Marty, Bobby reunite

Tim Burton has Johnny Depp, Fellini had Mastroianni, and Scorsese has DeNiro. There’s nothing that excites me more than when I hear that a director is teaming up with his or her muse–the one actor that can capture said director’s vision like no one else.

The duo that brought us MEAN STREETS, CAPE FEAR, TAXI DRIVER, RAGING BULL, GOODFELLAS, CASINO, THE KING OF COMEDY and NEW YORK, NEW YORK are at it again with Paramount’s I HEARD YOU PAINT HOUSES. The really, really good news is that this is Scorsese’s and DeNiro’s bread and butter–it’s a gangster flick.

The film, which is to be adapted from a book by Steve Zaillian (SCHINDLER’S LIST) is about the mob assassin who many believe was involved in the death of Teamster boss Jimmy Hoffa. Naturally, DeNiro will play Frank “the Irishman” Sheeran, who is said to have carried out more than 25 mob murders. Gee, DeNiro as a mob hitman. I can’t see it.