THE IRISHMAN

Robert De Niro     Al Pacino     Joe Pesci     Anna Paquin     Bobby Cannavale

Harvey Keitel     Ray Romano     Jack Huston     Jesse Plemons

     Martin Scorsese and screenwriter Steven Zaillian used Charles Brandt’s book as the primary source for the movie.  Typical of Scorsese, the story takes 3½ hours to tell.  I was surprised that it held my interest the entire time, which is a testament to the fine storytelling and acting.  I have not read the book, which Brandt wrote [I Heard You Paint Houses, 2004, after he interviewed Frank Sheeran (played by De Niro) at the end of his life]; but the film is convincing in describing the different groups and characters involved in the whole Jimmy Hoffa (played by Al Pacino) mystery and intrigue.

     In the film, Frank delivers meat to restaurants for a living.  When he is accused of stealing some of it, his lawyer, who has connections with a mob, gets him off, and thus begins Frank’s budding career in doing favors for crime bosses Russell Bufalino (Pesci) and Angelo Bruno (Keitel).  Then, Russell tells Frank that Hoffa is interested in him, and Hoffa uses him as his right-hand man for years, sometimes putting Frank between him and Russell.  Frank’s delicately stepping through these waters is something to see and admire.

     Al Pacino as Hoffa stands out as a highly complex figure whose strength is in reading people; this puts him in a slightly paranoid stance at times, but he is often right; and this is a fine line for an actor to pull off.  Robert De Niro shines as the star of the film, showing his sincere loyalties, his ambivalences, and his measured approach to any difficult situation.  His character’s face is impassive, revealing little of what he is thinking, which makes it a somewhat easier role, perhaps.  Joe Pesci is able to show the power of persuasion that Russell has in getting so many people to do his bidding, including Sheeran, involving him in fundamental betrayals.

     The movie goes into details about the struggles between the unions at the time and big business and government, a time when the unions have been victorious, but whose leaders are now in bed with the mob and cavalierly using workers’ pension money in their own games of roulette.  A schism develops between Hoffa and Russell specifically around their differing views of the Kennedys, particularly toward the Attorney General, Robert Kennedy, who is bringing cases against them both of them and the Teamsters, which ultimately triangulates Frank and tests his loyalties.

     Scorsese lives up to his reputation for composing and orchestrating a major production with precision, excellent casting, and editing.  Music by Robbie Robertson and production design by Bob Shaw help create the essentials in mood and look of the 1950’s. Spanning a period of 40 years, using aging techniques for the actors’ appearance is impressive.

     That being said, I personally would have preferred a more abbreviated version of the story, as noted by others.  In my opinion, the 3½-hour length could have been reduced without sacrificing the quality of filmmaking.  

Unless you’re a diehard crime story enthusiast who much prefers a big screen, I suggest you wait for the Netflix edition of The Irishman premiering on November 15.

Grade:  B                                    By Donna R. Copeland

THEIR FINEST

Gemma Arterton   Sam Claflin   Bill Nighy   Jack Huston   Richard E. Grant   Jeremy Irons   Eddie Marsan

     How do stories get made?  I like to think that the process shown in Their Finest is art imitating life—that after a bit of brainstorming, the writers sit down and flesh out the script.  In this instance, the story has many layers—comedy, romance, and drama—all while the Germans are bombing London in WWII.  The comedy comes from the actors doing very human things, having touchy egos and eccentricities.  The romance(s) involve the main character, Catrin (Arterton), her artist husband, and another character.  The drama shows us what it is like to live in a city being bombed—the hits and destruction, the near misses, parts of ceilings and whole buildings falling all around.  In the midst of this the British people carry on as if they’re programmed to do so.

     Catrin is elated when she lands a job as a writer for the British Ministry of Propaganda, which is to make a film to boost morale in the country, but eventually, it wants to wow American audiences with it and possibly convince the U.S. to join in the war effort.  Mentoring Catrin is Tom Buckley (Claflin) who seems more egalitarian toward women than other men of that time, and when Catrin attempts to move the film they are making toward a more female slant, he is one of the few who get it.  But they have their disagreements and conflicts too.

     Some of the humor derives from the way men treat women, which seems quaint today, but was actually typical in the early 40’s.  So baldly stated:  “You’ll be paid—of course we can’t give you what a man would make—so, two pounds a week.”  “OK”, she agrees, and feels so proud to be earning anything.  Male egos, actor egos, administrative “spies”, crusty forward women—they’re all put through the comedic mill. 

     Dramatic pull is considerable as we see Catrin struggle with her life and Tom taking an interest in her and boosting her self-esteem.  The actor Ambrose Hilliard (Nighy in one of his spotlight performances) is vain and touchy at first, but gradually relaxes and allows his real talents to emerge.  One of the most rewarding aspects of the film is to see a number of characters make positive changes, often as the result of feedback from those around them.  Award winning actress Gemma Arterton (The Girl with all the Gifts, Tess of the D’Urbervilles) is perfection in portraying a woman of the time—outwardly compliant, charming, and helpful—but thoughtful and with strong opinions inside, and above all willing to take risks.  Her face hardly moves, and you know what she’s thinking, or wonder what she is thinking. 

     Lone Scherfig’s direction of this film-within-a-film shows considerable talent in revealing her understanding of and sensitivity toward women in this film, as in An Education.  She can manage complex, layered dramas that tell multiple stories at the same time, while getting across moral, ethical, and humanitarian principles along with pure entertainment.  Composer Rachel Portman travels on the same wavelength with an impressive, award-winning filmography (Emma, Bessie, Never Let Me Go, Chocolat). 

A film-within-a-film incorporating comedy, drama, and romance.

Grade:  A-                        By Donna R. Copeland

BEN-HUR

Jack Huston   Toby Kebbell   Rodrigo Santoro   Nazanin Boniadi   Ayelet Zurer   Pilou Asbaek   Morgan Freeman

          This story of Ben-Hur is derived from the 1880 novel by Lew Wallace entitled Ben-Hur:  A Tale of the Christ, with a screenplay by Keith R. Clarke and John Ridley, who also wrote the screenplay for 12 Years a Slave.  In this film version, the plot diverges here and there from the novel.   Previous films based on the book were made in 1907, 1925, 1959, and 2003, the most famous of which was William Wyler’s in 1959 starring Charlton Heston and Stephen Boyd, which won 11 Academy Awards and became the top grossing picture of 1960.

           In 2016 Ben-Hur, Judah (Huston) and Messala (Kebbell) are brothers, Messala being rescued by the Ben-Hur family when he became an orphan.  This sets up an intense bonding/rivalry between the two, the latter fueled by the mother’s antagonism toward Messala, and her efforts to place a wedge in the obvious attraction between Messala and her daughter.  Embittered and feeling justified in his actions, Messala accuses Judah of treason against the empire and betrays the family who sheltered him.

         Like a coming-of-age hero who must undergo numerous trials, Judah is arrested by the Roman soldiers (he wasn’t guilty and tried to protect the zealot he had rescued who betrayed him), put in a Roman ship’s galley to row for five years, manages to escape during a battle at sea, and is washed ashore near the camp of a wealthy African sheik (Freeman). After saving the sheik’s sick and dying horse, the sheik sponsors Judah’s entry into the chariot race of his life with Messala being his primary competitor.  Messala has now become an important Roman officer in the army.

        Huston and Kebbell show their acting skills in achieving a detectable ambivalence toward one another that comes through as a deep, complex relationship.  Judah is the more secure and insightful brother who was born naturally into a noble family, whereas Messala has stored up years of resentment at their social inequality, despite Judah’s assurances that he is truly a member of the Ben-Hur family.  Messala has coped with his situation by joining the Romans in their brutal campaign to crush uprisings that seem to be proliferating in conquered dominions.  Morgan Freeman as the sheik has the same gravitas that he brings to all his roles.  The actresses are beautiful, but are primarily ornaments without much of a role, except maybe Esther (Boniadi), who is paired with Judah and asserts herself easily when she thinks Judah is not listening to her.

          The story of Ben-Hur is well told with OK special effects, but I see no need for the 3-D version.  For those who are sympathetic to the Christian religion, it is likely to be inspiring as well as entertaining. 

Brother against brother in brutal Roman times.

Grade:  C                                    By Donna R. Copeland