WOW..believe the hype!

Rating: 9/10 (23 March 2005)

I remember having seen this movie many times when I was a teenager. All my friends swore this movie was great and anyone who didn't see it was missing out. I would watch a little of it here and there in between bouts of reading or napping. I was bored.
Fast forward almost 15 years. I am home and this movie is being shown in its entirety. I decide to give it one more try and see if I could understand what all the hype is about. I am glad I did! This movie is about emotions, which fuel every action a human commits. This time, there was no reading, no napping, just me telling my friend to be quiet so I wouldn't miss anything! I realized the movies Hollywood puts out today are awful! I have been watching many "older" movies lately and feel as if the viewers are being cheated to a point. There are no "classics" being made. People do not have a choice between seeing a mentally stimulating film or a 2 hour fluff film just to escape reality for a little while. There are no performances that match Brando, Caan, Pacino, and Duvall.
Marlon Brando was undeniably one of the best actors of the 20th century, even though he made light of his talent and profession. His turn as the Corleone patriarch was absolutely mesmerizing and should be considered some of the finest acting work ever captured on film. Caan's performance as the hotheaded Sonny shows how underrated this actor became. He captured the rage, anger, and disregard for health and life it takes to be a cold-hearted, ruthless "businessman". Yet, unlike today's "gangster" movies, his actions were glorified because the other side of the coin is taken into account, karma.
Pacino was definitely in rare form here. His latest movies don't live up to this performance. He showed the talent is there, but Hollywood doesn't require that anymore. Duvall, as always turned in a stellar performance.
This film captured the good, the bad, and the ugly of crime life and real life. It's riveting and will keep your attention. This film a 9/10.