THE GODFATHER, PART III. Directed by Francis Ford Coppola; written by Mario Puzo and Francis Ford Coppola; produced by Francis Ford Coppola for Paramount. Starring Al Pacino and Andy Garcia. Rated R.
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If it's true that the studio rushed producer/director Coppola to finish this movie in time for Christmas release, that's just more evidence that Hollywood is a very strange place. Godfather III, depressing, violent, and cynical, is a veritable anti-Christmas movie.
But while not achieving the artistic brilliance of Part II, or the narrative brilliance of the original Godfather, it's a worthy successor to the earlier films. I expect it will be nominated for Best Picture, but whether it will win, as its predecessors did, is a much tougher call.
The story follows Michael Corleone (Pacino) into a bleak and joyless middle age, more respectable than he used to be, and more desirous of respectability, but really not much changed. Pacino's performance is excellent, as expected, making Michael just about as sympathetic a character as it's possible for him to be.
In many ways, though, the more interesting figure is Michael's next incarnation, his brother Sonny's illegitimate son Vincent (Garcia). Cursed with his father's hair-trigger temper, but more intelligent, his transformation from second-class hood to Michael's heir apparent makes for good watching. Garcia, always an interesting and charismatic actor, vaults into the big leagues with Vincent.
The only problems with the movie are the casting of Michael's daughter Mary and a certain sluggishness of plot midway through the film. Coppola's daughter Sofia looks right for the important role of Vincent's love interest, but can't handle the emotional range needed to make the character as compelling as the story indicates she is. The narrative lapses may be a consequence of a too-hurried editing job.
In spite of this, though, Godfather III is a fine, epic movie of the scope one rarely sees anymore. The fact that its reach exceeds its grasp, by a small measure, shouldn't be held too much against it.
January 23, 1991