The Godfather - universally acclaimed mobster soap opera

Rating: 7/10 (20 October 2011)

There's no sense fighting the general consensus about this uber-classic. I refuse to use words like "overrated" and you probably don't care that I don't care for mob movies, because I consider thugs in expensive suits no more heroic than thugs without expensive suits.
Having said that, I was amazed with Pacino (stunning performance) and particularly Coppola, who was such an amazingly slick and accomplished director at such a young age. His use of light and music is superb. His framing makes the atmosphere intimate and believable. This movie is laced with iconic scenes, has great pacing and is blessed with great production values throughout. Wow.
The bad: Brando is a joke (as he often is). Also, I didn't think the storytelling was particularly tight; you could find more holes in the plot than in Sonny C's body. Again, I find it hard to root for any racketeering don, and I'm bewildered by the world's continued fascination with mafia types. But a very good movie it is.