Review of THE GODFATHER

THE GODFATHER 1972,

I'll make him an offer he can't refuse.

In a luxurious office, a middle-age man with an Italian accent, AMERIGO BONOSERA, tells how America has generally been good to him, but recently two thugs beat up and disfigured his daughter, and the courts won’t help. At first it seems he's talking to a psychiatrist or lawyer, but then someone gives him a shot of whiskey.  The man on the other side of the desk is DON VITO CORLEONE, the Godfather (Marlon Brando). Bonosera wants him to have the thugs killed for ‘justice’, but Vito tells Bonosera he cannot help him. Why? Because Bonosera went to the police before coming to Vito, never visits Vito, doesn’t even call him Godfather. In a word, Vito wants respect, that is, subservience. Bonosera makes amends and kisses Vito’s hand, and Vito relents. He won’t kill the thugs. However, he will order his henchmen to beat the shit out of them, “but don’t let them get carried away.”

This pretty much sets the tone of the movie.

MICHAEL (Al Pacino), Vito’s youngest son, is a decorated marine.  He tells his new girlfriend, KAY (Diane Keaton) he's not like the rest of the family, and he is in fact known as someone who keeps his nose clean.

The other mafia families make Vito an offer which he does refuse. They want him to help get them all into the narcotics trade. Vito does not agree, not because of the moral aspects, but because narcotics would arouse too much public anger and so would be bad for business. A few days later, assassins riddle Vito with bullets. He survives, but his son, Michael, vows revenge. And Michael, who had avoided his father's penchant for violence, turns out to be a force to be reckoned with…

Pacino and Keaton are so young in this movie, at first I didn't recognize them.

If you've never seen this movie, you're in for a treat. And if you have seen it before, it's still worth seeing again. It is justifiably regarded as a masterpiece. The acting is superb and the plot is gripping. The tension is maintained with few breaks throughout the movie. Even when the characters describe beforehand a planned killing, and it goes off as they had said, you still worry about a slipup. This is one of the few movies that stands out both because of its cinematic excellence and as a workout movie.  I give it ++++. Most of it will get your pulse up to a run.

Review of "DONNIE BRASCO"

DONNIE BRASCO

DONNIE BRASCO is the assumed name of an FBI agent infiltrating the Mafia. LEFTY is a lower level official in the mob, who, having no idea of Donnie's true purposes, develops a liking to Donnie, and introduces him to the intricacies of life in organized crime.  Donnie does so well as a gangster, he surpasses Lefty, much to his mentor's chagrin. In fact, Donnie feels such comfort being with the mob, he neglects his own family to the point where his wife threatens to divorce him. Though Lefty is an unrepentant murderer, he's also a bitter and depressed wretch, and Donnie feels a sense of obligation towards him even greater than his obligation to his wife. The FBI can't contact Donnie, and the question arises--will he leave his family and job and become an actual mobster?

One particularly poignant moment comes when Lefty sees a crime boss introduce Donnie as 'our friend,' code that means Donnie has risen above Lefty in the organization's ranks.

Al Pucino, one of my favorite actors, plays Lefty with his usual offhanded style.. Johnny Depp plays Donnie.  It's nice to see Depp in a straight role instead of the nutcase portrayals like Jack Sparrow, Willy Wonka, and the Mad Hatter.

Though there are a lot of characters, it's easy to follow the main ones, and the plot unfolds in a straightforward manner. It's not at all clear why Lefty befriends Donnie, but the rest of the story is quite realistic. Certainly, why Donnie puts up with Lefty's bossiness is obvious when you see that Donnie works for the FBI.

Apparently, all the major characters in this film are based on actual historical figures, in particular, Donnie himself.

Like Boardwalk Empire, this is a story about the FBI and the mob. You might not want to watch one right after the other since that does end up a little confusing.

This is an enjoyable movie and a good workout movie.  I give it +++++ - parts of it will get you pulse up to a sprint. If you see it, let me know what you think.