Sunday, February 24, 2019

The Godfather Part III

Movie Name: The Godfather Part III
Year of Release: 1990
Director: Francis Ford Coppola
Starring: Al Pacino, Diane Keaton, Talia Shire, Andy Garcia, Eli Wallach, Joe Mantegna, George Hamilton, Bridget Fonda, Sofia Coppola, Raf Vallone, Franc D'Ambrosio, Donal Donnelly, Richard Bright, Helmut Berger
Genre: Drama
Score out of ten (whole numbers only): 7 
Watch it on Amazon

Synopsis and Review:
The 80s were a complicated decade for celebrated director Francis Ford Coppola, one that saw the fall of his studio American Zoetrope, following the dismal results of "One From the Heart". After the wonderful "Tucker, The Man and His Dream" and the segment of "New York Stories", Francis Ford Coppola went back to the saga that made him famous. "The Godfather Part III" continues to chronicle the story of the Corleone family, specifically the story of Michael, now an aging Don, who is in the midst of trying to legitimize his businesses (the story taking place in 1979). Michael is attempting to patch some dealings with the Vatican, and also with his own family, including his two children and ex-wife, Kay. Michael decides to take his nephew Vincent under his wing, particularly after witnessing his loyalty (and ruthlessness), all the while trying to distance himself and the family from the violent and criminal background they always had. As he progressively sees a light at the end of the tunnel, some of these dealings crumble, and the violence once again emerges, pulling him back into an all too familiar spiral of crime.
While "The Godfather Part III" received a fair amount of recognition at the Academy Awards (where it walked away without any wins), it's generally perceived as a minor film in the pantheon of the trilogy. The towering accomplishment of the two previous films is no doubt a tough act to follow up, but "The Godfather Part III" is a solid, inspired and tragic film in its own right. It's the chronicle of a dying king, who sees the end ahead, and who is desperately trying to safeguard his loved ones, and leave a legacy of respectability behind. It's a film marked by a sadness, embodied by the central character, who has been successful in life by making dramatic sacrifices, ones that have cost him everything. Michael is again the heart of the film, and Al Pacino is phenomenal in portraying someone who is beaten by life, exhausted by it, who is desperately trying to move against the weight of tradition and the perception his family name carries. In a way, the film is also a veiled metaphor for the career of Francis Coppola, who after experiencing an astoundingly successful decade (the 70s), came crashing down soon after, and was trying to redeem himself with this film. It's a film not quite as perfectly distilled as the previous ones, but it is nonetheless exquisitely rendered, from the cinematography of Gordon Willis, to the production design of Dean Tavoularis. The cast is eclectic but dominated by the fervor and sheer grandiose of Al Pacino, with Andy Garcia, Talia Shire and Diane Keaton all equally strong in their supporting turns. A very good film from a fantastic director.

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