The Godfather

A collection.

Basically... an epic movie... definitely Scorsese-esque but taken to a whole new level... Daniel Day-Lewis is absolutely killing it after five years away from the screen... every single scene he’s in feels like a pure acting masterpiece... Leonardo DiCaprio is exactly what you'd expect from him, too... that opening sequence prepping for the street brawl and the spectacle itself? It hits hard, almost feels surreal at times... the movie tries to say so much across different layers of time and space, yet somehow stays this compact, detailed story... two hours and 45 minutes of non-stop intensity, incredible costumes, deep characters, and those subtle bits of dialogue. I don't even know what else to say. A genius movie. Just a great movie.

This isn't exactly an epic, IMO

It’s just a movie about gangs brawling in the streets—so what exactly is "epic" about that?

The whole thing just shows how America has always been, and always will be...
driven by nothing but greed and power.
The best way to put it is that final line at the end, when they're tossing bodies into a pit and the guy says:
"too many votes died tonight"

Honestly, the movie drags on way too long... the only bright spots are Daniel Day-Lewis giving a killer performance and that U2 song playing right as things wrap up.🙂
But hey, if you're the type of person who thinks Jackie Chan is the gold standard, or that 8 Million Ways to Die is a masterpiece,
then you'll probably think this flick is totally epic since it's packed with blood, fights, and pure brutality.

Unfortunately, since it's set in New York City, American pride will probably swoop in and hand it half a dozen Academy Awards.
That whole sense of American self-importance just makes me sick... ugh.

To goes to everyone who thinks Jackie Chan is the gold standard, or that 8 Million Ways to Die is some kind of masterpiece. This movie is going to be epic in its own way, mostly because it’s just packed with blood, fights, and pure brutality

Good grief... Jackie Chan 🙄 😁 I mean, the guy is practically a caricature at this point.
But whatever... everyone's entitled to their own taste, I guess. 😉

Honestly, comparing him to Jackie Chan feels a bit off... but then again, I don't see anything particularly groundbreaking about this flick besides the fact that it’s all about New York City and that specific slice of American history that everyone here seems so incredibly proud of. It’s going to rake in massive amounts of cash, sweep up Academy Awards, and basically take over everything—mostly because Americans tend to flock toward whatever fills the void of what they feel they're missing, whether it's a sense of identity, a connection to their culture, or even just a feeling of being worldly and educated... or so they tell themselves.

frozenrider112 said:Comparing this to Jackie Chan isn't quite right... though I don't see anything special about this movie other than it being set in New York City and touching on that American history people are so proud of... It’ll probably rake in massive amounts of money, Academy Awards, and everything else... because Americans love buying back what they lack—their sense of identity, culture, sophistication... and so on.

Maybe just try to relax and watch it without any preconceived notions about Americans...😉 😁

Look, I know how Americans can be... honestly, some of it is repulsive...

But I haven't seen the film yet... since I live in the middle of nowhere outside of a small Midwestern town... Once it arrives... I'll give it a watch...

Such a great movie! It's set back in 1862 and dives into the lives of Irish immigrants fighting for equal rights in America.👍

The movie is honestly a drag; the pacing is just way too slow. And honestly, I didn't even see much of a fight for equality going on—it felt more like just a young guy's (Leonardo DiCaprio) attempt to get revenge for his father's death. Daniel Day-Lewis is really the only bright spot in the whole thing. Plus, Cameron Diaz was terrible in this. All in all, I'd give it a 2/5.

frozenrider112 said:The movie is boring and the pacing is just way too slow. Honestly, it’s not even about the fight for equality—it's just a kid (Leonardo DiCaprio) trying to avenge his father's death. Daniel Day-Lewis is the only bright spot in the whole thing. And Cameron Diaz was terrible in this. All in all, 2/5.

I haven't seen it yet, but my favorite critic said pretty much the same thing, though they did mention this movie is actually better than Chicago, which didn't even have any decent acting.

...wood!

Nah, you're just looking at a single tree and thinking you see the whole forest.

Man, film reviews... 😁

I couldn't agree more with the point that Daniel Day-Lewis is the only redeeming quality here. Before this thing even hit theaters, I remember reading that this would be the ultimate litmus test for Cameron Diaz. Honestly? I don't think she passed. She just wasn't particularly impressive in it.

I’d honestly recommend this to just about everyone.

I mean, I was practically pulling my hair out during those 165 minutes because it was so intense, but once the credits rolled, I actually felt like it wasn't enough... it felt way too short, you know? Like there were still so many things left unsaid... I seriously need to own this on DVD!

The movie touches on so much, including the whole struggle for equality, but I think it mostly really speaks to the raw fight for survival itself. It shows that struggle in all its grit, its ruthlessness, the passion, the desperation, the sadness, and even the hope—you can just add whatever else you feel like.

From the very first frame, the production design and the costumes just absolutely blow you away, making you feel like you're a witness to a completely different world and a different era, though, if I'm being honest, it feels cursedly similar to how things are today…

The way "native" Americans treated the Irish immigrants back then feels incredibly similar to how some "indigenous" Europeans view people arriving from the Third World today.

And man, the messy whirlwind of politics... it was spinning just as wildly a hundred years ago as it is right now, unfortunately.

Those fight scenes? They might be some of the best stuff ever put on film.

Mr. Lewis is just masterful.

Cammy (I'm not criticizing her, I just love her character!) isn't quite Meryl Streep, and honestly, I don't think I'd even want to pay for her performance. I'd probably just end up offending her by trying to take credit for it.
😁
Anyway, at the end of the day, what do you guys think:

Is it better to have Leonardo DiCaprio lead the cast so a massive audience gets to see such an incredible movie, or should they have picked some random XY guy so that a smaller group of people sees it—given that Americans were basically tearing their own kind apart a hundred years ago, and won't be doing that to some poor Iraqi refugees now???

Personally, I'm all for Leonardo.
👍 😎

It feels like Scorsese tried to pack way too much into this movie, which is why so many scenes feel rushed. It might be because he was forced to trim the runtime by an hour. That said, the story is brilliant, the acting is solid (Daniel Day-Lewis is incredible), and the cinematography is stunning (Michael Ballhaus deserves an Academy Award!!!). Honestly, maybe the Director's Cut will be the better version.
I was expecting much more from this movie than 🙄
Best regards,

For those who live for the gore and the grit.......

I have to admit, I was expecting way more too... it was pretty average... honestly, I can barely even remember it anymore, and I only saw it seven days ago!

The movie is tight, and of course, it’s Scorsese-esque bizarre. You get lost in this massive pile of scenes and you're just sitting there wondering: okay, where is this actually going?
But honestly, it’s useful for getting a look at the face of America. People say about this place that whenever things seem like they're about to explode, the pressure just shifts somewhere else and the whole thing keeps churning along. I mean, if New York City started out like that, can you even imagine what it's become today? Personally, I think it's a pretty solid deep dive for anyone looking to catch a glimpse of the demonic underbelly of the human race.

I have to agree, the production design, the camera work, the costumes, and Daniel Day-Lewis's performance are all absolutely top-tier...
The rest of the movie felt a bit mediocre to me, and honestly, some of those scenes dragged on way too long!!! Plus, the whole thing was just incredibly violent... I can still picture that one Irish woman with those bruised teeth😲 😲
Some of the character studies were brilliant... I might even go so far as to say they had a Fellini-esque quality to them!!!

I wouldn't exactly suggest this one if you happen to be a vegetarian... 😁 😁 😁 😁