Films
Mickey Blue Eyes
I’m not sure this one was worth digging out to watch. It’s a light-hearted rom-com-with-mafia-boss-parents. I can just about imagine enjoying it on a listless afternoon at the cinema with a massive tub of popcorn. Or a post-pub video rental, which you mostly tak through…
Huge Grunt is a well-to-do auctioneer. His partner, Jeanne Tripplehorn, is a schoolteacher. But her dad? James Caan is a mob boss. And whilst the family (or, rather, The Family) welcome Hugh with open arms, they’re pretty soon getting him mixed up in all sorts of mob capers.
It’s a bit thin. Coming hot on the heels of The Godfather it was always going to be. But even so… eeesh.
The Godfather
It’s a classic. I’d never seen it. I wasn’t really sure what to expect.
First things, it’s a pretty enjoyable story that rattles along at a fair pace. It’s a long film but it doesn’t really feel like it, which is impressive. The first half (two-thirds?) is great. Marlon Brando’s weary Godfather, and then the tensions between cool-headed Tommy and angry Sonny are all gripping. Al Pacino’s return to assume the family throne lost me a bit though - the last chunk was still decent but never really grabbed me in the same way.
House of Gucci
This was more enjoyable than it felt like it ought to be. The accents were grating, the characters mostly rich and unlikeable but … it had a certain charm. The first half, where we follow Adam Driver and Lady Gaga’s ascent into the Gucci business is much better than the messy second half which races through time increasingly quickly. Not that it should have been any longer.
American Fiction
This is a clever one. It never loses sight of the point its making but never feels too heavy or didactic. A clever balance. The supporting cast are all great.
Cinema 2024 Roundup: part I
2024 has started and there are lots of good films to watch! Here’s a bunch we’ve seen at the cinema this year…