‘The Irishman' is Now Available to Stream on Netflix

I guess it goes without saying that you have a duty, as a cinephile, to watch Martin Scorsese’s sprawling, ambitious and gloriously cinematic “The Irishman.” Not only is it the best movie of the year, but it’s also one worthy of the movie time-capsule. There’s absolutely no reason for you to miss this movie, even with a 3 and a half hour runtime. It flies by at breakneck speed and features two of the very best performances of the year. Of course, if it’s still playing at a local theater somewhere around your neck of the woods then, by all means, go, since that is the best way to watch “The Irishman.” However, watching it on Netflix isn’t a bad thing at all — just dim the lights, turn your cell phone off and let yourself be absorbed by this movie. Sure, you can take a bathroom break, but don’t overdo the pausing. The film deserves to be seen in one complete sitting.

You can read my review of “The Irishman,” which was immediately written after I had attended its world premiere at the New York Film Festival this past September:

“Despite clocking in at close to 3 and a half hours, "The Irishman" never feels slow or out-of-breath, which is a testament to Thelma Schoonmaker's exquisite editing, juggling all the timelines together in ways that never let up — this is a high-wire act of editing from a legendary woman responsible for the greatest edited movie of all-time (Raging Bull). And yet, Scorsese, no slouch himself, shoots the film in magisterial ways, inspired, much like he was in his last feature, “Silence,” by a Bresson-ian brand of cinema: the ellipses, the minor use of music (a simple, yearnful harmonica drives the score home), and more intriguingly, the somber minimalism in both the acting and directing. De Niro and Pesci are so good that their work here can easily be dismissed in favor of Pacino’s more showy performance, but don’t be fooled, these are all masters working at the top of their craft.”

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