(these Are The Ones That My Friends And I Use The Most)

(these are the ones that my friends and I use the most)

Random thoughts after finally watching The Godfather Part 2.

I finally watched part 2 last week and I really enjoyed it but ultimately I prefer the first movie. That isn't to say that I didn't love it but as a whole I feel that the first part works better for me but that 2 has so many of my favourite moments from the movies.

The casting was impeccable again and I don't think there was a single actor who felt wrong for their role but I prefer the villains in the first movie. I find Sollozzo for example, more interesting and enjoyable than Hyman Roth and Johnny Ola. That's no reflection on the actors, just a personal preference.

The scenes with young Vito were beautifully done and I love how close to the book they were. Robert de Niro was perfect in the role as were young Genco/Tessio and Clemenza. I also really enjoyed the very old school Fanucci as a villain. Overall though as much as I enjoyed them and I'm glad they were included and it was important that they were, but if I had my choice, I'd rather spend more time with the remaining Corleone siblings.

What a loss to cinema John Cazale was. He was truly incredible here and had some of the most powerful scenes.

Al Pacino was brilliant again. My favourite scene of his was when he overhears Fredo saying that he knows Johnny Ola.

Robert Duvall was excellent again. He has great chemistry with Pacino and was never less than utterly convincing as an aging and battle weary Tom who is becoming increasingly alienated from Michael and the business yet retains his loyalty in spite of his growing discomfort with Michael's ruthlessness.

I loved the ever developing relationship between Michael and Tom with all its twists and turns. It physically pains me that we didn't get to see it continue in part 3 because their relationship was such an important part of the whole story.

I loved Frank Pentangeli. What a great character he was. I enjoyed him so much that I didn't even miss Clemenza. His final scene with Tom was one of my favourite moments from either of the movies.

The flashback scene was the perfect way to end it. I have so many feelings about that scene but I'll save that for another post.

Reading Watership Down is so fun because I’ll be like “Get his ass, Bigwig,” and then he looks like fucking this

So in The Godfather novel Johnny Fontane is trying to produce his own movies and a Union official, Billy Goff, who is connected to the Corleones, tries to extort 50K from him. Johnny is considering just paying up, instead turns to Tom Hagen, who has been helping him with the whole project. Tom advises him not to pay up, says he'll deal with it and a few days later Tom has the Union official shot dead in his own home.

Vito has just been shot at this point, and is too ill to be consulted so Tom says that he'll talk to Sonny about the situation but that he will be the one who makes the final decision as to what will be done about the Union official so he personally ordered him to be killed.

Alan Ladd and Brandon De Wilde in the classic western, Shane. Directed by George Stevens, 1953.

My favourite scene in The Godfather book might be when Tom is released after being abducted by Sollozzo and Michael watches Sonny literally run to embrace Tom and realises that Tom is much closer to Sonny than he'll ever be.