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The Irishman review: Scorsese, De Niro, Pacino and Pesci are foes reunited in de-aged mob epic

Robert De Niro is a – slightly dead-eyed – whippersnapper once more in this exquisitely made, decades-spanning passion project bankrolled by Netflix

For an auteur whose work has often been bridled by commercially-minded studio executives, Netflix offers something close to total creative control, a seductive if dangerous proposition. It’s how the streaming behemoth lured everyone from Alfonso Cuarón to Steven Soderbergh to the Coen brothers and it’s partly how ultimate get Martin Scorsese was gotten. Originally set at Paramount, his ambitious, decades-spanning, fact-based crime drama The Irishman was deemed too financially excessive, its budget spinning out to more than $150m. But with the ability to not only bankroll but to remove any fears of box office failure, Netflix welcomed Scorsese with open arms and a gaping chequebook.

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