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The Irishman: Scorsese Contemplates a
Life of Crime in Decades’ Time
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Morgan Rojas
By Morgan Rojas for cinemacy.com
At 3 hours and 29 minutes long, with an
estimated $159 million budget, and boasting a
legendary cast led by one of the greatest living
directors of all time, the epic nature of Martin
Scorsese’s latest film, The Irishman, is nearly
unfathomable. Quite literally, it’s a film with
the scope and ambition of being a masterpiece.
Scorsese’s mob saga is a tour-de-force that
leaps through decades to tell a story that is
cinematically brilliant and, surprisingly, one
of his most emotionally introspective films.
The Irishman, inspired by true events, is
told through the point of view of the film’s
protagonist, Frank Sheeran (Robert De Niro).
Confined to a nursing home and facing his
mortality, Frank begins to recount his life’s
story, which Scorsese shows through an
expertly intercut series of flashbacks. Starting
with Frank’s earliest days, we see him driving
trucks as a typical blue-collar worker. After
unexpectedly linking up with crime lord Russell
Bufalino (Joe Pesci) and delivering on personal
“jobs” for the mobster, Frank finds himself in
his inner circle, quickly climbing the ranks
from family man to hitman.
Loyalty and discretion – the traits Bufalino
admires so dearly in Frank – are also precisely the
traits that union boss Jimmy Hoffa (Al Pacino),
President of the International Brotherhood of
Teamsters, is looking for in a right-hand man.
The hot-tempered and theatrical Hoffa and
the cool and collected Frank are on opposite
sides of the “composure” spectrum, yet they
take to each other instantly and build trust as
the years go by. However, good times in the
world of organized crime don’t last long, and
the organization’s corrupt inner workings, shady
political connections and dangerous rivalries
continue to keep Frank and Hoffa on edge, all
leading to the infamously unsolved mystery of
Hoffa’s disappearance.
While the film evokes all of the incredible
period-piece imagery and superb direction that
audiences have come to love and expect from
Scorsese, The Irishman is also surprisingly
introspective, as he examines death and
isolation in a closer way than ever before. Of
course, plenty of humor is incorporated into
the script – which is fantastically acted through
further performances by Harvey Keitel and Ray
Romano – but it’s the film’s quieter moments
that make it so unique. De Niro’s performance
– or performances, plural, as he plays Frank
through many years of his life with the help
of CGI facial mapping – is sublime.
For Netflix, The Irishman is last year’s Roma:
a big-budget picture helmed by one of the most
respected artists of our time, and at the moment
an obvious frontrunner for nominations across
the board come awards season. If you’re able
to see The Irishman in theaters this weekend,
I highly recommend it. On the big screen, it’s
much easier to immerse yourself into the film
for its entire duration (I fear an at-home Netflix
watch, which will be available Nov. 27, will
lead many to pause the film and interrupt the
experience). But either way, Scorsese’s latest
is undoubtedly among his best and deserves
to be seen in any way possible. •
Reviewed by Kristen Morrell,
Youth Services Librarian, El Segundo
Public Library
Two Problems for Sophia is a sequel
to One Word from Sophia in The Sophia
Books series written by Jim Averbeck and
illustrated by Yasmeen Ismail. In this book,
Sophia has her One True Desire, her very
own pet giraffe named Noodle! Sophia is
surprised that having a pet giraffe is a little
more complicated than she anticipated. She
defines Noodle’s two main problem areas:
his tongue and his snoring.
Sophia’s grandma, known as Grand-mamá,
happens to be one of Noodle’s favorite
people. However the feeling is not mutual.
Grand-mamá, does not enjoy receiving
sloppy kisses from Noodle’s long, wet
tongue. The biggest problem in the family,
though, seems to be Noodle’s snoring. It is
difficult for anyone to get any sleep when
Noodle sleeps because of his incredibly
loud snoring. One morning, Sophia’s
mother orders her to find a perdurable solution
to Noodle’s problems. Sophia must
do everything she can to stop Noodle from
being sent back to where he came from, as
Grand- mamá suggests.
Sophia then begins her journey to design a
snoring solution for Noodle. She begins with
research and consults with Ms. Canticle, an
Entertainment
Check It Out
Two Problems for Sophia by Jim Averbeck.
Film Review
The Irishman, Courtesy of Netflix
Two Problems for Sophia by Jim Averbeck
and Illustrated by Yasmeen Ismail
acoustical engineer, who offers an explanation
and potential solution to improve his condition.
Sophia is unsuccessful in her first
attempt to eliminate Noodle’s snoring, so she
calls Ms. Canticle once more. She works on
prototypes, draws up a blueprint, and gathers
the right supplies from her family to come
up with a new sleeping mask for Noodle.
You’ll have to check out this book from the
library yourself to see if Sophia’s creation
ends up being the permanent solution her
parents ordered!
I thought this book did a wonderful job
of introducing new vocabulary to children,
especially those interested in science. I also
appreciated the inclusive nature of this book,
which includes Sophia’s multigenerational
and diverse family. Children will appreciate
Sophia’s imagination and wish they too
could have their own pet giraffe after reading
this book! To check out Two Problems for
Sophia, or to browse more picture books
for kids, please visit the library to apply for
your free library card. For more young reader
picks and staff favorites, stop by our Youth
Services Desk. Our friendly Youth Services
Librarians would love to help you find your
next great read. •
Kristen Morell
el segundo
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