When you see a line-up that includes an actor few have probably every heard of (Ray Stevenson) in the main role, and has been actors like Vincent D'onofrio and Val Kilmer, you might be a little skeptical.
Don't be. "Kill the Irishman" is a fantastic film. You might say, well, it has Christopher Walken in it, and seeing as he is God, he probably carries the whole thing. Yes, Walken is indeed God, but he is only in like three or four scenes. Sure he is great in all of 'em, but those other guys I mentioned do a neat job, and the film was like a book that you couldn't put down. It grabbed your attention just like that.
"Irishman" tells the true story of Danny Greene, an Irish thug who became big stuff in the Cleveland mob scene during the 70s. If you didn't know that there ever was a mob scene in Cleveland, well, neither did I, but the industrial wasteland of the city served as a great back-drop for the story. Speaking of which, the story did at times bounce around so as to make it slightly confusing, but it wasn't too big a problem. Otherwise, it is pretty fascinating. Val Kilmer (sadly, he went the way of Seagal, he's a fat shit now), playing a detective in the CPD, narrates us through Danny Greene's exploits in Cleveland's crime scene, including run-ins with the Italian mob (Paul Sorvino makes an appearance in this picture, if you need an old Italian mobster who looks like he just eats pasta, meatballs, and Italian bread, Paul is your guy) and a Jewish gangster, played wonderfully by God-himself (see above). The movie had everything, some action, good acting, no hokey-lines that have become far too common in films nowadays, some nice dark-humor. The violence in the film was at times over the top, not grotesquely violent with blood squirting everywhere a la Tarantino, but nothing you could take all that seriously, which is I kind of like. You will have to see it to know what I mean. The only thing wrong with it was that Walken was, again, only in a few scenes. Hell, even the soundtrack was top-notch (I am a sucker for bagpipes though......).
And see it you should. A lot of movies out there today are crap. "Irishman" has only a modest rating of 7.1 on IMDB, while "Thor", the movie which made me come closest to performing self-immolation, has a 7.4. What, may I ask, in the hell is going on? Its enough to make one shake their head and just pop in their DVDs of "Saving Private Ryan" and the Jason Bourne trilogy to restore their faith. Well, "Kill the Irishman" flew under the radar, and it is a shame it did. I doubt it will get the attention it deserves. Well, its going to get it here.
Verdict: See it. Grade: A
If you liked this movie you might also like: potatoes, Bushmill's Whiskey,bagpipes, and directing ethnic slurs at fat Italian men.
Don't be. "Kill the Irishman" is a fantastic film. You might say, well, it has Christopher Walken in it, and seeing as he is God, he probably carries the whole thing. Yes, Walken is indeed God, but he is only in like three or four scenes. Sure he is great in all of 'em, but those other guys I mentioned do a neat job, and the film was like a book that you couldn't put down. It grabbed your attention just like that.
"Irishman" tells the true story of Danny Greene, an Irish thug who became big stuff in the Cleveland mob scene during the 70s. If you didn't know that there ever was a mob scene in Cleveland, well, neither did I, but the industrial wasteland of the city served as a great back-drop for the story. Speaking of which, the story did at times bounce around so as to make it slightly confusing, but it wasn't too big a problem. Otherwise, it is pretty fascinating. Val Kilmer (sadly, he went the way of Seagal, he's a fat shit now), playing a detective in the CPD, narrates us through Danny Greene's exploits in Cleveland's crime scene, including run-ins with the Italian mob (Paul Sorvino makes an appearance in this picture, if you need an old Italian mobster who looks like he just eats pasta, meatballs, and Italian bread, Paul is your guy) and a Jewish gangster, played wonderfully by God-himself (see above). The movie had everything, some action, good acting, no hokey-lines that have become far too common in films nowadays, some nice dark-humor. The violence in the film was at times over the top, not grotesquely violent with blood squirting everywhere a la Tarantino, but nothing you could take all that seriously, which is I kind of like. You will have to see it to know what I mean. The only thing wrong with it was that Walken was, again, only in a few scenes. Hell, even the soundtrack was top-notch (I am a sucker for bagpipes though......).
And see it you should. A lot of movies out there today are crap. "Irishman" has only a modest rating of 7.1 on IMDB, while "Thor", the movie which made me come closest to performing self-immolation, has a 7.4. What, may I ask, in the hell is going on? Its enough to make one shake their head and just pop in their DVDs of "Saving Private Ryan" and the Jason Bourne trilogy to restore their faith. Well, "Kill the Irishman" flew under the radar, and it is a shame it did. I doubt it will get the attention it deserves. Well, its going to get it here.
Verdict: See it. Grade: A
If you liked this movie you might also like: potatoes, Bushmill's Whiskey,bagpipes, and directing ethnic slurs at fat Italian men.
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