“I know it was you, Fredo. You broke my heart. You broke my heart.”

Ah, those infamous words spoken in The Godfather Part II by Michael Corleone and those words essentially define the route this sequel took. Mike is the head of his family, but he is broken, angry man and no one can escape his wrath, not even his poor older brother. This film is a film that  laments for loss and is full of bitter emotions…….but this is also arguably one of the greatest sequels of all time to one of the greatest films of all time. This is one of favorite all-time films, and I wouldn’t hesitate to call it better than the first movie. This movie excels at everything, especially when it comes to storytelling. and the devolution of Michael Corleone’s humanity and morality. The film invokes emotion from us for many reasons from the sad but powerful score by Nino Rota, to the powerhouse acting from everyone in the cast especially from Al Pacino, a story that introduces the past effectively, a very shocking ending, tight editing, powerhouse directing by Francis Ford Coppola, and the list goes on and on. Sequels were not a commodity back in the day, and this sequel to the huge 1972 film The Godfather is one of the first of its kind. The success of this film is why today’s movie business relies upon sequels to make money. Regardless, this is one of the greatest films of all time.

This film continues the saga of the Corleone family as we continue from the events of the first film. Michael Corleone (Al Pacino) is trying to expand the family’s business into places like Hollywood and Cuba. His character takes a dive as he clashes with his brother Fredo (John Cazale), his lawyer Tom Hagen (Robert Duvall), his wife Kay (Diane Keaton), and his sister Connie (Talia Shire). He is suspicious of his business associates activities such as folks like Hyman Roth (Lee Strasberg) and Frankie Pentangeli (Michael Gazzo). But this film incorporates another story into this story: the past. We meet Vito Corleone (Robert De Niro) when he was growing up in Sicily and emigrates to New York City where be becomes connected with the mob life.

I loved how the story is told thanks to the masterful storytelling by screenwriter Mario Puzo and director Coppola. They successfully tell two stories over the course of the movie without any trouble. Each story complements each other very well. The continuing saga of the present day family remains a high point. Of course the central character is Michael Corleone. The first film he was a man reluctant to take over the family business, but now he is turning into a control monster who trusts no one, not even his inner circle. It’s a sad thing to watch as his morality crumbles and the final scene-one of cinema’s most famous scenes, makes the case to show why Michael Corleone turns into a monster.

I enjoyed the flashback sequences featuring young Vito. De Niro absolutely nails his role as Vito and he inherits the older Vito’s mannerisms very well. It was fun to see how Vito turned into the man we knew him from the first film. The scenes in Sicily, where he is connected with a local mob boss is very powerful because Vito’s mother was shot down. But that event helped turn Vito into the kind of man he was and to my happiness, Vito exacted the perfect kind of revenge. These scenes in Sicily and New York are beautifully shot and they really understood what New York was supposed to be in 1910.

This is a film full of performances, all of them wonderful. Pacino excels as Michael Corleone once again. I really wish he won an Oscar for this role because he deserved it. His performance was effectively scary. Robert De Niro was absolutely amazing as the younger Vito and his role showed the kind of versatility this man has. Diane Keaton was effective as Kay. This film has Kay standing up to his man as she eventually leaves his side. Duvall is always great as Tom Hagen. John Cazale has a bigger part in the second film, as he tries to do what’s best but simply does not have the brains and ultimately pays the price. His performance was a powerful one. Then we have the likes of the little known actors who gave an impression like Lee Strasberg who played the business partner Hyman Roth who wants Michael killed and Michael Gazzo who plays Frankie, a relative and associate of Michael’s.

There are some interesting things I have noticed. Just like the first film, this film has a big party sequence in the opening. Michael is seen in the office talking about business. This is a great homage to the first film. I liked how the film incorporated real history in its events. The beginning of the film has young Vito at Ellis Island, a major immigration center for potential Americans and being denied entry at first due to sickness. Then, this film also uses the Cuban Revolution for a story arc. Fidel Castro actually takes Cuba while Michael was there.

The Godfather Part II is one of the greatest films of all time. The Godfather is an amazing film, but this one may just be a tad better. That is a rarity because 1.) Just look at the quality of the first film and 2.) sequels are rarely better than the original film. Speaking of sequels, this is the only sequel to this day that has won Best Picture at the Academy Award. Indeed, it’s a very amazing feat. Although to be taken with a grain of salt, but on the website IMDB, this movie is ranked #2 of all-time. That goes to show the commercial value of the movie. I loved this movie for many reasons. From Al Pacino’s wonderful performance to the chill-inducing score by Nino Rota. There was also a flashback sequence that harkens back to the first movie as it brings back James Caan although Marlon Brando declined because he felt underappreciated. Anyhow, Coppola does an amazing job with the first two movies in the series. That end shot……just wow.

My Grade: A+

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4-3pAKeR9H8

I was not the biggest supporter of Martin Scorsese’s first studio film, 1973’s Mean Streets. That film had moments of brilliance and it proved the man would go on to have a magnificent career. That was more evident by his next feature, 1974’s Alice Doesn’t Live Here Anymore. While still not a masterpiece, it’s definitely a very engaging film and Scorsese does an excellent job in getting the best out of his actors in his movie. What I really liked is how the film get you feeling at certain parts. Some parts of the film are incredibly funny (especially the scenes between mother and son), while others are intensely dramatic and tear-jerking. Scorsese does an excellent job in balancing those two tones, so it does not feel like the movie is all over the place. We get some magnificent performances out of everyone, especially from Ellen Burstyn who deserved her Oscar win for her portrayal of a mother trying to find independence and self-sufficiency.

Before we delve deep into plot details, this film came out with a very important message: the representation of women in American society. Women, at the time, was still seen as housewives and not workers. They must obey their men without question and it is okay for men to beat or abuse them. That was pretty much the mindset of this era. Scorsese, screenwriter Robert Getchell, and Ellen Burstyn set out to make a film that shows women as man’s equal. They deserve to have careers, to be paid as much as men do, to do anything a man can do. I think they succeed in bringing a clear message across. Even in today’s world, where women are treated better, there are still some obstacles preventing women from achieving the status of men do. But this movie conveys a very important message about women, and about family. I liked the beginning of the film as it goes along with the themes of conceived concepts of what society thought of womanhood. There is this fake sunset and fake sense of happiness as it shows the women should be happy as the family’s domestic servant. I almost thought I was watching The Wizard of Oz by mistake, but this scene gets its point across easily.

Alice Hyatt (Ellen Burstyn) finds herself an independent woman after many years in domesticity when her abusive husbands dies in a tractor-trailer accident. She decides to move to California with her eleven-year-old son named Tommy (Alfred Lutter) so she can begin a singing career. On their travels, they make lengthy stops in Arizona. They first stop in Phoenix, where she gets a job at a piano bar and dates a man named Ben (Harvey Keitel) who actually turns out to be married. They travel to Tucson where she puts her dreams of singing off to the side and becomes a waitress. There she meets a new friend, a fellow waitress named Flo (Diane Ladd), and more importantly a relationship with a farmer named David (Kris Kristofferson).

The performances are all wonderful. Ellen Burstyn is totally deserving of all her accolades. She plays an ordinary mother with the decent looks and prosperous dreams (she’s actually a terrible singer). But after years in domesticity, she finally finds herself in a position of independence. Her performance is very natural and realistic. Alfred Lutter was virtually an unknown and he never had much of an acting career after this film, but he was decent here. He could have been great, but sometimes he was annoying. Diane Ladd was wonderful as the waitress friend who is frank, honest, and loves sex. I liked Kris Kristofferson (or the Jeff Bridges lookalike) as the gentle farmer who is a handyman and he loves Alice from first sight. He loves her so much that he does anything he can to convince her to love him back and to show he’s not a fake. Finally, Harvey Keitel, a mainstay for Scorsese, is only in the movie for brief but he does a good job in being one of those idiot men who cheats on their wives.

Not only is the film about women, but it’s about other relationships. There is the relationship between Alice and Flo that works out well. They have this completely honest discussion during this beach scene and it’s a terrific scene to watch. There is the interesting relationship between Tommy and David. David tries to become a mentor in Tommy’s life, but is unable to reach out to him. He tries his best to act like a father figure, but that is all but ruined during a catastrophic birthday party scene. There is also the relationship between Tommy and Audrey (played by the young Jodie Foster.) Audrey becomes a friend to Tommy, but she is an outcast and she convinces Tommy to break the law (when it comes to stealing candy bars, etc). All these relationships have effective dynamics to them and are truly believable.

Alice Doesn’t Live Here Before has had its supporters and critics within the feminism movement. Some people say this film is overly feminist while others support the messages of the film. I, myself do find the themes to be powerful. Sometimes it feels like I’m being beaten over the head with these feminism issues in the movie, but they are very important. It has gotten better for women, but it is still not good enough. Fortunately, I am a man who believes every woman is my equal. This is not Martin Scorsese’s greatest film, but it’s a remarkable improvement over his last feature. The performances are all excellent, and the film is written very well. The pacing needs to be a little better, but overall it’s well-directed. Martin is learning very fast. Just wait till you see the remarkable Taxi Driver. I loved how he interjected a soundtrack full of rock’n’roll tunes. It’s nice to hear songs from Mott the Hoople and Elton John. This is a solid road-trip dramedy that highlights a very important issue.

My Grade: B+

Over the years, people have called Chinatown one of the best movies ever. I don’t quite agree with that statement, but there is no denying that the movie is a masterpiece. I may not find it one of the best films all-time, but I do find it as one of the best films of 1974. This noir film harkens back to the days where similar films were produced left and right. But starting from the 1960’s, this genre slowly began to fade away. The film may come across as really taking its time to tell the story, but the thriller has lots of tension that builds up to its climatic ending. This film brought public awareness to some issues people may not have really known about. Water is a commodity for human survival and whoever controls the water, controls the money. This movie is a complex series of events surrounding the control of water and that people can die over this issue. Ah, the wonders of being a human being! The movie is a complicated follow, so don’t lose yourself in any train of thought, or you might lose what will happen plot-wise. Boasting one of cinema’s all-time greatest screenplays by Robert Towne and a powerful lead performance by Jack Nicholson, you are in for a fantastic time.

As I mentioned briefly, the film’s plot can be complex as the film will turn down a completely different path in a heartbeat. Jake Gittes (Jack Nicholson) is a private investigator who specializes in matrimonial affairs. One day, he gets a visit from a woman claiming to be Evelyn Mulwray. She tells Jake that her husband is cheating on her and she would like Jake to investigate her claims. He does his job by taking photographs of him and he catches him with another woman. That ensues a scandal and Gittes is confronted by the real Evelyn Mulwray (Faye Dunaway). When the husband shows up dead, Gittes is led deeper and deeper in a web of deceit, lies, and murder.

This movie is given its voice by a variety of elements such as Robert Towne’s fantastic screenplay or Roman Polanksi’s visionary directing style. But let’s not forget about the wonderful performances including the tour de force performance by screen legend, Jack Nicholson. Nicholson’s performance is nothing short of excellent as he portrays Jake Gittes. I loved how the movie gave in-depth characterization to this character. Gittes may not be the nicest man in the world, but he’s a man of honor and honesty. The movie is all about lies and that forms a rather bleak mental state for Gittes. All we wants to do is find the truth and move on, but that seems impossible to do with all the lies and murder. Nicholson was nominated for an Oscar for his performance, and some might say he should have won. Who can forget that scene at the river bed where he is slashed in the nose by this random creep. Faye Dunaway also delivers an amazing performance. On the outside her character makes you believe she is good, but she has some fishy motives about her. Gittes falls in love with her, but he can’t take her sneaky lies. Then we have the performance of John Huston, the legendary director who plays Evelyn’s father. His character, Noah Cross is the antagonist of the film one would say as he wants to use his wealth to control the water. That dinner scene between Noah and Jake is quite something. Noah and his mean, beady eyes are put to good use.

This film was directed by Roman Polanski, before he was extradited to Europe and could only make films there. This movie has him returning back to the director’s chair, only a few years after the brutal murder of his wife and unborn child. I loved his sense of direction and he really captured the noir feeling you would find in the films of the 1940’s. His conflict with the screenwriter Robert Towne became somewhat famous. Towne had the film end with a happy ending, but Polanksi went against that. The ending is not a happy one as we get some unfortunate deaths from the wrong people, but it was an effective ending nonetheless. No matter what, Robert Towne written one of the best screenplays of all time and that will endure for many, many years into our future.

Chinatown was another instant success for Paramount studio. Between this and The Godfather, this studio was having a decade to remember up to this point. The noir genre has essentially been dead for years by the time 1974 rolled around, but this movie was able to revive the genre, only if it was for one picture. This film is labeled by film historians as a neo-noir. The basic elements of a noir film was here such as the emphasizing of cynical attitudes and sexual motivations. The ending is almost like a noir film where the revelations happen and the plot is explained. This is one of the most acclaimed neo-noir films and it would fit right at home with the noir films of the 40’s and 50’s.

Even though Chinatown is a fictional movie, it’s based of the Los Angeles water grab of 1908. This is a city that formed in a desert and it should be impossible for water to exist, which makes the control of the water ever more so fundamental. Towne did a great job adding his own 1930’s spin to the story. This movie is undeniably a great film. The pace crawls at times, but the content of the story kept me captivated. This is not an action thriller, but it’s one of those slow-burn thrillers focused on telling a top-rate story. The film fires on all cylinders because of it’s wonderful acting and solid direction. But we also have a great but sad, trumpet-infused score from Jerry Goldsmith and cinematography from John A. Alonzo that captures the L.A of old in a very effective way. Let’s not forget about the award-winning screenplay from Robert Towne. Nominated for 11 Oscars, this film is worth a watch. This is a fantastic thriller that relies upon excellent storytelling.

My Grade: A-