I didn't expect this: the synopsis kinda deceived me. Still liked it.

Rating: 7/10 (22 July 2018)

The fact that it was ranked even above THE DARK KNIGHT and that it was also praised on a widespread scale compelled me to check it out. The film, in short, was too long; the first half was very slow and just one sequence before the beginning of the second half where the film actually picked up pace. The performances of Al Pacino and Marlon Brando are the sole reason for watching the film, if for nothing else.
But sadly, the film didn't come near THE DARK KNIGHT (though I shouldn't compare them as TDK is an action film) or THE SHAWSHANK REDEMPTION. THE GODFATHER was just a different type of gangster film which felt more like a family story, and that's great. Normally, I have seen very less gangster themed movies about family issues. Seeing a film like this seemed good as the film started on a decent note. But as the subplots started crept in, I felt underwhelmed. Moreover, the synopsis written here tricked me because I was waiting for that to happen. Had the film jumped to that thing early, the story could've not been very but still quite different.
But fine, let's leave that because it's the mistake of the one who wrote that thing. Even I kept wondering what actually was the actual story of the film for the first 2 hours. Added to that, we had some serious pacing issues as mentioned above. 3 hours is too long for a movie like this. What took almost an hour and a half to happen could've been wrapped up in just half an hour or just even an hour.
Performances are the redeeming feature of the film, but not all of them click. The actress who portrays Connie delivers a terrible performance, especially towards the end, when her dialogue delivery turns too laughable to handle. Also, there is some action which kicks in after long. But the fact that the director was more focused on the character development and other aspects shows up in the form of some ridiculous kicks and blows. Even though it's not too much in the film, it's just too funny sometimes that it ends up deviating a bit.
It's hard to watch a film like this without taking a break. But what is special is that the film almost didn't bore me at all. One heartwarming sequence involving the godfather and his grandson touched my heart. There were no other such scenes but still the film seemed pretty good to me and the ending, poetic. Marlon Brando's performance was class apart and seemed to drive the film alone.
I liked the film because it did grip me and some shootings, twists excited me. But by the time it ended, it left me wanting for more even though in this long duration it had already given way too much. I'll not really say that it's overrated, but as of today's times, it's just a decent watch. Not memorable enough.