This Is What Guillermo Del Toro Really Thinks Of Netflix's 'The Irishman'

“The Irishman” has thus far been hailed as among the top contenders for 2020’s Best Picture. “The Irishman” has some strong movies to contend with for a potential nomination, yet one director seemingly considers it a masterpiece.

In a statement made to Variety, Guillermo del Toro gave his own review of the Martin Scorcese helmed filmed. Calling it “ascetic” and “the work of a master,” del Toro praised “The Irishman,” hailing it as the director’s “memento mori.”

Scorcese brings Robert de Niro and Joe Pesci back together to round out the film's cast and the film is a brutal take on the life of a mobster. De Niro plays Frank Sheeran, a hitman who reexamines his past as a mafia hitman in the crossroads of his life. Al Pacino also stars in the film as Jimmy Hoffa, marking Scorsese’s first time working with the actor.

“To forget, it is said, is the greatest pardon or the most ruthless punishment. In ‘The Irishman,’ Scorsese shows us that it is both,” explained del Toro. “Memory is not a shrine anymore: it’s a labyrinth and no one gets out alive.”

Del Toro also praised its motion in filming and the way Scorsese has infused the story with dialogue choices.

“Where in ‘GoodFellas’ or ‘Casino’ the camera roamed or craned — seeking, riffing — it now chronicles with mortified, deliberate distance,” said del Toro. “And the last scene preceding one of history’s most enduring puzzles is a petty argument about fish. In a similar vein, via flashback and flashforward, Scorsese shows us the ruthless gangster co-existing with his diminished, elderly self. Oblivion reigns supreme.”

Del Toro himself is a renowned Mexican filmmaker and writer, having worked on 2006’s “Pan’s Labyrinth,” as well as “Crimson Peak” and 2017’s “The Shape of Water,” which won four Oscars of its own.

“The Irishman” not only was named best film of 2019 by the National Board of Review but has also stolen the show with nominations from the London Critics’ Circle Film Awards, Critics Choice Awards and many more.