Martin Scorsese Praises Robert De Niro, Al Pacino For 'Magical' Acting

Martin Scorsese has praised actors Robert De Niro and Al Pacino for their acting skills in the upcoming movie “The Irishman.” The Academy Award-winning director also revealed that every time these actors appear together on the screen, something “magical” happens.

Speaking at the American Film Institute Fest (AFI), the 77-year-old filmmaker noted that it was De Niro who recommended Pacino’s name for the project and now believes that casting the esteemed actor is the best decision he could have made for the movie.

Scorsese further stated that De Niro has an amazing relationship with the “Scarface” star and knows how talented he is. De Niro trusts him and the audience will see that in the film. The “Wolf of Wall Street” helmer also noted that the movie highlights their “relationship as actors” and as “friends” over the past 44 years.

“There’s something magical that happens there,” Scorsese said.

The “Raging Bull” director also confessed that De Niro and he decided not to do any film together unless the two could explore the stories they collaborated for “on a deeper level.”

On the other hand, there have been a lot of discussions of “The Irishman” releasing on a streaming service like Netflix. Many believe that the movie should have gotten a wider theatrical release, so that they can witness the magic of Scorsese on the big screen.

But the filmmaker recently defended the decision to collaborate with the streaming service for the release of the film, because he believes that it was the only platform brave enough to take a risk on his project.

Scorsese was present at the event to promote “The Irishman.” The movie has already generated a lot of buzz around the world after having its premiere at the 57th New York Film Festival. It has already been labeled as Scorsese’s best work in recent times.

The film has also garnered universal acclaim and currently has a 96 percent score on review site Rotten Tomatoes. The critics have highlighted the performances of De Niro and Pacino as extraordinary.

The “Scent of a Woman” star has already received the Hollywood Supporting Actor Award for his performance as Jimmy Hoffa in Scorsese’s epic gangster movie and is considered to be one of the top contenders for a Best Supporting Actor nod at the 92nd Academy Awards.

The film will be streaming live on Netflix on Nov. 27, 2019.