****** Spoilers abound! Proceed with caution. ******

First, off, Frank Sheeran’s hitman claims, especially assassinating Jimmy Hoffa, are most likely just as fraudulent as Richard Kuklinski’s “Iceman” fabrications.

What I’m concerned with is the purely cinematic experience of Martin Scorsese’s The Irishman (now streaming on Netflix).

Some might be put off by the weird CGI that attempts to make Robert DeNiro, Joe Pesci, and Al Pacino look younger than they really are. That actually didn’t bother me so much (except for a couple of scenes where DeNiro is clearly struggling to portray a spry, ass-kicking young mobster).

What I want to talk about are the unsung performances by Lucy Gallina and especially Anna Paquin. They’re the ethical and emotional compass of the movie, which wouldn’t work half as well without their understated and compelling performances.

Truth be told, I had screened this film earlier in the year straight through without consciously noticing them. However, I paid particular attention to Gallina’s and Paquin’s performances the second time around and was impressed with how much understated gravitas they gave the whole picture.

This is particularly impressive considering the lengthy run time, scenery chewing, and star power. You expect what you get from the three male leads, but I was riveted by Gallina and Paquin in an almost subliminal fashion.

Watch how the action slows down, becomes more serious, and takes on more significance when Peggy Sheeran (Gallina the younger; Paquin the older) observes Frank (DeNiro), Russell Buffalino (Pesci), and Jimmy Hoffa (Pacino).

These are almost silent film performances. Gallina and Paquin barely get any lines or screen time whatsoever, but what they do with the little they’re given is astounding.

Watch Gallina after Frank takes her to the corner store to confront the shopkeeper that disciplined her. Watch how she watches Frank after that. Notice her catlike wariness of Buffalino the first and second times he tries to charm her.

Then contrast that to her unrestrained adoration for Jimmy Hoffa, who isn’t a “good guy” (but at least isn’t also a mobster seething with barely concealed threat). She adores Hoffa.

Gallina’s performance is exceptional, but Paquin’s performance is astounding. She won an Oscar as a child in The Piano and she deserves another one here.

Watch Paquin during Frank’s award ceremony. Notice the subtle twitches around her mouth when she smiles. This is supposed to be a happy occasion, but she correctly intuits and communicates the peril brewing in the background.

She conveys the danger surrounding her, the desire to keep up appearances for the benefit of her immediate family, and her profound disapproval and dread of the hypocrisy and menace that engulf her world. It’s all in the eyes and microexpressions.

This is the kind of acting Pacino used to do, before he decided to go full Screamy McHammy Pants in his later career.

Peggy Sheeran (Gallina and especially Paquin) is the ethical heart of the film. She sees what we see and won’t excuse it, even while trying desperately to hang on to her rapidly vanishing respect for her father and his world.

I just wanted to recognize two superb performances that shouldn’t be overlooked amidst the celebrity of the director and the principals.