One way or another, the Irishman will make you cringe.
Frank worked hard and kept his head down. No complaints, even when the job was . . . unsavory. Once powerful men recognized this, Frank’s life changed forever.
Doing dirty work came to define his life, so the movie is mostly flashback to these moments.
It’s striking how Frank’s actions had lasting implications on labor and politics in the United States. But most striking, and at the heart of this movie, is heartlessness. Frank didn’t shed a tear for his victims. But will we? After seeing such actions again and again, they can begin to feel commonplace—even boring.