The title seems a little unnecessary considering it’s Martin Scorsese.
However, with so much unnecessary uproar over, The Irishman, we decided to put together a new feature for such occasion.
Understandably, both virtuoso filmmaker Scorsese and gifted actress Anna Paquin don’t need to be publicly defended by our little indie digital publication.
Yet we will continue due to the rise in unnecessary clickbait articles clouding a genuinely brilliant film.
For those who haven’t watched The Irishman via Netflix due to being three and a half hours long, you’re truly missing out.
The film’s a poignant look back on hitman Frank Sheeran’s life and the secrets he kept as a loyal member of the Bufalino crime family.
Narrated by the title character, The Irishman’s a stark contrast to Scorsese’s earlier films of supposed romanticism of gangster movies. No ostentatious set-pieces and no classic whip-pans, it’s a different type of ode than we’re used to seeing.
In other words, it’s a more in-depth look into the aftermath of Frank Sheeran.
while iconic heavyweight actors Robert De Niro and Joe Pesci are sublime, for some odd reason there’s been a lot of commotion about the number of lines Anna Paquin has.
Reserved from a young age, Peggy’s afraid of her father. Even keeping her distance from him as well as with his cohorts.
Except for Teamster Union leader Jimmy Hoffa portrayed by Al Pacino, the two form a bond, and she seemingly comes to love Jimmy more than her father. For that reason, she’s crushed as an adult when she hears the news of Jimmy’s disappearance. Suspecting her father’s behind Jimmy’s murder, thus, causing Peggy to confront her dad.
Importantly the focus on the number of lines Paquin says shouldn’t take away from her powerful performance in that confrontational scene as Peggy, who silently seethes with rage.
Paquin’s skilled ability to say everything with a look is powerful. Without verbally expressing her anguish and pain, you’re able to see it in her face.
By the same token, where’s the outcry about Harvey Keitel’s character also being virtually silent?
Despite both Keitel and Paquin’s having a similarly nuanced approach, curiously, no one seems to bring up Keitel’s mostly silent role as Angelo Bruno.
Those angry or bothered with Scorsese’s film choices for not featuring more leading ladies or women only films have haunted him through the years. Despite giving us Alice Doesn’t Live Here Anymore and Age of Innocence.
Along with some complexly dynamic female characters like Sharon Stone in Casino, Lorraine Bracco in Goodfellas, and Cathy Moriarty in Raging Bull.
Conversely, I say this with respect since I’m a fan, we don’t need Martin Scorsese to direct a film geared or pandered to women just because we feel like he should. We shouldn’t cry for a male-directed movie about women.
So many other directors are far more problematic; however, Martin Scorsese isn’t one of them.
