The Godfather Part II
(1974)
Unlike most (all?) picks you’ll see today if you make the TMP rounds, this film only has two stories going. One of those stories is the true sequel to the original The Godfather chronicling the continued ascent of Michael Corleone into full-blown Don status. The other is the prequel to that same movie. It details the rise of Vito Corleone into the same. Their intersection comes from the mere fact of biology as Vito is Michael’s father. It’s two epic crime dramas wrapped in one with one of the most debated endings of all time. I’ve been called blasphemous for saying what I’m going to say next. Robert DeNiro gives us the greatest rendition of Vito Corleone committed to film. Yup, that’s what I said. For this last thing, I’ve been labeled a degenerate. The Godfather Part II is the greatest movie ever made. Yup, I said that, too.
Amores Perros
(2000)
When I first made the transition into full-on movie buffhood (as opposed to action/comedy/b-movie guy) around 2005, this movie was recommended to me over and over for a couple of years. When I finally gave it a shot, I was thrilled to have done so. This one revolves around a car accident involving the main characters of all three segments of the film. The first segment concerns a guy in love with his sister-in-law whom he feel is being mistreated by his brother. The second concerns a magazine publisher who has left his wife to live with a model who’s leg was broken during the accident in question. Finally, we have a story about a guy who appears to be a bum who cares for stray dogs, but is actually a hitman. Speaking of canines, all of you “dog people” should probably steer clear of this one. They suffer a lot in this movie. That notwithstanding, this is still an excellent film. Director Alejandro Gonzalez Innaritu has gone to fame and fortune by helming the likes of Gravity and Birdman. This film is much more grounded by comparison, but still ranks right up there with anything he’s done.
Bobby
(2006)
While the other films I chose have a minimal number of plotlines going to qualify for the topic, this one goes for broke in that sense. This film tries to give us as much of what was going on during a particular day as possible, touching on the lives of no less than 22 people on a day none of them would ever forget. They all happened to be at the Ambassador Hotel in Los Angeles on June 5, 1968. That’s when and where the titular Bobby, Senator Robert F. Kennedy, was assassinated. Taking on so much could have made this a muddled mess. However, director and writer Emilio Estevez, who also played a role, handled his “cast of thousands” excellently and created a wonderful film in the process.
Amores Perros is such a fantastic film, but it's one of those films that I'm not sure I could sit through a second time. Yes, I am a dog person.
ReplyDeleteIt's a great call out here though--when I saw the title of the post, it was one of the first films I thought of, and it's one more people should see, even if they see it only once.
It is a wonderful film that, yes, is at times hard to watch. It's totally worth it if you do. Glad you were able to get through and appreciate it.
DeleteI love The Godfather Pt. II and Amores Perros as they're just great examples of films with multiple storylines. Bobby to me is just one of the worst films I had ever seen. It's a poor man's Robert Altman film. Not once did I go see in the film and see real characters. Instead, I was like "oh, there's this person and that person and what is that? Why is this person here?" It featured some of aspects of 1960s idealism that I just can't fucking stand. Oh, you have Nick Cannon as the typical angry African-American desperate for hope only to lose it. Oh, there's Ashton Kutcher as some hippie giving acid to Shia LaBeouf. There's Harry Belafonte and Anthony Hopkins not really doing anything. I fucking loathe this film as it displayed many of the ideas of why I was starting to dislike the hyperlink films that Robert Altman had perfected and took great care into making us give a shit and here was a film that was beating you over the fucking head about the importance of this event. I don't need a fucking history lesson. If I want a fucking history lesson, I'd go watch the fucking History Channel.
ReplyDeleteBobby is certainly a take it or leave it type of film. I know a few people who feel the same as you. I enjoyed it, but understand it's not without flaws.
DeleteWe watched Amores Perros in school. Couldn't finish and left the room. No movie for me...
ReplyDeleteBobby sounds more like a movie I could like.
Wow. That's a tough movie to watch in school. I couldn't imagine putting it on for a group of students unless they were prepared beforehand and we had a specific reason to watch it. I understand not wanting to go back to it. Hope you check out Bobby, though. Thanks for reading and commenting.
DeleteOh man, I was getting so excited reading about Amores Perros and then you mentioned the dogs! I might have to suffer through it anyway, it sounds like a great movie.
ReplyDelete- Allie
It is a great movie, but I figured I had to warn people.
DeleteI really like Bobby, I'm glad you chose that one. I think it's very underrated. I was feeling Amores Perros until you mentioned the dog thing. lol. Now I'm afraid.
ReplyDeleteI think Bobby is very underrated. Sorry, felt I should warn people about AP.
DeleteYour probably going to be displeased with me but I'm not a huge fan of the Godfather films. They're good, well made movies with great acting but nothing I ever feel the need to watch again. I really enjoyed Bobby and thought of it at first but I used it previously for films set in a hotel. Haven't seen Amores Perros, I'll have to think about that one it sounds intense.
ReplyDeleteSince most films have stories that intersect it made the theme a bit tough so I decided to go with movies whose main thrust was to be multi-focused.
Vantage Point (2008)-The various stories related to an attempted assassination are told from numerous vantage points. Over plotted but still engrossing film, some story threads are better realized than others. Strong cast includes Sigourney Weaver, Dennis Quaid, Forest Whitaker and Édgar Ramírez.
Detective Story (1951)-One day in the life of the detective squad of the 21st Precinct. The intersecting story of the various people who pass through their doors includes: a sweet but dotty old lady; an embezzler and his girl; a pair of blustering burglars and a naive shoplifter (Lee Grant). One of the officers, Detective Jim McLeod (Kirk Douglas) is a tough cynical man whose obsessive pursuit of an abortionist could lead to personal disaster. Both Grant and Eleanor Parker as McLeod’s wife scored Oscar nominations.
Grand Hotel (1932)-“Grand Hotel...always the same. People come, people go. Nothing ever happens.” So it seems to the desk clerk of the title building but this tells the tale of many intermingling stories. Creaks a little with age but contains some really fine performances, Joan Crawford’s best early work, the Barrymore brothers, but also some less distinguished ones, Garbo in particular seems stiff in many scenes. The genesis of the all-star picture this holds the distinction of being the only Best Picture winner to do so on a sole nomination.
Grand Hotel is a great call out. It gets brought up now and then as a film that shouldn't have won for Best Picture, but I think it's a hell of a good film and one very much worth seeing. For me, the selling point is that just as the people in the stories have had vastly different fates that lead them to the hotel, they have vastly different resolutions by the end of the film. There's no "happy-happy-joy-joy" across the board, so it feels much more real.
DeleteI'm not displeased with you, Joel. I mean, it's okay to be wrong from time to time. Well, twice in your case. In other words, "Vantage Point. Ugh!" Sorry, I hate that movie. I do need to see Grand Hotel, though.
DeleteI would never go so far as to say I love Vantage Point but I didn't mind it, though I haven't seen it since I saw it in the theatre. I was looking for something more contemporary that I didn't think would show up elsewhere and it fit the bill but both of my other two are far superior to it in both execution and acting.
DeleteAs I said I think the Godfather films, well the first two anyway, are good films they just aren't ones that I hold in any special affection. I know that puts me in the minority but I find myself there frequently. :-)
Vantage Point definitely fits. I just thought it was terrible.
DeleteAs for the Godfather flicks, it's cool, I'm just giving you a hard time.
I have seen Amores Perros on other sites and felt intrigued...until the dogs. I won't be watching this at all. I have to admit, I was never much into the Godfather films. I don't even own a DVD of them. I do want to see Bobby and have placed this on my list
ReplyDeleteI'll take one out of three. That's great in baseball. Hope you enjoy Bobby.
DeleteI love Amores Perros! It's an excellent movie but it's so heavy I only saw it once
ReplyDeleteHeavy is a perfect way to describe it. Once is probably enough because it sticks with you.
DeleteI really need to see Amores Perros. And the Godfather movies...
ReplyDeleteYes. You do.
DeleteI love Amores Perros! And The Godfather!! I haven't seen Bobby but sounds interesting.
ReplyDeleteAP and The Godfather flicks are amazing. Bobby is definitely worth a look, too.
DeleteDammit! I so regret not seeing Bobby. I really have to see it now. As for your other two picks...masterpieces, bro! The Godfather and Part II are of the first movies I saw when I was "getting into movies." They changed my whole world. Amores Perros is one I haven't seen in awhile, but it is amazing.
ReplyDeleteGlad you can appreciate Amores Perros. It really is an excellent film. Now go see Bobby!
DeleteI have no doubt Amores Perros is amazing, but I've never been able to bring myself to watch it because of the animal cruelty.
ReplyDeleteI get that. Lots of people feel that way so I don't blame you for skipping it.
DeleteFun banner, Dell! Hmmm, you had me intrigued about 'Bobby' now, I had no idea Emilio Estevez directed it. Is that Lindsay Lohan? She seems to have disappeared from earth lately.
ReplyDeleteEstevez should really direct more movies. Yes, that is Lohan.
DeleteGreat picks! I think Bobby is such an underrated film.
ReplyDeleteThanks! I agree!
DeleteSeen the first two. Not seen Bobby but it got quite a pasting from what I recall.
ReplyDeleteIt did. This is one of those times where I'm on the opposite side of most critics.
DeleteI don't remember much of Bobby but I rather liked it when I saw it and it certainly fit this theme very well.
ReplyDeleteIt does fit very well. Not many films have more intersecting stories.
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