Godfather III

Cast: Al Pacino, Diane Keaton, Sophia Coppola, Andy Garcia

Mario Puzo and Francis Ford Coppola have left behind, what should I say, nothing less than what was needed for a cult. I need not write anything about what Godfather means to cinema.

The duo were almost near perfection to what they wanted to build, an empire. And that empire stands still even now, after so many decades. Why? My best bet would be it’s a guy thing. Power, women and danger. Control.

One of my roommates for a brief six month stint, wrote a screenplay in Hindi for the Bollywood version of Godfather. Hugely successful, even after it was after decades it was adapted for Bollywood, how it appeals to the minds. Mafia is not unheard of in these parts, with various active so called families, ruled the city of Mumbai. So, I guess the Indian audience lapped it up. Prashant if you happen to read this, definitely you I must say, you know what tickles the Indian minds. You knew it too well. And that’s your claim to fame.

It’s great to see the full circle of time, the way how things were in Godfather I, appears to place itself mysteriously again. Life’s like that, everywhere.

Dog Days Afternoon

I wanted some old time action, and knowing the recognition Dog Days Afternoon got at the Academy, it was an obvious choice. There was time when I had high regard for Al Pacino, but somewhere I started to notice that the characters he was casted had a similar trait. Since then, I started losing my admiration for him, and it just happened that I discovered a lot of other actors whom I had not noticed before.


Its all a mind game, bank robbery, demands, negotiation, decisions, mob, media coverage, FBI, cops…More than anything the beauty of the film is understanding how the psyche of different persons work in different situations. I remember once in college some person had come down to speak about MBA from ISB and he was asking the students if they knew what Stockholm Syndrome was. In more than one ways, you feel so much safe inside with Al Pacino in the bank than the world outside. Just the perspective of the film changes our ethical and moral equations. I particularly like the head clerk, a lady who is so true to her character she plays. I really liked observing her reactions and responses. Could they have really pulled off the whole show had they been more careful? What does it take to out-beat the strategists who are there to out wit and tire out the miscreants emotionally and physically? Some of the tactics is used by most strategists, still the cons fall trap to their lures.