The Irishman on Netflix
Discussion
Nearly finished it.
It's not as compelling or urgent as Goodfellas or Casino. Certainly sumptuous but I don't feel my life has been massively enriched by it.
The de ageing is way better than I was expecting. Pacino you wouldn't know at all. De Niro had a few waxy moments. They all still move like old men though.
It's not as compelling or urgent as Goodfellas or Casino. Certainly sumptuous but I don't feel my life has been massively enriched by it.
The de ageing is way better than I was expecting. Pacino you wouldn't know at all. De Niro had a few waxy moments. They all still move like old men though.
I’ve been waiting a while to see this so when it was released yesterday I watched the whole thing. I enjoyed it. I’d say it’s a good film, not a great one, and the critics reviews all seem a bit too positive.
The story is fine but it’s nowhere near as involving as Goodfellas or Casino, though the film felt quite a bit shorter than the 3.5 hours it comes in at.
The CGI de-aging work is impressive overall but at plenty of points throughout the film, uncanny valley is an obvious issue. Something with DeNiro’s younger eyes just doesn’t seem right and often throws you off. The biggest problem is they all walk, fight and move like men in their 70s and not in their 30s. For example, DeNiro bearing up the shop owner was really unbelievable. It’s a big problem and it’s a shame as no matter how good the facial work is, everything from the neck down didn’t work.
Some great acting though and it’s good to see Joe Pesci one more time.
I’d recommend watching it but not believing too much of the hype beforehand.
The story is fine but it’s nowhere near as involving as Goodfellas or Casino, though the film felt quite a bit shorter than the 3.5 hours it comes in at.
The CGI de-aging work is impressive overall but at plenty of points throughout the film, uncanny valley is an obvious issue. Something with DeNiro’s younger eyes just doesn’t seem right and often throws you off. The biggest problem is they all walk, fight and move like men in their 70s and not in their 30s. For example, DeNiro bearing up the shop owner was really unbelievable. It’s a big problem and it’s a shame as no matter how good the facial work is, everything from the neck down didn’t work.
Some great acting though and it’s good to see Joe Pesci one more time.
I’d recommend watching it but not believing too much of the hype beforehand.
Dick Dastardly said:
For example, DeNiro bearing up the shop owner was really unbelievable. It’s a big problem and it’s a shame as no matter how good the facial work is, everything from the neck down didn’t work.
Aye. That was awful. It looked like a run through or senile pro wrestling match. I would've drafted in a younger body for that. I really enjoyed it, didn't seem too long until the very end.
The story was very good, I think having a bit of knowledge about recent American history probably helps. I was watching with one of my mates who wasn't really aware who Jimmy Hoffa was, or indeed that he was 'missing'. I might have slightly spoiled the ending for him, or maybe not.
Acting was great, the main cast are obviously well-known, but it was also a who's-who of supporting actors from Casino / Goodfellas, The Soporanos and Netflix.
It's not Goodfellas 2, yeah the American Mafia feature heavily and it's a crime drama, but it's more story lead, lots of violence happens off-screen or between scenes, it's more of a Docudrama.
As for the deaging thing... well the worst part about it, is it's become a big 'thing', they're using it as part of their promo for the film when if downplayed it, you'd notice it less. Really a film like this doesn't need a special effect hook, it stands alone.
It's obvious when they were making it, they used it because they wanted to make a film that spanned 40+ years without resorting to switching actors, using body doubles or using lots of suspect make-up, rather than making some fantastical visual thing like say Cameron did with 3D on Avatar.
Does it work? Well... in the earliest flash-back he's in the Army between 21 and 24, and soon after so 25-30ish this is where the CGI is most obvious and he looks a least 40 facially. I read and heard a lot of reviewers saying about how his face looked younger but he moved like an old man, I wondered if they were being overly critical, just because it's the obvious question that needs to be answered because they're talking about it so much, but no. The bulk of the film happens when Frank is in his 30s and 40s but he shuffles around, the walk is one thing - they try to explain that as Frank apparently had arthritis in his legs that started in WW2, but it his shoulders / neck really. He reminded me of my Granddad in later life, he was a big hulking ex-boxer and ex-dry dock welder, but stiff as a board.
Maybe it would have been better to use an Actor in his 30s or 40s, easy enough to shave off a decade for the flash-backs, it's been done for years and I fancy easily to make actors look older than younger... maybe. But I can't think of any actors off-hand who could portray them as well as these old boys did.They're all too pretty these days.
The story was very good, I think having a bit of knowledge about recent American history probably helps. I was watching with one of my mates who wasn't really aware who Jimmy Hoffa was, or indeed that he was 'missing'. I might have slightly spoiled the ending for him, or maybe not.
Acting was great, the main cast are obviously well-known, but it was also a who's-who of supporting actors from Casino / Goodfellas, The Soporanos and Netflix.
It's not Goodfellas 2, yeah the American Mafia feature heavily and it's a crime drama, but it's more story lead, lots of violence happens off-screen or between scenes, it's more of a Docudrama.
As for the deaging thing... well the worst part about it, is it's become a big 'thing', they're using it as part of their promo for the film when if downplayed it, you'd notice it less. Really a film like this doesn't need a special effect hook, it stands alone.
It's obvious when they were making it, they used it because they wanted to make a film that spanned 40+ years without resorting to switching actors, using body doubles or using lots of suspect make-up, rather than making some fantastical visual thing like say Cameron did with 3D on Avatar.
Does it work? Well... in the earliest flash-back he's in the Army between 21 and 24, and soon after so 25-30ish this is where the CGI is most obvious and he looks a least 40 facially. I read and heard a lot of reviewers saying about how his face looked younger but he moved like an old man, I wondered if they were being overly critical, just because it's the obvious question that needs to be answered because they're talking about it so much, but no. The bulk of the film happens when Frank is in his 30s and 40s but he shuffles around, the walk is one thing - they try to explain that as Frank apparently had arthritis in his legs that started in WW2, but it his shoulders / neck really. He reminded me of my Granddad in later life, he was a big hulking ex-boxer and ex-dry dock welder, but stiff as a board.
Maybe it would have been better to use an Actor in his 30s or 40s, easy enough to shave off a decade for the flash-backs, it's been done for years and I fancy easily to make actors look older than younger... maybe. But I can't think of any actors off-hand who could portray them as well as these old boys did.They're all too pretty these days.
bloomen said:
Dick Dastardly said:
For example, DeNiro bearing up the shop owner was really unbelievable. It’s a big problem and it’s a shame as no matter how good the facial work is, everything from the neck down didn’t work.
Aye. That was awful. It looked like a run through or senile pro wrestling match. I would've drafted in a younger body for that. I want sure if the younger deniro was supposed to have a limp or some kind of disability.
It seems the de aging added tens of millions to the budget. Gluing a face on some randy young buck would've been a minor addition i would've thought.
Film is forever and quite a few clunkers are being dropped at present. I rewatched rogue one the other day and virtual Peter Cushing is verry distracting and much worse than I remember.
Film is forever and quite a few clunkers are being dropped at present. I rewatched rogue one the other day and virtual Peter Cushing is verry distracting and much worse than I remember.
Edited by bloomen on Friday 29th November 13:16
bloomen said:
It seems the de aging added tens of millions to the budget. Gluing a face on some randy young buck would've been a minor addition i would've thought.
Film is forever and quite a few clunkers are being dropped at present. I rewatched rogue one the other day and virtual Peter Cushing is verry distracting and much worse than I remember.
As mentioned above with the uncanny valley effect. Technology is at an interesting stage where these effects look realistic but not quite enough. It’s very disturbing. The same happened in cartoons where people find it’s better to make characters look less human or lifelike as it’s less unsettling for the viewer/user. Film is forever and quite a few clunkers are being dropped at present. I rewatched rogue one the other day and virtual Peter Cushing is verry distracting and much worse than I remember.
Edited by bloomen on Friday 29th November 13:16
Maybe in the future technology will advance enough that it will be impossible to tell and this in between stage we’re in now will be looked back on fondly like we look back on dodgy 50s Godzilla models.
king creepy!El stovey said:
As mentioned above with the uncanny valley effect. Technology is at an interesting stage where these effects look realistic but not quite enough. It’s very disturbing. The same happened in cartoons where people find it’s better to make characters look less human or lifelike as it’s less unsettling for the viewer/user.
Maybe in the future technology will advance enough that it will be impossible to tell and this in between stage we’re in now will be looked back on fondly like we look back on dodgy 50s Godzilla models.
Being imperceptible can't be too far off now but it does mar this film a little. I would've been aiming for timelessness particularly for a film like this so would've chosen full organic which I guess means other actors for the younger bits. Maybe in the future technology will advance enough that it will be impossible to tell and this in between stage we’re in now will be looked back on fondly like we look back on dodgy 50s Godzilla models.
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