Mediocre movie, fantastic ending

Rating: 7/10 (16 November 2003)

If not for the brilliance of the ending, I would have rated this move a 5 instead of a 7.
Spoiler--
The ending with Sofia getting shot was kind of subpar, but what came after it was breathtaking. Pacino's silent scream and the expression on Diane Keaton's face was great, but the true artistry came afterwards. The flashbacks of Pacino dancing with Appolonia, Kay, and Mary suggest that Michael, for all his strength and self-sacrifice to ensure the safety of his family, has lost all the women in his life. Essentially, his whole life has meant nothing because he has lost everything he has ever loved. Then, the death scene was shattering. Michael, great man that he was, ends up dying alone and blind with only a small animal to witness his passing. And the music playing throughout this last scene, magnifico!
Possibly the greatest and most moving ending I have ever seen in any movie. Just a shame that the film itself couldn't live up to it.