Reviews

After I bought this series on DVD and watched the first episodes, I found myself glued to the television, and finished the 4DVD set in two days. Riveting stuff! The Series follows 4 young boys from the town of Corleone. Two of these are celebrities like Toto Riina and Bernando Provenzano, eventual leaders of the Cosa Nostra, and the hero Biagio Schiro – who in the face of Mafiosi turns to the straight and narrow path (something of a rarity in the mafia stronghold of Corleone). Biagio vs Riina drives the story throughout the better part of 50 years and it is a classic case of cat and mouse.

The Main characters and the people connected to them (wifes and children) are well developed. I quite often found myself in the mindsets of both Schiro and Riina, and the actors portraying this pair did a great job. The only character I felt lacked something was Provenzano. He was a very important figure to the corleonesi-cosa nostra but is not as prominent as one would expect. However, acting, directing and dialogue are top notch in general. The hours just fly by! I particularly enjoyed the scenes between Schiro and Boris/Falcone, where there is some much needed comic relief and nice one-liners.

Don't get scared by the Italian, put the subtitles on and enjoy one of the best mafia tales of the 00's!

Okay, so it's the big movie of this Oscar-year. But is it justifiably as good as the mountain of nominations should imply?

I don't think so. Granted, the storyline is good and the movie makes you feel for the characters that are involved. But the material on hand is not that of an instant classic, straight into the top half of the IMDb top250 list. Maybe the general consensus of 8/10+ ratings on this movie is linked to the hype connected to the Oscars. Even if the movie looks great and holds its own against other films, the story just isn't THAT good. Don't get me wrong, I enjoyed the movie a lot and enjoyed watching it, but I don't believe that it warrants 13 nominations. Rant over.

The acting is thoroughly enjoyable. Cate Blanchet gives 'Daisy' a real zest for life and makes her instantly likable. Her recent form as an actress really underlines the feeling that we are experiencing a class act. Move over Meryl Streep! As for Brad Pitt…Other reviews have highlighted that he has no expression in his face, or rather just the one. However, he plays Benjamin with a certain innocence that suits him well, "the charming do-gooder". Button as the main protagonist is a success, but I wish that the experiences he gains and the moral of the story could have been a bit more diverse. Jason Flemyng, Jared Harris and Tilda Swinton also deliver solid supporting roles that add much to the movies appeal. Cudos to them.

Not as Wow(!) as Gran Torino, Milk or Slumdog Millionaire, but a solid and enjoyable movie. Go see it, just make up your mind in the theater.