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What To Expect From The Godfather Prequel

by Simon Martin
8 May 2011 5 Comments

For a start they should get the casting and director right and erase the hideous part three. After that. it's a simple choice of who plays the good, the bad and the ugly...

'It best be good, or you'll sleep with the fishes...'

“It’s 21 years since I wrote this song, I’m 91 now and I’ve been dead for 12 years.”  Not quite the Billy Brag classic I think you’ll agree but bear with me.  It has indeed been 21 years since the last and worst of the Godfather films but next year there will be a new book and screenplay by Edward Falco (relatively unknown uncle of Edie Falco of Soprano’s fame) based on an unpublished Mario Puzo (1920-1999) novel charting the lives of the Andolini’s from Corleone in Sicily before Vito came to America. Since the last film which was not well received despite an admirable effort by Andy Garcia we have had Goodfellas (1990), Bugsy (1991), Casino (1995), Mobsters (1991), A Bronx Tale (1993) and a fair few well-made British underworld drama such as Sexy Beast (2000), Layer Cake (2004), Rocknrolla (2008) and Lock Stock and two Smoking Barrels (1998).  So is there a need for a Godfather Prequel and what should we expect?

One suspects it might be a story told alongside that of the mafia itself as local criminal protectionist families made alliances in turn of the century Sicily as the Mafia would have been fairly young itself at that time.  There will likely be parallels to the 2nd film and more will be learned about maybe Don Fanucci’s family and the back story to Vito’s murder of Don Ciccio to avenge that of his father Antonio Andolini.

Don Ciccio: I see you took the name of the town. What was your father’s name?

Vito Corleone: Antonio Andolini.

Don Ciccio: You’ll have to speak up. I can’t hear you

Vito Corleone: My father’s name was Antonio Andolini… and this is for you. [slits open his belly]

Michael Mann would do a good if job of it as would Brian de Palma but I would love to see it given to Quentin Tarantino.  The danger is that a project like this becomes clichéd and run of the mill

Were this screenplay to be made into a movie, and one suspects the only point that it is being talked about is that it will, who will direct?  It would be a great story to give it to Sofia Coppola as her name is synonymous with the worst of the trilogy so far as her performance as an actor in Godfather III was widely criticised and rightly so.  She’s very capable as Lost in Translation (2003) shows us and it may prove cathartic if it is successful.  I don’t think that will happen though, it’s not really her style of film so who would do a good job?  Is Scorcese in the market to work on someone else’s baby?  Probably not.  Michael Mann would do a good if job of it as would Brian de Palma but I would love to see it given to Quentin Tarantino.  The danger is that a project like this becomes clichéd and run of the mill.  Most angles of mafia culture have been covered in film and it’s also been parodies in Wise Guys (1986) so it has to be different.  QT would breathe life into the genre and on the back of a storming return to form with Inglorious Basterds (2009) I think he would make a fantastic job of it.

As the third film is so long ago and the chronology is out, casting for the film will be interesting.  I guess the producers will have the pick of Hollywood’s brightest for the main characters.  You will need Latin beauties, young rugged Italian types, family patriarchs and baddies.

Who would you cast?  Here’s a few ideas:

Latin Beauties: Salma Hayek, Paz Vega, Selina Gomez, Paz de la Huerta, Penelope Cruz

Rugged Italian men: James Franco, Vincent Cassell, Benicio del Torro, Adrien Brody, Leonardo DiCaprio

Patriarchs: Sean Penn, Ed Harris, Christopher Walken, Paul Giamatti, Nicholas Cage

Baddies: Stanley Tucci, Javier Bardem, John Malcovich, Chazz Palminteri, John Leguizamo

What is for sure is this will be talked about and talked about and talked about, this is the baggage it brings so it better be good and it better be different.  I for one can’t wait.

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image descriptionCOMMENTS

Dimitri 11:43 am, 8-May-2011

Come now, Simon. Your directorial speculation is ridiculous. Brian de Palma? As much as Scarface is a cult classic (and yes I do love it too) we must admit it was a rather terrible film. Michael Who? The Sofia Coppola thing is funny and I'm sure your were kidding, but Tarantino? Breath life into the genre? The guys good but this is no cheese-ball film we're talking about. This is Coppola here! Scorsese is as far as I can tell the only director capable of shining as brightly as Coppola but your point to rule him out was fair. I'm surprised to see that Christopher Nolan didn't make your list.

Simon Martin 2:36 pm, 8-May-2011

Well Dimitri it's a game of opinions I suppose but rather than call yours ridiculous I will accept that Nolan is a capable director and has made some decent stuff. Not sure I called the film or series "cheeseball" either unless you feel Tarantino is only capable of being given that kind of project, I disagree, I think he is capable of excellent work. Again, I agree that Scarface is not a great film but I think Carlito's Way is pretty good. Michael Mann directed Colateral, Heat and Last of the Mohicans.

John Anthony Lake 2:14 pm, 16-May-2011

Re directors, Antoine Fuqua did great work with Training Day and Brooklyn's Finest, as did Curtis Hanson with L.A, Confidential. My personal opinion of Tarantino is that he's an over-rated bore who had one good idea and made 2 decent films out of it (Reservoir Dogs and Pulp Fiction).

Simon Martin 3:14 pm, 16-May-2011

Well you can pick and choose successes and failures from any director but to dismiss Tarantino's Jackie Brown or Inglourious Basterds is a little odd to say the least and that is forgetting about both Kill Bills which were successful in that genre and his writing credit for True Romance. If you are only as good as your last game he was nominated for the Best Director Oscar and for directing awards all over the world. Let's take Fuqua, he also directed King Arthur which was poor, he has no connection with Italian Americana so would be an odd choice in my view. To Curtin Hanson, LA Confidential was 14 years ago and 8 Mle 9 years ago and whilst it was a decent enough movie on a budget all he has done is TV movies, a sitcom and some shit about shoes with the increasingly hideous Cameron Diaz. I'd love to hear more suggestions but fellas, let's give it some thought, hey? No just naming the director of a film you once saw that was any good.

Simon Martin 3:15 pm, 16-May-2011

8 Mile was 9 years ago I meant.

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