is filled with Oscar-winners and nominees including Robert De Niro, Al Pacino, Joe Pesci, Anna Paquin, screenwriter Steven Zaillian and director Martin Scorsese. Therefore, we can already expect an amazing story-line and some impressive performances. Even better, as a result of the movie being based over a few decades, filmmakers have played around with a variety of technology in order to alter the appearance of the actors according to the age of the characters. Moreover, a high amount of technology and special effects will be used regarding the mob scenes that play heavily around the events of the plot. As a result, we can expect much from the performance, the visuals and the plot, as everyone involved in this movie screams talent.
The trailer begins in a dark street, the only light visible being some neon signs advertising the restaurant. This already maps out the thriller-like theme of the movie, that follows through to the rest of the trailer. The trailer then shows a series of flash clips, whilst playing unnerving music, again creating an unsettling, secretive atmosphere. Following Robert De Niro’s character (Frank Sheehan), we see a range of events happening, including meetings and mob shootings, all which mainly occur hidden in the night. One particular scene that sparks interest is a specific line that is delivered by Al Pacino’s character (Jimmy Hoffa), in which he says “I heard you paint houses”. Considering the genre of this movie, this line may seem like an irrelevant piece of dialogue, especially to those of us unaware of the story. However, there is more to it than we may think. Furthermore, alongside the events involving a series of crime, it also focuses around the presidential elections and protests featuring JFK. Therefore suggesting that politics has a strong influence in the events of the movie. Lastly, from the trailer, a range of CGI has been involved regarding violent explosions and also to change the appearance of the characters throughout the years that this movie spans over, thus making the trailer just the more visually entertaining to watch.
Dominick LaRuffa Jr. and Erick Zamora in The Irishman (2019). Image via IMDb.
The trailer is filled with eerie music, dark colours and serious, tense vibes. Therefore, we can be ready for a lot of that from the movie, alongside an epic, action packed story-line. However, this aside, what can we truly expect from this movie? What is it really about and what is so significant about the quote “I heard you paint houses”? This story, in fact, is based on the events of one of the biggest hits in mob history. More specifically, it follows World War II veteran-turned-hitman, Frank Sheehan (played by Robert De Niro) as he tries to recall his involvement in the disappearance of his life long friend Jimmy Hoffa (played by Al Pacino). The movie is based off of the True Crime Bestseller “I Heard You Paint Houses” written by Charles Brandt. The significance of this quote lies in the fact that these were the first words in which Jimmy Hoffa spoke to Frank Sheehan and it is an undercover meaning for someone who is a contract killer. As a result, the quote sets off the beginning of their friendship, as well as potentially the end.
Overall, from the trailer, the movie does look like it will have a promising delivery. The movie fortunately involves a notable cast, all of which will no doubt deliver to their best standards. Scorsese, in particular, has worked hard in delivering a successful depiction of the events of the story. In particular, it is rumoured that it took him multiple attempts to finally convince Joe Pesci to come out of retirement in order to join the movie. Moreover, there is yet to be a release date, though we know for sure that the movie will be coming out to Netflix this coming Fall.
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Featured Image via IMDb.
