 |
|
|
|
| | | |
| MatchFlick Member Reviews |
All Movie Info
Starring:
Al Pacino, Diane Keaton, Andy Garcia, Joe Mantegna, George Hamilton, Talia Shire, Sofia Coppola, Eli Wallach, Don Novello, Bridget Fonda, John Savage, Al Martino, Raf Vallone, Donal Donnelly, Richard Bright, Helmut Berger
Directed By:
Francis Ford Coppola
Written By:
Mario Puzo, Francis Ford Coppola
|
|
|
| |
The Godfather, Part 3 (1990)
 email this review to a friend
Movie Review by Jarrod
July 7th, 2008
|  |
Just when I thought I was out, they pull me back in
This is the most famous quote from 'The Godfather Part III', and it serves as a succinct summary of the movie itself, which focuses on an aging Michael Corleone (Al Pacino) as he tries to go legit, haunted by his past sins (especially the murder of his brother Fredo) and by his family's criminal legacy. He has started a charitable foundation in his father's name, and is honored for his philanthropy by the Catholic Church. He is then approached by an archbishop, named Gilday to invest some money in a company owned by the Vatican, to help bail the Vatican Bank out of debt; in exchange, he will essentially become CEO of the international corporation Immobiliare. However, this turns out to be a swindle, the deal has to be approved by the pope, who is in poor health, and Michael finds that he has acquired some powerful enemies, many of them old friends and acquaintances of the Corleone clan, like Don Altobello (Eli Wallach). Michael has to choose a successor; his son Tony (Franc D'Ambrosio) wants to be a singer, rather than follow in Michael's footsteps. The only real alternative is Vincent Mancini (Andy Garcia), Michael's nephew. Vincent is the illegitimate child of Sonny, played by James Caan in the original Godfather. Vinnie has a penchant for violence, and desperately wants to be Michael's enforcer and bodyguard; he orchestrates a revenge scheme against low-rent hood Joey Zasa (Joe Mantegna), who is responsible for pulling off a hit in Atlantic City that nearly kills Michael and wipes out most of the current mob leadership.
Vincent is encouraged by Michael's sister Connie (Talia Shire), to continue the family tradition, carry out revenge killings and the like, which goes against Michael's wishes, but Connie thinks he has grown soft and lost sight of what once made the Corleones great. Vincent falls in love with his cousin, Michael's daughter Mary (Sofia Coppola). Michael goes to Cardinal Lamberto (Raf Vallone) and makes a tearful confession about the awful things he has done; he seeks forgiveness, not only from God, but also from his ex-wife Kay (Diane Keaton). She has moved on to another relationship, but she and Michael reunite in Sicily, where Tony is to make his operatic debut in Palermo. This gives them a chance to reconcile, and tell each other how they really feel. Michael confronts all of his personal demons and painful memories; he recalls, for instance, that young woman he married in Sicily, when he was exiled there after killing Sollozzo in The Godfather; she was blown up by a car bomb meant for him. Michael is determined to abandon the old ways, but finds he simply cannot until he settles one final account, with those who have plotted against him. There is also a conspiracy (involving the same people) against the newly elected pope, John Paul I, who is too honest for his own good. I never understood why the Catholic League never expressed outrage over this film, which shows the mafia and the Catholic Church in collusion with one another; it shows a Catholic official conspiring against the pontiff, it draws attention to the similarities between the church and the mafia, in terms of how they are structured, in terms of dirty and illegal business dealings, in terms of false fronts to cover up those business dealings while hypocritically maintaining a facade of morality and integrity.
'Part III" is an underrated gem, and while it does not compare favorably to its predecessors, it is nonetheless a superb drama in its own right, and features some of Pacino's best acting. I have no idea why he did not receive an Oscar nomination. His performance as Michael is riveting, and connects with the audience on an emotional level, particularly during that confession, and during the tragic ending, when one of his closest relatives is shot down by a stray assassin's bullet. Of course, Michael is older and wiser than he was in Part II, where he demonstrated a capacity for ruthlessness and brutality, and alienated Kay and his children. Pacino's brilliance is mostly unrivaled by the rest of the cast. Shire and Sofia Coppola are present only because of nepotism (Shire is Francis Ford Coppola's sister and Sofia is his daughter), and not because of genuine talent (both are merely average, though Sofia has become a remarkable director, proving she is much better behind the camera than in front of it); Connie has never been a character I have been fond of, and she adds virtually nothing to the story as a whole. Andy Garcia (who did receive an Oscar nomination) is good as the hotheaded Vincent, who has inherited Sonny's temper and appetite for women. However, I noticed that Garcia never displays much emotion, and maintains the same facial expression for a majority of the film, and delivers chunks of dialogue in a bland and monotonous fashion. Vincent really should have more energy, but Garcia plays him well enough. There are a few spectacularly choreographed shootouts, the first of which is that one in Atlantic City, then the hit on Joey Zasa during a parade, and the finale in the Palermo theater, where Michael's loyal cronies eliminate his enemies while he proudly watches Tony on stage.
That finale builds suspense by having Connie watch Altobello through a small pair of binoculars as he eats the cannoli she prepared for him as a birthday present; we can infer that it is poisoned and that she is watching for him to die. That assassin Altobello hired hides in a section of the balcony and assembles his rifle, and twice has Michael in his crosshairs. Francis Ford Coppola's father Carmine provides an amazing score, with slight variations of the classic, instantly recognizable Nino Rota theme. The cinematography by Gordon Willis is exquisite, and at its most impressive when it captures the natural beauty of both rural and urban Sicilian landscapes. There was a 16 year gap between this movie and Part II, and the narrative continuity is not quite as smooth as it was in the first two installments, but then Part II was a direct continuation of Part I, and this movie is set several years (perhaps even decades) after the events in Part II, as evidenced by Michael's weary and rugged appearance; his hair is mostly gray now instead of black, and his kids are in their 20s or 30s. It brings the saga to an appropriate and satisfying conclusion.
email this review to a friend
Comment on this Review:
Sorry, you must be a member to add comments to reviews.
Join or Login. |
 Subscribe to MatchFlick Movie Reviews through RSS
|
