Sunday, 17 October 2021
Saturday, 16 October 2021
The Godfather: Part III (1990)
In the midst of trying to legitimize his business dealings in 1979 New
York and Italy, aging mafia don Michael Corleone seeks to vow for his
sins while taking a young protégé under his wing.
It's a good movie with all the ingredients of the previous parts, but
adds nothing in scope and depth, and the plot is not as stringently
scripted.
On re-watching: This remains an ambivalent experience, since it falls so way down below the previous two films and has so many flaws and only rare moments of brilliance.
Halliwell**: "Overlong, often confusing to those who cannot remember the
earlier films, and hampered by at least one wretched performance, it
fails to reach the standard of the first two movies in the series. But
for all that it retains one's interest most of the time."
Maltin***: "Only a filmmaker like Coppola (teamed with writer Mario
Puzo) could extend his history-making Mafioso saga and make it work so
well. Absorbing story...Longish, but masterfully told, with one
almost-fatal flaw: the casting of Coppola's daughter Sofia (an amateur)
in the pivotal role of Pacino's daughter."
[N.B.: Although many have criticized Sofia Coppola, I disagree: she plays
adequate to the role. The problem is that the love story with her cousin
is in itself misconceived from the start.]
Friday, 15 October 2021
Radioactive (2019)
The story of Marie Sklodowska-Curie and her Nobel Prize-winning work that changed the world.
Mediocre and cursory bio-pic suffers from a loveless direction and a dubious and in some details simply offensive indifference to the historical facts; Pike's performance is blameless, though.
Thursday, 14 October 2021
The Godfather: Part II (1974)
The early life and career of Vito Corleone in 1920s New York is
portrayed while his son, Michael, expands and tightens his grip on his
crime syndicate stretching from Lake Tahoe, Nevada to pre-revolution
1958 Cuba.
The rare case of a sequel to a masterpiece improving, expanding and
deepening the scope of the original; one of the greatest movies ever
made.
On renewed viewing: Evey new viewing leaves me in complete amazement over its mastery.
Halliwell****: "Complex gangster movie, explaining the present in terms
of the past and providing a comprehensive view of American society, full
of good scenes and performances."
Maltin****: "They say it couldn't be done, but cowriter-director Coppola made a sequel that's just as compelling."
Monday, 11 October 2021
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