Underrated

Rating: 8/10 (25 September 2005)

I agree with the sentiment expressed by others that "The Godfather III" is an underrated film. I suggest that the primary reason for its having been underrated was Francis Ford Coppola's unfortunate decision to cast his then 19-year-old daughter, Sophia, in the pivotal role of Mary Corleone. Sophia Coppola had neither the charisma nor the acting chops for such a role, which made her scenes painful to watch. Nevertheless, the movie was outstanding in most other respects, I believe.
The closing scenes are mostly cuts between an opera and a series of assassinations. This was a good choice, because the story, written by Coppola and Mario Puzo, is highly operatic  and it works. Although "The Godfather III" is certainly not in a class with the first two films of the Godfather Trilogy, which were two of the best films ever made, it is still a fine movie.
The film was made at an early enough stage in Al Pacino's career that he did not consistently overact as he has done to his detriment in too many roles since. There is nobody better than Pacino when he exercises restraint, as he did here in his portrayal of Michael Corleone. The other members of the large cast, other than Sophia Coppola, were uniformly effective, too, particularly Diane Keaton, as Michael's long suffering ex-wife and the mother of his children.
"The Godfather III" is a worthy concluding entry in the Godfather Trilogy. Highly recommended, 8 out of 10.