Russell and Peggie's relationship in the film was a high point for me, it's what I remember the most. He really wanted to be liked by her but she saw him as cold. But she loved being around Jimmy Hoffa.
I’d agree if it wasnt instantly followed up by Russ manipulating Frank into making Jimmy comply in one way or the other. “Look how strong I made you. Now you gotta do something for me in return.”
It was good to see Pesci, DeNiro, and Pacino get together with Scorecese for one last mob movie. Yeah, the story was fiction but Goodfellas and Casino took a lot of liberties with the narrative.
"Goodfellas and Casino took a lot of liberties with the narrative." Nope. They're taken right out of Nick Peleggi's books almost verbatim, no liberties taken. Do you know Pileggi's books? Take a look.
@@ericmalone3213 There are absolutely liberties taken with both those films. In real life Karen actually had an affair with Paulie and Tommy actually attempted to rape Karen while Henry was in prison (fact check this if you like, it’s true). Never once mentioned or even alluded to in the movie. Even the character’s names were different in the movies (I’m sure for legal reasons). Fantastic movies and incredible real life stories but there are definitely major differences between the books/real life and the movies, as is the case with any movie “based on real events”
@@jarredanderson207 Scorsese extracted certain scenes from Nick Peleggi's books. If you read the books, you can see how Scorsese made his selections as to what would work best on the screen. Yes, I know about the facts you mention. There are also a number of other facts and details in the books that didn't get onto the screen. What did make it to the screen was almost verbatim extracted from Peleggi's books. Of course they'd have to change the names, that rather goes without saying, don't you think? If you read Vladimir Arseniev's Dursu Uzala, and then see the Kurosawa film, it's very much like what Scorsese did in Goodfellas and Casino. Kurosawa extracted certain passages from the book and put them on the screen, pretty much verbatim. If he'd done the whole book, the film would have been eight hours long. Likewise, Scorsese had to omit a lot from Pileggi's books, but what ended up in the film was very much right off the pages, so in that respect, a lot of liberties weren't taken. Scorsese would have ended up with 5 or 6 hour films if he'd tried to include everything in the books. Peleggi was perfectly fine with the films' omissions, because his book sales increased after those films came out. CHEERS
@@ericmalone3213 Scorsese’s films are definitely more accurate than most films about real life events (probably the best in my opinion), but I still have to say, after reading the books and watching documentaries about the true stories, there are definitely still in-discrepancies in the movies. Joe Pesci’s character Tommy Desimone was never actually found after having been killed in real life, yet the voice over in the movie talks about his mom not being able to give him an open casket (and side note, it’s actually believed that John Gotti killed Tommy, because he was close friends with Billy). Tommy and Henry never actually grew up together as well, Henry met him in his early 20’s. The Billy Batt’s hit wasn’t a spontaneous murder that happened the night he insulted Tommy, that was actually a planned hit that took place a few weeks after Billy insulted him. Casino’s actually a lot more faithful to reality than Goodfellas, but even still, not verbatim. Lefty Rosenthal (Ace) was quoted saying he would never dress the way De Niro did in the film. That being said both films are incredible, some of the best ever made, and when making a movie about real events it makes a lot of sense to alter certain facts so the movie has better pacing and grabs audiences more. SALUT!
I wouldn't say that at all, far from it. Hot headed Pesci in the previous two films would kill some random person who wasn't a threat to him just cuz he pissed them off, Pesci in The Irishman would just walk away and let it go if it isn't associated with mob business one way or another. Russell would have Tommy or Nicky in Goodfellas and Casino respectively wacked for being too hot headed and unprofessional.
@@Muskateering well it’s a different kind of scary. Tommy typically got pissed off and aggressive before killing someone (except spider) so you could sort of see it coming. Russell had Crazy Joe whacked simply for making a joke about wearing a pin for an American Italian pride organization, all it took was a look for Frank to know. Idk to me i guess it’s scarier when it’s subtle and not seen coming, that you’d have to be extra careful with Russell.
When you can convey to someone you want them killed from just a look. It explains why Pesci portrayed as calm and collective. You don’t have to be loud and abrasive. Man, Pesci stole the show
I agree with you. Joe Pesci as Rus Buffalino carried that movie imo. He was so fascinating to watch on screen. He was a character very much in control of his surroundings and worked hard but never looked like he was stressed out. He had an extremely calm demeanor which helped balance the movie out with Pacinos eccentric behavior and Frank’s happy go lucky personality.
Nice work tho I have to counter your assumption that Russell didn’t get along with children (based on his issues with Peggy in the film- I suspect that was a plot tool used by Scorsese to highlight the character himself). My mom lived a few blocks from Russell and Carrie when she was growing up and her best friend was a neighbor on the same street (Dawes Ave in Kingston PA). My mom and many neighborhood children spent lots of time at the Buffalino’s house watching television and eating candy etc. they had one of the first color televisions in the neighborhood and often had neighborhood kids over to share it and a bowl of jelly beans- likely because they didn’t have kids themselves they treated all the neighborhood kids as their own, so to speak. I recall during my childhood when Bufalino was going through his legal issues and I was becoming aware, my mom had nothing but love for him. In fact many locals adored him because despite the reality of the power and ruthlessness he had, he was always very good to the people he knew and did a lot for the local area (which was also devastated by a major flood in 1972). I suspect that most of those who knew he was the boss of the family didn’t realize just how much power he had in the national organization. My mom and dad actually attended the party thrown for him when he got out of jail and it was packed with a who’s who of the local area. He really was beloved locally by so many
@@altrogeruvah 100% true lol In fact my mom is adamant that I’ve actually met Russel and his wife tho I am equally adamant I didn’t. At least I have zero recollection of it and I do remember at least knowing of him at a fairly young age so I’m fairly certain I’m right and moms is wrong 😂
@@ianmcdonald2086 I would say probably a combination. His house and outward appearance was very modest. Tho he was the first to have color tv in his neighborhood and I’m sure he lived very well. He also evidently had other homes that may not have been so modest including Miami and Havana. I know he traveled a lot as well but if you just looked at him and how he lived locally he wasn’t showing off by any means. :)
Not gonna lie, at first, I was a little let down that Joe Pesci didn’t play Russell as a hothead, but looking back at it, Joe Pesci played the character well. He managed to balance being intimidating with being intelligent.
In many ways I found Russell to be a contrast with Hoffa in terms of how they are leaders. Where Hoffa is loud, abrasive, proud, flaunts his power, and takes things personally; Russel is the opposite. He is quiet, sublte, diplomatic, has power but is reserved with it, humble, and does not make things personal. I think its an amazing duality that highlights Pesci's acting.
How Pesci controlled his obvious penchant for violent outbursts when acting deserved an Oscar in self-control. A brilliant performance and another gem from Scorsese. More please Martin.
Thanks! And yeah I actually liked it a lot more the second time around. Also the Philly Mob world is really interesting. Valuetainment has an interview with Phil Leonetti who was in that world, and there are a lot of really interesting stories attached to the characters that we only get to see a little of in The Irishman. I’d highly recommend it.
@@LifeIsAStory saw that someone already mentioned it but the Bufalino family is not part of Philly. It’s centered in Pittston PA about 2 hrs north of PHL It’s allied w philly but more affiliated w the Genovese family in NYC. Some say that Russell was activist head of the Genovese family at one point as well.
Joe Pesci is a stand up guy in person, met him in Clifton once signed me a home alone 2 photo, I wished he was in more films but I’m glad this film had him in it
As far as Russell's icy relationship with Sheeran's one daughter, it isn't so much about his trouble with kids or getting along with them. Only the one daughter is highlighted even though Sheeran has four daughters (but the other 3 are treated as peripheral characters/not even after thoughts) because Sheeran shows her who he is when she was a kid by beating up a grocery store clerk in front of her and she recoiled from him and people like him thereafter. Maybe she sensed something sinister in Russell. But nowhere else in the film does it suggest that children don't like Russell, just Sheeran's one daughter Peggy doesn't. That's all.
@@jamallabarge2665 See I didn't know that. It's good to know now. Hollywood will always employ "artistic/dramatic license" at the drop of a hat and often not to make the story more interesting or factual but rather to drive an agenda/hidden message.
The other daughter, the blond one, also said that they wouldn't ask help to Frank because they know he was a monster. So Peggy and his sisters were pretty aware that both Russel and Frank were mean to others.
@@jamallabarge2665 in the movie it did though, and i have to agree in the context of the film, the OP is spot on, she saw the kind of man her father was being, and given that he was always around Russell and vice versa, she can only imagine "i bet this guy also beats up people if he feels like it" and it scared her, even if he was being nice
Russel is a mob boss yet he feels like a dad. I loved this role and Pesci did such a great job. He's usually high strung and emotional(Goodfellas and casino). Russel is by far Pescis best character
Hey, just want to compliment you on an insightful, eloquent, and well-constructed analysis of a superb performance by a great actor. I really enjoyed how you developed your argument. Spot-on and enjoyable.
I totally agree… his performance was absolutely amazing, and definitely stands out as one of his best portraying of a character. Pesci is an amazing artist!!!
It was seeing Pesci lose it in Casino with a pen, in Goodfellas with a gun. He's played the loose cannon, and the wild card capable.of anything. So when he stepped into this role, literally every character knows this too!
Did you see Pesci in Love Ranch with Helen Mirren or the small part he had in The Good Shepherd? It's nice that Pesci can pick and choose what parts/projects he wants to participate in.
@@vaclevsta my favorite part of his role in that movie is when Pesci says “youse people scare me, you make the big wars” and Damon replies “no we make the big wars into little wars”
This movie gave me hope that good movies can still be made.this was a fantastic movie and even though its 3 and a half hours long I have watched it I lost count on how many times lol. All these great actors.i forget his name the actor who played tony pro was great too
I also wanted Pesci to win the Oscar for that performance, for me it's the highlight of that movie. Pitt was a strong contender but I was genuinely surprised when he won instead of Pesci.
I agree. When I saw Pitt, he did well; but i felt like he was just p0laying the type of character that Brad Pitt usually plays. I would look at him and think that is Brad Pitt. When I saw Pesci, I didnt see Pesci. I saw Russel Buffalino. He was so against Pesci's usual type cast and he did it effortlessly.
Pitt was a worthy winner, the character in his film was very different, but he played an effortlessly cool and charismatic physical guy with an effortless cool and physical charisma. And Pesci played "old man who other old man are nervous around" fine too.
I was very surprised when he won. Pitt is a great actor, but Cliff isn't nearly as interesting or exciting to watch on screen as Pitt's characters in Moneyball, Inglorious Basterds, or Fight Club. Even Benjamin Button (underrated Fincher film in my opinion) was better. I remember watching the Irishman and being surprised by how well Pesci played the character. Russell is very different from Tommy DeVito and Nicky Santoro. He absolutely deserved the oscar, and if he lost, Al Pacino deserved one too just as much for Hoffa.
Right on about this character analysis....I truly love this movie, well made and super story.. The part with Russell presenting the ring was the best....
His main importance was the fact he was the Liaison to NY primarily the Genovese Crime Family with the Detroit Partnership! He was related through marriage to Detroit. He was ‘GodFather’ to his former Bosses son Joe Barbara Jr. Who also married into the Detroit Partnership so he literally had a legal and legitimate excuse to have intimate Family relationships with the Detroit Partnership Administration and would report back to NY what was coming outta Detroit.. that’s why he played such an important role in the Hoffa disappearance! Is because he was the middle man between the Detroit Partnership’s Administration and the Genovese… The Genovese had a guy named Anthony’Tony Gobbel’ Ricci that had a similar position to Russ did, but it was with the Chicago Outfit. The Feds actually have footage of the three Borgatas meeting in Bimini (Genovese, Outfit, Partnership) ruclips.net/video/bwdfNyPBPjA/видео.htmlsi=t6mK8js2Pl2licXZ
Being from NEPA (Pittston) Russell was known as a low key but highly influential guy being involved with NEPA mob and the Buffalo (Magaddino) crime family and also having a lot of influence with the Genovese family, he was known as a guy that would be called in to be a mediator when there was a conflict between different factions and his ruling was accepted as law
His main importance was the fact he was the Liaison to NY primarily the Genovese Crime Family with the Detroit Partnership! He was related through marriage to Detroit. He was ‘GodFather’ to his former Bosses son Joe Barbara Jr. Who also married into the Detroit Partnership so he literally had a legal and legitimate excuse to have intimate Family relationships with the Detroit Partnership Administration and would report back to NY what was coming outta Detroit.. that’s why he played such an important role in the Hoffa disappearance! Is because he was the middle man between the Detroit Partnership’s Administration and the Genovese… The Genovese had a guy named Anthony’Tony Gobbel’ Ricci that had a similar position to Russ did, but it was with the Chicago Outfit. The Feds actually have footage of the three Borgatas meeting in Bimini (Genovese, Outfit, Partnership)
Another excellent Joe Pesci performance, of many was his role as a photographer in The Public Eye. Not a great film, but his performance is wonderful and contrasts well to his other roles. Well worth a look if you’re a fan.
I'm ashamed to admit that I didn't like this film the first time I saw it. I'm indebted to your analysis for spurring me to watch it again. I now count myself amongst its staunchest admirers. Thank you.
The only man who could stand out in a cast with DeNiro and Pacino. And even more difficult job to stand out without over acting or exaggerated performance. Well balanced character and you KNEW he was a boss
The reason why Peggy did not like Russ is because not only could she sense evil...but she pinpointed how her father started to change for the worst when he started to spend time with Russ...
The knowing look that Russell Buffalino (Pesci) gives to Robert Deniro’s Frank Sheerhan when “Crazy Joe” Gallo (Sebastian Maniscalco) disrespects him in the bar… EPIC! At that moment, everyone knew he was a DEAD MAN!
I absolutely appreciate your deep breakdown of this Good Fellas sequel because to be fair, I'm not intelligent enough to get it all the first several to seven times through. So when you become the analyst, I get to enjoy this film .. even .. more.
The courtyard scene; a fantastic piece of acting.Rates along with Brando‘s taxi cab scene and Godfather‘s garden scene as the most memorable ones in the history of films.
I'm proud to say my family was close friends with the bufalino family. I didn't know them. Apparently I met a man named Louie who ran a barber shop in my city of Pittston Pennsylvania where Russel ran his empire out of. He was from west Pittston.
The look Russell gives Frank when Crazy Joe Gallo disrespects Russell and Frank sits back down at the table should have gotten him the Oscar alone. He said everything without saying a single word.
Pesci was amazing. When he was telling De Niro to kill his friend in a breakfast scene I was astounded. Although, Cliff Booth was unforgettable to me - I kept thinking about that character for several days after. Tarantino is master in creating memorable secondary characters.
@@benlawson5939 I was talking about Cliff Booth from Once upon a time...in Hollywood, directed by Tarantino. If not for him, Pesci would have gotten the oscar that year of 2019 for supporting actor.
Feel like you’ve revealed to me the puzzle piece I was missing in De Niro’s character. By the end of the Irishman the one fatal flaw for me was Frank, I hated him, thought he was just a sheep who flaunted his entire life for a career in murder only to come to that realisation in the final shot of the film. However I’m starting to see the core of his character, his interactions and the dynamic between him and Pesci, but honestly I’m in need for a rewatch to fully understand it’s significance
That was definitely not Frank. At the end of his years, he started going to church and tried making up with his daughters. He became bloated from drinking too much after Jimmy Hoffa’s death and wanted to finally get all the weight and sadness off his chest when he told Charles Brandt he wanted to write the book. Frank felt horrible about what happened, and it was the only reason he decided to write the book and confess, similar to John Francis The Redhead, who in his final years fessed up as he knew he was about to die and wanted to make peace.
Brad Pitt is the lead in 3 of my favorite movies and he might be my favorite actor, Pesci deserved to win an award for his role. That was a nuanced role full of symbolism and depth and he killed it. So good.
Pesci's performance reminds us that even mob bosses are people. Most of what people think they know is based on tv or movies. But these mob bosses were also husbands, fathers, brothers, and children. Many of them "born into the life" as Pesci's character was. It is this aspect of Pesci's acting that makes this role stand out imo. Pacino and Dezero both played caricatures of the people their role was based on, but Pesci became Buffalino in a way those lesser actors never can. In the end, we learn that the greatest of the "mob actors" is Pesci and we never suspected it.
This is a great video. All my friends always say hes boring, and is old. They dont get it when i say hes the only one with the right mentality. This is a great video to send them.
1:41 believe it or not, they undersell his control. In real life, he was ABOVE the commission and they answered to him. He also didn’t die in prison. He got out and died at home with his wife at the age of 99.
The thing about Peggy, I really didn't see that she disliked Buffalino for any other reason than she didn't like her Dad, and, he was her dad's friend/associate. So it didn't make sense that she liked Hoffa. Their approach toward Peggy was NOT that different. Hoffa's personality was different, YES, however, that should NOT have made all the difference in the world to her. She wasn't THAT young to not understand ANYTHING. What was SO terrible about Buffalino's way of interacting with her? Their behavior toward her was not NIGHT and DAY different. Her reaction toward THEM, WAS!
@@Jefe_De_Jefes ....That is the thing, WHY? If the movie was accurate, wtf was wrong with Buffalino? No one who knew him said that he was anything but a calm, cool, generally nice guy.
I have a minor correction for you the first meeting with bruno where he has to confess he was doing in Delaware he didn't destroy the business yet, he was picked up on his way too.
I think the scene that made me intimidated of Russell was probably when he told Frank about killing Hoffa in one sentence, “We did all we could for the man…”
Joe Pesci is in that movie absolutely brilliant , brilliant. If that is not for Academy award (support role) then , I don't know what is. Brilliant. Also , Al Pacino , the energy and the actor's technique he put into the film, into Hoffa role, is also something amazing. I watch The Irishman already 5 times, and intend to watch another 10 times. Brilliant.
Russell and Peggie's relationship in the film was a high point for me, it's what I remember the most. He really wanted to be liked by her but she saw him as cold. But she loved being around Jimmy Hoffa.
Agreed. It's fitting that Jimmy's disappearance is what ends their relationship.
@@frankbloom6650lol
Saw him as cold? He tried to be close to her...
When he gives him the ring and days "Look how strong I made you." That part always gives me a really warm feeling.
I’d agree if it wasnt instantly followed up by Russ manipulating Frank into making Jimmy comply in one way or the other.
“Look how strong I made you. Now you gotta do something for me in return.”
nobody can f*ck with you"
It was good to see Pesci, DeNiro, and Pacino get together with Scorecese for one last mob movie. Yeah, the story was fiction but Goodfellas and Casino took a lot of liberties with the narrative.
For sure! It was a fitting end to this type of film, especially when comparing it to Goodfellas.
"Goodfellas and Casino took a lot of liberties with the narrative." Nope. They're taken right out of Nick Peleggi's books almost verbatim, no liberties taken. Do you know Pileggi's books? Take a look.
@@ericmalone3213 There are absolutely liberties taken with both those films. In real life Karen actually had an affair with Paulie and Tommy actually attempted to rape Karen while Henry was in prison (fact check this if you like, it’s true). Never once mentioned or even alluded to in the movie. Even the character’s names were different in the movies (I’m sure for legal reasons). Fantastic movies and incredible real life stories but there are definitely major differences between the books/real life and the movies, as is the case with any movie “based on real events”
@@jarredanderson207 Scorsese extracted certain scenes from Nick Peleggi's books. If you read the books, you can see how Scorsese made his selections as to what would work best on the screen. Yes, I know about the facts you mention. There are also a number of other facts and details in the books that didn't get onto the screen. What did make it to the screen was almost verbatim extracted from Peleggi's books. Of course they'd have to change the names, that rather goes without saying, don't you think? If you read Vladimir Arseniev's Dursu Uzala, and then see the Kurosawa film, it's very much like what Scorsese did in Goodfellas and Casino. Kurosawa extracted certain passages from the book and put them on the screen, pretty much verbatim. If he'd done the whole book, the film would have been eight hours long. Likewise, Scorsese had to omit a lot from Pileggi's books, but what ended up in the film was very much right off the pages, so in that respect, a lot of liberties weren't taken. Scorsese would have ended up with 5 or 6 hour films if he'd tried to include everything in the books. Peleggi was perfectly fine with the films' omissions, because his book sales increased after those films came out. CHEERS
@@ericmalone3213 Scorsese’s films are definitely more accurate than most films about real life events (probably the best in my opinion), but I still have to say, after reading the books and watching documentaries about the true stories, there are definitely still in-discrepancies in the movies. Joe Pesci’s character Tommy Desimone was never actually found after having been killed in real life, yet the voice over in the movie talks about his mom not being able to give him an open casket (and side note, it’s actually believed that John Gotti killed Tommy, because he was close friends with Billy). Tommy and Henry never actually grew up together as well, Henry met him in his early 20’s. The Billy Batt’s hit wasn’t a spontaneous murder that happened the night he insulted Tommy, that was actually a planned hit that took place a few weeks after Billy insulted him. Casino’s actually a lot more faithful to reality than Goodfellas, but even still, not verbatim. Lefty Rosenthal (Ace) was quoted saying he would never dress the way De Niro did in the film. That being said both films are incredible, some of the best ever made, and when making a movie about real events it makes a lot of sense to alter certain facts so the movie has better pacing and grabs audiences more. SALUT!
I think Pesci is even scarier as the calm, cool, and collected Russell than the impulsive, violent, and brutal Tommy from Goodfellas
I think that was the point
I wouldn't say that at all, far from it. Hot headed Pesci in the previous two films would kill some random person who wasn't a threat to him just cuz he pissed them off, Pesci in The Irishman would just walk away and let it go if it isn't associated with mob business one way or another. Russell would have Tommy or Nicky in Goodfellas and Casino respectively wacked for being too hot headed and unprofessional.
@@Muskateering well it’s a different kind of scary. Tommy typically got pissed off and aggressive before killing someone (except spider) so you could sort of see it coming. Russell had Crazy Joe whacked simply for making a joke about wearing a pin for an American Italian pride organization, all it took was a look for Frank to know. Idk to me i guess it’s scarier when it’s subtle and not seen coming, that you’d have to be extra careful with Russell.
i dunnno man, impulsive Tommy killed a dude with a pen.
When you can convey to someone you want them killed from just a look. It explains why Pesci portrayed as calm and collective. You don’t have to be loud and abrasive. Man, Pesci stole the show
Joe Pesci really blew it out of the park. This is the best acting of his whole career. Absolute 180 of the usual mobster roles he always plays.
I was blown away by Pesci's performance. In a role with giants like DeNiro and Pacino, Pesci was able to stand out.
Pesci is a giant himself
Sigma Legend
@@lukabusljeta98 Exactly. Don't know how anyone can see Pesci as some third wheel when in fact he's just as important in this genre
Pesci is phenomenal on camera. He’s underrated and deserved more to really show that
He came back from retirement, and still brad pitt won the oscar... I was very disappointed
The movie was ignored as vengence for the netflix success in the face of cinemas dying. My theory
Honestly. Brad Pitt plays the same type of character in every movie, some good looking badass guy like how is that Oscar worthy
@@pilotstyle123 yeah i think that too
Which suggests the political nature of the Oscar Awards.
This is Hollywood - what did Brad Pitt sell out on to get his Oscar?
@@jamallabarge2665 lol where u getting at
I agree with you. Joe Pesci as Rus Buffalino carried that movie imo. He was so fascinating to watch on screen. He was a character very much in control of his surroundings and worked hard but never looked like he was stressed out. He had an extremely calm demeanor which helped balance the movie out with Pacinos eccentric behavior and Frank’s happy go lucky personality.
I thought Pacino was great and i loved Everybody loves Raymond as the Lawyer. He waa excellent.
Pesci did deserve the Oscar and agree this was his greatest performance.
They gave it to brad pitt for the stupid character and for a f***" stupid movie .
Indeed! That single shot made Pesci look larger than life.
Pesci did a very good impression of Bufalino, known as "the quiet Don".
Nice work tho I have to counter your assumption that Russell didn’t get along with children (based on his issues with Peggy in the film- I suspect that was a plot tool used by Scorsese to highlight the character himself).
My mom lived a few blocks from Russell and Carrie when she was growing up and her best friend was a neighbor on the same street (Dawes Ave in Kingston PA).
My mom and many neighborhood children spent lots of time at the Buffalino’s house watching television and eating candy etc. they had one of the first color televisions in the neighborhood and often had neighborhood kids over to share it and a bowl of jelly beans- likely because they didn’t have kids themselves they treated all the neighborhood kids as their own, so to speak.
I recall during my childhood when Bufalino was going through his legal issues and I was becoming aware, my mom had nothing but love for him. In fact many locals adored him because despite the reality of the power and ruthlessness he had, he was always very good to the people he knew and did a lot for the local area (which was also devastated by a major flood in 1972). I suspect that most of those who knew he was the boss of the family didn’t realize just how much power he had in the national organization.
My mom and dad actually attended the party thrown for him when he got out of jail and it was packed with a who’s who of the local area. He really was beloved locally by so many
That's a very interesting story, if that's true
@@altrogeruvah 100% true lol
In fact my mom is adamant that I’ve actually met Russel and his wife tho I am equally adamant I didn’t. At least I have zero recollection of it and I do remember at least knowing of him at a fairly young age so I’m fairly certain I’m right and moms is wrong 😂
Would you say they lived modestly, lavishly, or something in between?
@@ianmcdonald2086 I would say probably a combination. His house and outward appearance was very modest. Tho he was the first to have color tv in his neighborhood and I’m sure he lived very well. He also evidently had other homes that may not have been so modest including Miami and Havana. I know he traveled a lot as well but if you just looked at him and how he lived locally he wasn’t showing off by any means. :)
That’s an interesting story.
Not gonna lie, at first, I was a little let down that Joe Pesci didn’t play Russell as a hothead, but looking back at it, Joe Pesci played the character well. He managed to balance being intimidating with being intelligent.
In many ways I found Russell to be a contrast with Hoffa in terms of how they are leaders. Where Hoffa is loud, abrasive, proud, flaunts his power, and takes things personally; Russel is the opposite. He is quiet, sublte, diplomatic, has power but is reserved with it, humble, and does not make things personal. I think its an amazing duality that highlights Pesci's acting.
How Pesci controlled his obvious penchant for violent outbursts when acting deserved an Oscar in self-control. A brilliant performance and another gem from Scorsese. More please Martin.
He came out of retirement and stole the show! Yet again.... and he could easily do it again. So well done, Joe!!
Very good video!! Thanks!!
This is a fantistic character analysis! I'm glad people are still talking about the film after 2 years now. It really is a great movie.
Thanks! And yeah I actually liked it a lot more the second time around. Also the Philly Mob world is really interesting. Valuetainment has an interview with Phil Leonetti who was in that world, and there are a lot of really interesting stories attached to the characters that we only get to see a little of in The Irishman. I’d highly recommend it.
@@LifeIsAStory Yes I’ve seen all of them, including the ones with Michael Franzese, Sammy the Bull, Ori Spado and many others...
@@LifeIsAStory saw that someone already mentioned it but the Bufalino family is not part of Philly. It’s centered in Pittston PA about 2 hrs north of PHL
It’s allied w philly but more affiliated w the Genovese family in NYC. Some say that Russell was activist head of the Genovese family at one point as well.
Joe Pesci is a stand up guy in person, met him in Clifton once signed me a home alone 2 photo, I wished he was in more films but I’m glad this film had him in it
As far as Russell's icy relationship with Sheeran's one daughter, it isn't so much about his trouble with kids or getting along with them. Only the one daughter is highlighted even though Sheeran has four daughters (but the other 3 are treated as peripheral characters/not even after thoughts) because Sheeran shows her who he is when she was a kid by beating up a grocery store clerk in front of her and she recoiled from him and people like him thereafter. Maybe she sensed something sinister in Russell. But nowhere else in the film does it suggest that children don't like Russell, just Sheeran's one daughter Peggy doesn't. That's all.
The Grocery store beating never happened.
According to Frank, she left his life because she suspected that he murdered Jimmy HOffa.
@@jamallabarge2665 See I didn't know that. It's good to know now. Hollywood will always employ "artistic/dramatic license" at the drop of a hat and often not to make the story more interesting or factual but rather to drive an agenda/hidden message.
@@ChickenChowMein77 There are always people who want to change the world. Too many of them live in Hollywood.
The other daughter, the blond one, also said that they wouldn't ask help to Frank because they know he was a monster. So Peggy and his sisters were pretty aware that both Russel and Frank were mean to others.
@@jamallabarge2665 in the movie it did though, and i have to agree in the context of the film, the OP is spot on, she saw the kind of man her father was being, and given that he was always around Russell and vice versa, she can only imagine "i bet this guy also beats up people if he feels like it" and it scared her, even if he was being nice
"If they can whack a president, they can definitely whack a union boss".
"If they can whack a president,they can whack a president of a union" is the actual line
Pesci came out of retirement and delivered an all time performance playing Russell Bufalino. Absolutely brilliant.
Russel is a mob boss yet he feels like a dad. I loved this role and Pesci did such a great job. He's usually high strung and emotional(Goodfellas and casino). Russel is by far Pescis best character
Hey, just want to compliment you on an insightful, eloquent, and well-constructed analysis of a superb performance by a great actor. I really enjoyed how you developed your argument. Spot-on and enjoyable.
I totally agree… his performance was absolutely amazing, and definitely stands out as one of his best portraying of a character. Pesci is an amazing artist!!!
Raging Bull, Goodfellas, Casino, The Irishman.
This duo has always been incredible!
Lethal weapon 2 y 3😂😂😂
Great analysis! Your channel is very underrated. Keep up the good work
Thanks, glad you enjoyed!
It was seeing Pesci lose it in Casino with a pen, in Goodfellas with a gun. He's played the loose cannon, and the wild card capable.of anything. So when he stepped into this role, literally every character knows this too!
Did you see Pesci in Love Ranch with Helen Mirren or the small part he had in The Good Shepherd? It's nice that Pesci can pick and choose what parts/projects he wants to participate in.
I've never re-watched Good Shepherd, but I've seen the part with Pesci a dozen times. "What do your people have, Mr. Carlson?"
@@vaclevsta my favorite part of his role in that movie is when Pesci says “youse people scare me, you make the big wars” and Damon replies “no we make the big wars into little wars”
@@vaclevsta " The United States Of America, the rest of you people are just visiting "
This movie gave me hope that good movies can still be made.this was a fantastic movie and even though its 3 and a half hours long I have watched it I lost count on how many times lol. All these great actors.i forget his name the actor who played tony pro was great too
I also wanted Pesci to win the Oscar for that performance, for me it's the highlight of that movie. Pitt was a strong contender but I was genuinely surprised when he won instead of Pesci.
I think the Oscars were trying to snub Netflix
I agree. When I saw Pitt, he did well; but i felt like he was just p0laying the type of character that Brad Pitt usually plays. I would look at him and think that is Brad Pitt. When I saw Pesci, I didnt see Pesci. I saw Russel Buffalino. He was so against Pesci's usual type cast and he did it effortlessly.
Pitt was a worthy winner, the character in his film was very different, but he played an effortlessly cool and charismatic physical guy with an effortless cool and physical charisma.
And Pesci played "old man who other old man are nervous around" fine too.
I was very surprised when he won. Pitt is a great actor, but Cliff isn't nearly as interesting or exciting to watch on screen as Pitt's characters in Moneyball, Inglorious Basterds, or Fight Club. Even Benjamin Button (underrated Fincher film in my opinion) was better.
I remember watching the Irishman and being surprised by how well Pesci played the character. Russell is very different from Tommy DeVito and Nicky Santoro. He absolutely deserved the oscar, and if he lost, Al Pacino deserved one too just as much for Hoffa.
Right on about this character analysis....I truly love this movie, well made and super story.. The part with Russell presenting the ring was the best....
Fun fact; Marlon Brando sought out Bufalino personally to help him with his portrayal of Vito Corleone in the Godfather
This video was amazing. Opened my eyes for alot of things
Thanks! Much appreciated!
I don't normally watch stuff like this but you kept my attention. Interesting perspective.
Thanks! Glad you enjoyed
Cracking summary of a towering performance by Pesci. He burned through the entire film.
Agreed! Pesci is ONE of the BEST without a doubt. FANTASTIC performance!
Mooi gezegd,hield altijd van die kleine man,een van de beste acteurs in Amerika en zijn interactie met de Niro is goud waard!👍
Pesci sitting at the table with the red lamp and his crew is the most gangster thing to ever be filmed
What a breakdown!!! Thank you!!! This is my favorite part of any books or movie-a well-thought out breakdown of a character. Amazingly done!
Agreed, on all counts. Brilliant analysis, my friend.
Your analysis is on the money, great work, I need to go back and watch it again I feel like I missed Lot, thanx
Excellent presentation. How I know is because it made me reflect over my own life and the world at large. Bravo!
Great work!
Thanks!
Someone prolly pointed this out already, but Bufalino was Scranton mob. Philly mob was led by Angelo Bruno, played by Harvey Keitel.
pesci really nailed it with this one
1:27 he was from Scranton, not Philadelphia.
This is a fantastic analysis of a great character and movie.
The single greatest "Mafia' performance of all time, more depth than the Pacific ocean.
GREAT video👍! Happy to see DeNiro persuaded
him to come out of retirement for role. He nailed it!
Appreciate it! Yeah no kidding, I don’t think anyone else could have pulled it off. At least not at that quality.
I can’t believe he didn’t win an Oscar this truly was one of his best performances. Joe Pesci is such a versatile actor.
Such an understated performance.Awesome
His main importance was the fact he was the Liaison to NY primarily the Genovese Crime Family with the Detroit Partnership! He was related through marriage to Detroit.
He was ‘GodFather’ to his former Bosses son Joe Barbara Jr. Who also married into the Detroit Partnership so he literally had a legal and legitimate excuse to have intimate Family relationships with the Detroit Partnership Administration and would report back to NY what was coming outta Detroit.. that’s why he played such an important role in the Hoffa disappearance! Is because he was the middle man between the Detroit Partnership’s Administration and the Genovese…
The Genovese had a guy named Anthony’Tony Gobbel’ Ricci that had a similar position to Russ did, but it was with the Chicago Outfit.
The Feds actually have footage of the three Borgatas meeting in Bimini (Genovese, Outfit, Partnership)
ruclips.net/video/bwdfNyPBPjA/видео.htmlsi=t6mK8js2Pl2licXZ
awesome analysis and treatment - well done.
Being from NEPA (Pittston) Russell was known as a low key but highly influential guy being involved with NEPA mob and the Buffalo (Magaddino) crime family and also having a lot of influence with the Genovese family, he was known as a guy that would be called in to be a mediator when there was a conflict between different factions and his ruling was accepted as law
His main importance was the fact he was the Liaison to NY primarily the Genovese Crime Family with the Detroit Partnership! He was related through marriage to Detroit.
He was ‘GodFather’ to his former Bosses son Joe Barbara Jr. Who also married into the Detroit Partnership so he literally had a legal and legitimate excuse to have intimate Family relationships with the Detroit Partnership Administration and would report back to NY what was coming outta Detroit.. that’s why he played such an important role in the Hoffa disappearance! Is because he was the middle man between the Detroit Partnership’s Administration and the Genovese…
The Genovese had a guy named Anthony’Tony Gobbel’ Ricci that had a similar position to Russ did, but it was with the Chicago Outfit.
The Feds actually have footage of the three Borgatas meeting in Bimini (Genovese, Outfit, Partnership)
"That's the good grape juice"
Another excellent Joe Pesci performance, of many was his role as a photographer in The Public Eye. Not a great film, but his performance is wonderful and contrasts well to his other roles. Well worth a look if you’re a fan.
This movie touches on one of my biggest fears. The fear that when I’m old, I’ll have regret…
Beautiful film
I'm ashamed to admit that I didn't like this film the first time I saw it. I'm indebted to your analysis for spurring me to watch it again. I now count myself amongst its
staunchest admirers. Thank you.
This video deserves wayyyy more likes. Loved it👍
Thanks! One of my favorite videos I’ve made.
The only man who could stand out in a cast with DeNiro and Pacino. And even more difficult job to stand out without over acting or exaggerated performance. Well balanced character and you KNEW he was a boss
Great review, he has so much to offer, I wish he would do more..
The reason why Peggy did not like Russ is because not only could she sense evil...but she pinpointed how her father started to change for the worst when he started to spend time with Russ...
Fantastic and insightful analysis, thank you.
You nailed it the first 30 seconds.
Excellent analysis. Well done.
Beautiful analysis… well done
It breaks my heart to know that we'll probably not ever see these 2 together in a film again.
The knowing look that Russell Buffalino (Pesci) gives to Robert Deniro’s Frank Sheerhan when “Crazy Joe” Gallo (Sebastian Maniscalco) disrespects him in the bar…
EPIC! At that moment, everyone knew he was a DEAD MAN!
Good stuff as usual.
I absolutely appreciate your deep breakdown of this Good Fellas sequel because to be fair, I'm not intelligent enough to get it all the first several to seven times through. So when you become the analyst, I get to enjoy this film .. even .. more.
Thank you, I really appreciate it! My goal is to add enjoyment to the film, so it’s great to hear I’m succeeding.
Great video.. Very insightful 👍
Completely agree. Superb analysis.
He really should have won the Oscar!
It works for me...
Character assessment portrayal..
Total emersion ... Subtle
Vibrant
I highly recommend the book it goes into details that aren't fully covered in the movie.
The courtyard scene; a fantastic piece of acting.Rates along with Brando‘s taxi cab scene and Godfather‘s garden scene as the most memorable ones in the history of films.
Joe Pesci is a great actor every time he puts out a movie I make sure I don’t miss it
I think the portrayal of Russell Bufalino is Pesci's finest performance.
I'm proud to say my family was close friends with the bufalino family.
I didn't know them. Apparently I met a man named Louie who ran a barber shop in my city of Pittston Pennsylvania where Russel ran his empire out of. He was from west Pittston.
2:42 He was caught before destroying it, wasn't he?
The look Russell gives Frank when Crazy Joe Gallo disrespects Russell and Frank sits back down at the table should have gotten him the Oscar alone. He said everything without saying a single word.
Pesci was amazing. When he was telling De Niro to kill his friend in a breakfast scene I was astounded. Although, Cliff Booth was unforgettable to me - I kept thinking about that character for several days after. Tarantino is master in creating memorable secondary characters.
I think you mixed up tarantino with scorsese because scorsese directed the irishman
@@benlawson5939 I was talking about Cliff Booth from Once upon a time...in Hollywood, directed by Tarantino. If not for him, Pesci would have gotten the oscar that year of 2019 for supporting actor.
@@CATDHD oh sorry I read your comment wrong
Pesci should hace won his second oscar for the irishman
Thanks for making this interesting and entertaining video
Pesci is one of my favorite actors. He is amazing in this film.
Feel like you’ve revealed to me the puzzle piece I was missing in De Niro’s character. By the end of the Irishman the one fatal flaw for me was Frank, I hated him, thought he was just a sheep who flaunted his entire life for a career in murder only to come to that realisation in the final shot of the film. However I’m starting to see the core of his character, his interactions and the dynamic between him and Pesci, but honestly I’m in need for a rewatch to fully understand it’s significance
That was definitely not Frank. At the end of his years, he started going to church and tried making up with his daughters. He became bloated from drinking too much after Jimmy Hoffa’s death and wanted to finally get all the weight and sadness off his chest when he told Charles Brandt he wanted to write the book. Frank felt horrible about what happened, and it was the only reason he decided to write the book and confess, similar to John Francis The Redhead, who in his final years fessed up as he knew he was about to die and wanted to make peace.
He wasn’t a Philadelphia crime boss. Bufalino was from Pittston, PA two hours north in Luzerne County
Excellent report. Thank you
I'm Sicilian and Napulitan. I grew up with people like this.
These kinds of conversations are ancient. My father was Ronaldo Olivacore.
Brad Pitt is the lead in 3 of my favorite movies and he might be my favorite actor, Pesci deserved to win an award for his role. That was a nuanced role full of symbolism and depth and he killed it. So good.
Pesci's performance reminds us that even mob bosses are people. Most of what people think they know is based on tv or movies. But these mob bosses were also husbands, fathers, brothers, and children. Many of them "born into the life" as Pesci's character was. It is this aspect of Pesci's acting that makes this role stand out imo. Pacino and Dezero both played caricatures of the people their role was based on, but Pesci became Buffalino in a way those lesser actors never can.
In the end, we learn that the greatest of the "mob actors" is Pesci and we never suspected it.
This is a great video. All my friends always say hes boring, and is old. They dont get it when i say hes the only one with the right mentality. This is a great video to send them.
Appreciate it!
1:41 believe it or not, they undersell his control. In real life, he was ABOVE the commission and they answered to him. He also didn’t die in prison. He got out and died at home with his wife at the age of 99.
The thing about Peggy, I really didn't see that she disliked Buffalino for any other reason than she didn't like her Dad, and, he was her dad's friend/associate. So it didn't make sense that she liked Hoffa. Their approach toward Peggy was NOT that different. Hoffa's personality was different, YES, however, that should NOT have made all the difference in the world to her. She wasn't THAT young to not understand ANYTHING. What was SO terrible about Buffalino's way of interacting with her? Their behavior toward her was not NIGHT and DAY different. Her reaction toward THEM, WAS!
It’s based off of a true story Peggy liked Hoffa in real life and wasn’t a fan of buffalino.
@@Jefe_De_Jefes ....That is the thing, WHY? If the movie was accurate, wtf was wrong with Buffalino? No one who knew him said that he was anything but a calm, cool, generally nice guy.
You can't compare Pesci and DeNiro's performances. Both actors delivered some of the most complex portrayals of their careers.
The coldest two words in the entire movie:
"Don't call."
I have a minor correction for you the first meeting with bruno where he has to confess he was doing in Delaware he didn't destroy the business yet, he was picked up on his way too.
Greatest Performance by Pesia ever
I think the scene that made me intimidated of Russell was probably when he told Frank about killing Hoffa in one sentence, “We did all we could for the man…”
Joe Pesci is in that movie absolutely brilliant , brilliant. If that is not for Academy award (support role) then , I don't know what is. Brilliant. Also , Al Pacino , the energy and the actor's technique he put into the film, into Hoffa role, is also something amazing. I watch The Irishman already 5 times, and intend to watch another 10 times. Brilliant.