Movie #372 - Devil's Advocate

Devil's Advocate
1997 - Rated R - 2 hr 24 min
Director: Taylor Hackford
Starring: Keanu Reeves, Al Pacino, Charlize Theron, Jeffrey Jones, Judith Ivey, Connie Nielsen, Craig T. Nelson

Oh man.  I haven't seen this one in years but I was so excited to pick it up to add to the collection.  What a great movie to revisit after so long!  And you know what, still awesome.

It has a perfect title, too. Perfect on so many levels.

Anyway, Keanu Reeves is a lawyer in Florida who always wins. Always.  And he'll do anything to keep it that way.  When he gets discovered by a New York city firm, he thinks it's because of his talent.  He lets himself get wrapped up in the "blood money," as his wife (Theron) says later.  They live the life for a while but as their marriage falls apart, so does her sanity... or so it seems. 

I really don't want to spoilt this one because, if you haven't seen it, you need to.  There are a few gory scenes, but you'll live.  And the ending of this movie is so perfect... you gotta love it.

Movie #233 - The Godfather: Part III

The Godfather: Part III
1990 - Rated R - 2 hr 42 min
Director: Francis Ford Coppola
Starring: Al Pacino, Diane Keaton, Talie Shire, Andy Garcia, Eli Wallach, Joe Mantegna, George Hamilton, Bridget Fonda, Sofia Coppola

Yup, don't think I ever seen this one.  Also did not realize it was released 16 years after Part II. Huh.  I was alive when this came out. Still had no idea.

This is probably my least favorite of the movies and that's mostly just because they can't all be perfect.  There has to be one that's the "weak" one, right?  And it's also not all Sofia Coppola's fault, although her acting is atrocious.  It's nice to see the Corleone family try to go legit, but it's sad to see all that bad-assery evaporate from Michael.  In his personal life, it's too little too late and in his business life, it's pointless.

You can't go legit if no one else will let you.  And you'd think they'd have figured out by now that you can keep killing each other all you want but it never ends.  There's always someone to pick up the gun.  Having all those efforts be in vain, however, stays true to the story. And for that, I do like the end.  It's sad and empty, but believable.

Now I want to read the books.

Movie #232 - The Godfather: Part II

The Godfather: Part II
1974 - Rated R - 3 hr 20 min
Director: Francis Ford Coppola
Starring: Al Pacino, Robert DeNiro, Robert Duvall, Diane Keaton, John Cazale, Talia Shire, James Caan, Abe Vigoda, Danny Aiello

I probably remember this movie of the three best, and as a sequel, it certainly stands on its own.  The only sequel to win Best Picture at the Oscars, I think.  That's saying something, for sure.

So Michael Corleone is growing into his role, while we also flashback to 1901 and thereafter to see his father grow into his own role. At first, I didn't know why the flashbacks were here, but as the story progressed (leading to Michael's ultimate blood betrayal), I could understand why we see these two stories blended together in one movie.

And it's a looooooooooooong one too!  Two discs! Still, I really enjoyed the journey. Character-driven pieces like these (when they're well done) are always a treat.  And this family provides so many characters and so many interwoven tales, that I can see why this has become an iconic trilogy.

Movie #231 - The Godfather

The Godfather
1972 - Rated R - 2 hr 55 min
Director: Francis Ford Coppola
Starring: Marlon Brando, Al Pacino, James Caan, Robert Duvall, Diane Keaton, Abe Vigoda, Talia Shire

I have to admit something shameful.  *Somehow* I made it to almost 30 without watching this movie sequentially. I don't know how this happened, but it did.  I've long thought I'd seen the movie, got the gist of it anyway, and then I watched it today.

It is so freakin' good. What the hell is wrong with me?

So I got sucked into the drama of this Italian mob family and I'm totally blown away by how young everyone freakin' is and how insane the plot of this darn thing is... holy cow! If only I could write something this complicated... Yeah, I've got a brand new respect for Mario Puzo and basically everyone who even breathed near this movie.

Sweet Jesus, that was good.  And man, I'm embarrassed that I have to admit this publicly. Geez!