Godfather Part III: The Odd One Out

Summary

Michael Corleone, played by Al Pacino, dies.

Many people have a real sour taste in their mouths when it comes to this film and to an extent that is understandable as this is definitely the worst film of the trilogy, however, I also think it isn’t terrible and in some ways I actually liked the film.

Let’s get my most controversial opinion on the film right out of the way now, I thought Sofia Coppola was good in this and I liked her romance with Andy Garcia’s character. I thought they had good chemistry together and I was hit emotionally somewhat as her character died.

However, I think the issue with Coppola’s character and Garcia’s is that they are underdeveloped. They could have done with having been introduced in the second film maybe as an epilogue, as it stands we don’t feel like we know them very much at all. This is especially troubling as Michael hands over the family to Garcia’s character, this should be a big moment but instead feels rushed and underwhelming.

I also thought though the international Vatican murder plot had a few interesting moments, the film gets bogged down far too much in this idea of Michael seeking forgiveness and redemption. In many senses the heavy religiosity of this film only serves to slow it down, which in turn creates pacing issues. This is the only one of the trilogy that I found to be dragging on, which is saying something as I think it is shorter than the others.

Overall, not terrible by any means but certainly not in the same league as the other films that came before it.

3.5/5

Pros.

Garcia

A few interesting twists and turns

It is nice to see Michael’s story wrapped up

Coppola

Cons.

Pacing issues

Underdeveloped characters

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The Godfather Part II

Written by Luke Barnes

Summary

We follow the twin stories of the rise of Vito Corleone, played by Robert DeNiro, as well as the dominance of Michael, played by Al Pacino.

I thought this was a near perfect sequel and as such it gets the same top rating as the original. There is no fat to trim here which is incredibly surprising considering the incredibly long run time of this film

Both of the character journeys are equally fascinating and importance and the themes and such text of each feed into the other nicely. I think you can really tell that these are two young actors at the top of their games as it is a fierce fight between the two for who gives the better performance. I would lean to DeNiro, but maybe that is just personally preference.

The plot of the film about familial betrayal strikes hard and deep and it seems to effect both you watching and the characters at the same time. The first film teaches you to like Michael and to relate to him, but then this film highlights his monstrosity and shows you why that emotion was misplaced.

Overall, an incredibly well done sequel.

5/5

Pros.

The tension

The family drama

The performances

The pacing

The interconnectivity of the two split narratives

Cons.

None

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Gangster No.1: More American Psycho Then Lock Stock

3/5

Written by Luke Barnes

Summary

An east end gangster, played by Malcom McDowell, recounts the story of his rise to power.

I thought this film felt very original and had a voice entirely separate from the early noughties gangster fare put out by the likes of Guy Ritchie. In many ways this film has more in common with American Psycho then it does Snatch and is all the better for it.

I thought the philosophy of this film and its comments on what it means to have it all where interesting and McDowell does a good job playing unhinged, although Paul Bettany who plays the younger version of McDowell’s character does out stage him on a number of occasions in terms of sheer fright factor.

Where this film was weaker for me was in the few instances wherein it was trying to replicate Ritchie’s style and have that same sort of tongue in cheek irreverent tone, that I think didn’t work. I think this film could have been better if it had played itself more straight and been more of a character study into the mind of a crime boss. Ultimately, I think the film should have leaned into its own voice more and stayed away from what was popular at the time.

Overall, a fun and interesting film when it is leaning into the warped psychology of a gang enforcer, less so when it is trying to rip-off Lock Stock.

Pros.

Bettany

McDowell

The physiological spin

Cons.

The ending doesn’t land in a dramatic sense

It is trying to hard to be like a Guy Ritchie film at times

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The Outfit: The Perfect Fit?

3/5

Written by Luke Barnes

Summary

A humble tailor, played by Mark Rylance, becomes wrapped up in a war between two rival Chicago gangs.

I thought this film leant a bit too heavily on Rylance, luckily he is more than capable of not only keeping it going but also elevating it, however without Rylance this film would be lost in a sea of mediocrity.

I thought for the few brief scenes he had Dylan O’Brien was a very welcome presence, and he also entirely lost himself in the role, however, the film kills him off early on and creates some what of a void for itself, as none of the other characters, bar Rylance, are in anyway interesting.

I enjoyed the mystery about Rylance’s characters past and found myself keenly invested in it. The same can’t be said for the warring gangs plotline which for the most part felt incredibly played out and more than a little overly familiar. The ending somewhat brought it all together to offer us something satisfying but even then I think the film could have gone further.

Overall, Mark Rylance makes this film what it is, but even he can’t propel it to greatness.

Pros.

Rylance

O’Brien

The mystery surrounding the lead’s past

Cons.

The central plot all felt very generic and familiar

The rest of the cast outside of Rylance and O’Brien are forgettable

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Villain: The Saddest Of The Gangland Films

1/5

Written by Luke Barnes

Summary

A recently released convict, played by Craig Fairbrass, must try and save his families pub from gangland threats.

To me this film failed to be in any way fun, yes though it is a different type of fun a lot of the gangland films, particularly those with Danny Dyer, have enough charm or gravitas to keep you around and enjoying yourself until the end of the film, this didn’t have that.

Not only was this film depressing, it was morbidly depressing, and seemed to go out of its way to be grim and off putting, honestly watching it made me sad. I understand the point the film was trying to make by having Fairbrass’ character die at the end, the superfluousness of his life style and how in the end even if you win you die, and it did deliver this message however, it just made the film feel even more of a downer and left a bit of a bad taste as well.

Fairbrass is fine he is playing a slightly toned down version of his Rise Of The Foot Soldier character. He tries hard to try and round the character and to add emotional depth though this ends in a colossal failure.

Overall, who was this made for?

Pros.

It is short

Fairbrass is trying

Cons.

The ending

It is depressing

There is no charm to it

It has pacing issues galore

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The Many Saints Of Newark: Did You Really Save The Theme Song Till The End

3.5/5

Written by Luke Barnes

Summary

This film serves as a prequel to the beloved gangster TV series The Sopranos showing Tony’s, here played by Michael Gandolfini, younger years.

I enjoyed this film, but it was not perfect. Firstly do not watch this film if you have not seen the series beforehand. It is not easily understandable if you haven’t seen the series, you won’t understand various elements of the plot. However, if you are a fan of the show you will find a lot to enjoy here from Christopher’s, Michael Imperioli, ghostly narration of things to come to the show’s opening credits music playing as the film ends. One thing I will note is though I enjoyed how this film paid off the series there were a number of inconsistencies that soured my enjoyment somewhat.

The trailers for this film have lied to you, for rather obvious reasons, as this film is not really about Tony Soprano and rather instead about Dickie Moltisanti, Alessandro Nivola. We see Tony and his family appear but they are side characters at best. I thought the focus on Dickie helped keep the film feeling fresh and I enjoyed his story for the most part. The race war aspects I thought were needless as they do not pay off in the show in any way and feel instead like an unnecessary attempt to be political. I think it would have made more sense to focus on in fighting amongst the family with Dickie having to try and fight off assassination attempts from various members after his early in the film secret is slowly revealed.

Overall, it is a pleasant return to that world, was it needed? No not really but it could have been worse. More good than bad.

Pros.

Further exploring the world

Good tension

Solid drama and action

The theme song playing at the end

Cons.

It is not really about Tony

The race war storyline doesn’t feel needed

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Black Mass: The Comeback That Never Quite Panned Out

3.5/5

Written by Luke Barnes

Summary

This film recounts the life of ‘Whitey’ Bulger, here played by Johnny Depp.

This film always feels like a shame to me. Not because the film is bad but because it could have been the start of a big comeback for Depp and yet it never panned out.

I think that this is one of Depp’s finest roles, he manages to capture the ruthless killer whilst also making us somewhat like/understand him. The character that Depp brings to life in a nuanced and multi layered way reminds us that no character is simply good or bad but shades in-between.

Moreover, this film is also strengthened by a terrific supporting cast with Benedict Cumberbatch, Jessie Plemons and Joel Edgerton all giving terrific performances and really helping to bring the film together. Cumberbatch in particular steals the show here.

I also think the score of the film adds a lot and serves to nicely compliment the film and reflect the emotion of the scenes. I would say of all the gangster films I have seen this one’s soundtrack was the only one to stick with me after watching.

My main criticism of the film would be the pace, the film takes a long time to get where it is going. Though his early life is interesting the film spends far too much time there and not nearly enough time on his later life.

Overall, a strong Johnny Deep fronted gangster film.

Pros.

Deep

The supporting cast

The score

The ending

Cons.

The pacing

A very slow start

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The Birthday Cake: What Is In The Box?

4.5/5

Written by Luke Barnes

This film is the best gangster/crime film I have seen in a while. The pacing of this film is terrific, and it takes you on one hell of a ride. There are scenes in this film where I was on the edge of my seat, I know that is a cliché, but for once it accurately describes the situation.

I enjoyed how this film places so much emphasis on its titular cake, always making sure to feature it in every sequence throughout the film. Moreover, the final reveal involving the cake makes the film, or at least it did for me, it was so perfectly built up to and it truly delivers.

Furthermore, the acting is strong across the board with every actor bringing their A game to this project and being memorable as a result. I would be hard pressed to pick a favourite moment from the film as the whole of it is so good and each actor really has their own moment to shine.

My one criticism of this film would be that it could have better used Ewan McGregor, as he is barely in the film though when he does appear he steals the scene. I would have liked the film to further explore the relationship between his character and Gio as clearly he is somewhat of a mentor to him, but we don’t really see this happen on-screen and can only imply it as an explanation.

Overall, perhaps the best gangster film of the year.

Pros.

The cast is terrific

The cake payoff

The tension

The pacing

Cons.

Under-using McGregor

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Brotherhood: Nudity Over Transformative Life Experiences, How To Cheapen A Series With The Final Installment

Brotherhood is a crime film directed by Noel Clarke. The plot serves as a continuation of the previous films Kidulthood and Adulthood serving to be the final film in the series. The plot sees Sam (Clarke), brough back into the game for one final showdown after his brother gets shot.

So this film pushed things a bit too far, by that I mean the running theme throughout this series is how bad this life is serving to discourage people who want to pursuit this kind of lifestyle, however this film glorifies a life of crime and undermines the whole series.

Moreover, this film moves fully away from the drama genre and tries hard to become an action film, which it does well, but it just shows how far this film has moved away from its roots. Personally, I enjoyed the gritty violence and one-upmanship in this film, it reminded me of great 00s crime films like The Business which is a pro for sure.

Likewise, I thought the ending of the film felt satisfying both as an ending to this film and as an ending to the series as a whole: it felt very much like Sam’s Character arc from the first film had gone full circle in a very real and believable way which was nice to see.

A final note about this film is that I felt the level of nudity in it felt too much at times, maybe even slightly exploitative. Clarke really does distract from the good points and clever writing of this film by having naked women constantly on-screen to keep the attention of every teenage boy in the audience, and honestly it really does cheapen the film.

Overall, a flawed but fitting end to the series.

Pros.

The ending

Closing the arc

The gritty violence

Clarke

Cons.

It glorifies while seeking to dissuade

The nudity

3.5/5

Reviewed by Luke

Adulthood: Older And Wiser?

Adulthood is a crime film directed by Noel Clarke (who also stars). The plot continues on from the events of Kidulthood, we see Sam (Clarke), be released from prison after the murder he committed at the end of the previous film. During his time inside Sam, has become an entirely different person who just wants to live a quiet life and get away from the things he has done. This is made harder by the friends and family of the boy he killed putting a hit out on him.

I think this film really achieved the deterring nature that the series was going for, we can see how Sam is haunted by what he did and how everyday he lives with the consequences, wishing he could go back and change it. The Sam we meet here is far more reformed and wiser, he knows that the life he was living before is going nowhere hence why he wants to move on with his life.

This this time around Sam is our protagonist, and though he might not be a likeable lead as he is still a child killer/ teen killer after all, the emotional nuance of the film allows us the see the situation in a less black and white way making the characters reform seem more believable and allowing us the audience to root for him more.

The tension and the gritty, harsh action compliment the film beautifully and really help to make its message standout. There are a number of scenes where you are on edge waiting to see how a scene will play out. This film is definitely more action orientated then the last which was more drama focused, this does change the viewing experience somewhat, but the films still feel stylistically the same.

Overall, in many ways this may be the best film in the trilogy as it manages to show us this bleak world in a widder scale and harsher intensity then the first film, making us better understand the struggle.

Pros.

Clarke, both as a director and actor

The emotional beats and the character arcs

Really managing to push the deterrent angle

The ending

The tension and the action

Cons.

It can be very hard to watch at times

5/5

Reviewed by Luke