I love a good "family" movie. The Godfather is one of those films that grew on me over time. When I first saw it, I was too young to appreciate it. I didn't really understand what I was watching. In the late 90's I saw it again, this time with a more mature head on my shoulders, and the movie really worked for me. I enjoyed the story of Michael Corleone (Al Pacino) especially and to this day I think he is one of the best characters in cinema history. He is the son of Don Vito Corleone (Marlon Brando), the head of a mob family in New York in the 1940's. Unlike his brothers Sonny (James Caan) and Fredo (John Cazale), Michael has managed to stay away from the family business for many years but when an attempt is made on his fathers life, Michael cannot resist the temptation any longer. He plots a revenge strike and at this point we start to watch the moral downfall of this once good man. The Godfather received 11 Oscar nominations, eventually taking home 3 trophies for Best Picture, Best Actor (Brando), and Adapted Screenplay (the film is based on Mario Puzo's bestseller). Pacino, Caan and Robert Duvall, who played family adviser Tom Hagen, all received Best Supporting Actor nods and somehow none of the three were able to win. The Godfather is widely considered by critics to be one of the best films ever made. I won't quite put it on that pedestal but I definitely understand the praise and it is warranted.
Like Alien previously on this list, the sequel is every bit the equal of the original. The Godfather II is considered by many to be the better of the two movies. Once again I may give a slight edge to the first one, but part two is worthy of a place on the list and needs to be mentioned here. You can skip part 3.
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