Ahh, The Godfather. Believe it or not, I hadn't had the pleasure of seeing this fine film until last night. For all of the "best movie EVER" claims it receives, Coppola's work held its own surprisingly well. Is it the best film ever? For my money, it's not. It's very good, but not perfect. The opening wedding scene takes WAY too long, and at times the scene changes are a little choppy and hard to pick up on. That said, its faults are few and the performances by so many great actors in their primes are real treats. In particular, James Caan (Sonny Corleone) and Al Pacino (Michael Corleone) are outstanding; the former for creating an absolute scumbag character we ultimately sympathize with and the latter for his drastic emotional and psychological development from fringe family member to mafia Don. In many ways (I still don't understand the appeal of Marlon Brando), the performances are actually better than the overall film itself. So with that, I ask again: best movie ever made? Perhaps not, but it's one everyone should see.
4 stars out of 4
9/10
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