Julie B. Evans

The Irishman was a very interesting movie, at times was a bit slow and felt a bit meandering. But, the acting was superb which made up for most of the slowness. The one thing I had issue with was Robert De Niro’s blue contacts they were done for effect; it gave him the coldness which I understand worked well for the character. You knew they weren’t real so I found it distracting. As far as the de-aging, it was more believable than some of the “aged” scenes. The use of gestures, facial expressions and looks and the use of silence were so impactful it spoke volumes without a sound. Pesci was in his element I would like to see him be nominated for his role in this movie. If I could use one word to describe this movie it would be haunting!

I read the reviews and wasn’t going to watch this movie. But, I was really surprised as Gugu Mbatha-Raw’s acting was outstanding. Her eyes expressed real believable emotions, you can’t fake. She is truly beautiful. I think the movie could have used a better script for the rest of the cast. Danny Glover was under utilized, as well as Minnie Driver. The guy that played the cop/boyfriend was a bit too stiff for my taste. The music was really good.

It’s good to see Eddie Murphy stretching his acting and comedic talents. He and the rest of the cast carried this movie up and up. Even though “black exploitation“ movies are a double edged sword. This movie stayed funny not campy and never used a joke for joke-sake and played it down the middle neither apologizing or trying to be “pc”. The costumes, hairstyles, and scenes were 70’s believable.