«The Offer», the cult series that tells the making of the film «The Godfather»- Corriere.it

On the new platform of Paramount+the glorious Hollywood major with the mountain, there’s an offer you can’t refuse, to put it in Corleone tones: “The Offer”cult series that tells the stormy preparation and processing of “Godfather”since the book’s release Puzo’s best seller at the debut (’72) of masterpiece movie by Coppola who won three Oscars (but Brando did not withdraw his in support of the Indians controversy) and then had two sequels. Like «Mank», on the story of «Citizen Kane» by Welles, «The Offer» recounts the difficult birth of a film that the great Italian-American «families» did not want, that Sinatra hated for a too similar character and in which the word mafia had to appear at most once.

For once, it’s not the actors who dominate: Brando is seen in two scenes, a little more a young Pacino who is initially protested. True protagonists are the producers who work wonders to answer Paramount tycoons sitting with their cigars: first the mighty Bob Evans (Matthew Goode) in his moment of splendor (he will also do «Chinatown» and «Cotton Club») before being overwhelmed by scandals worthy of Hollywood Babylon, opposite Ali McGraw who betrays him towards the end with Steve McQueen; second but fundamental (he was awarded an Oscar) Albert S. Ruddy (Miles Teller) to whose courage and stubbornness we owe the realization and the success of the film.

He had to do it make an alliance and friendship with the Italian head of the family Joe Colombo, later victim of an attack, ending up on the front pages not only of «Variety». It is all very true and probable, the cast is amazingthe actors who make Puzo the writer (Patrick Gallo) and above all Dan Fogler who portrays Coppola are similar and especially the confusion, the climate, the struggles, the cynicism, the lack of communication between two types of cinema in the moment of maximum crisis of the Hollywood system.

And knowing how it ends, col triumph of a memorable film even at the risk of family honor (it also happened with Al Capone and Bonnie and Clyde), it’s interesting browse among the developments of a millionaire set at the time, with the excellent production secretary (Juno Temple) finally rewarded. If the sentimental brackets and the drugs are the most obvious things and the trip to Sicily linked to folklore, the ten episodes of the series created by Michael Tolkin and directed by Dexter Fletcher have a great driving force in making us browse the environment without making gossip in bad taste, but keeping up the concept of cinema as a mirror of societyin this case linked to the power of “families” who risked blocking forever a film which in the end was also an uncalculated advertising vehicle for them, because “The Godfather” now belongs to the history of cinema and begins that new american style which will make theirs unrepeatable, innovative and courageous 70’s.