Nothing beats “The Godfather.” Both parts are two of the greatest films ever made and when they hit theaters in 1972 and 1974, audiences were stunned by the exquisite filmmaking and storytelling.
Both are movies you just can’t take your eyes off of in the same way as an eye-popping visually stunning superhero movie. Yet, these are great mafia stories and the other is designed specifically for special effects.
So if you loved “The Godfather” then you’ll love these 3 movies.
Casino
This might not only be the most criminally underrated movies of director Martin Scorsese’s career, but also in the entire history of movies. As Jonah Hill once said, “people are on the wrong side of history” with “Casino.”
It stars Robert De Niro, Sharon Stone and Joe Pesci and written by the great Nicholas Pileggi who also authored the novel. Just like “The Godfather,” it’s a story of deception, power and murder. But in this case it’s not amongst rival mafia families, it’s between two best friends; a mafia enforcer and a casino executive.
In early-1970s Las Vegas, low-level mobster Sam “Ace” Rothstein (De Niro) is made head of the Tangiers Casino. At first, he’s a great success in the job, but over the years, problems with his loose-cannon enforcer Nicky Santoro (Pesci). It also stars the incomparable James Woods as a con artist. As Jonah Hill says, it’s wildly underrated.
American Gangster
Two of the great actors in Hollywood history are indisputably Russell Crowe and Denzel Washington. Both are Academy Award winners and both are so overlooked and underrated in certain roles despite being two of the greatest actors working today.
“American Gangster” is the epitome of the aforementioned. The performances by both Crowe and Washington are absolutely flawless.
It tells the story of an outcast by-the-book loyal New York City cop, Richie Roberts (Crowe) who brought down one of the most ruthless Harlem drug lords, Frank Lucas (Washington), which is inspired by a true story.
Directed by Ridley Scott (“Alien” and “Blade Runner”) and is penned by the master screenwriter Steven Zaillian (“Schindler’s List” and “Searching for Bobby Fischer”)
City Hall
This is another movie that is embarrassingly overlooked. Here’s the thing; Al Pacino is so good at what he does that a lot of his great performances are marginalized because his best are the ones people point to. Obviously people think of “The Godfather parts 1 & 2,” “Dog Day Afternoon” or “Scarface” when they think of the Academy Award winner for Best Actor, which ironically was won as playing Lt. Col. Frank Slade in “Scent of a Woman.” Overlooked are his performances as Ricky Roma in “Glengarry Glen Ross,” Frank Serpico in “Serpico,” and Mayor John Pappas in “City Hall.”
“City Hall” is about the unexpected and accidental shooting of a boy in New York that leads to an investigation, and ultimately reveals far-reaching consequences.
Directed by Harold Becker who’s known for “Mercury Rising,” “Malice” and “Sea of Love” – the latter also stars Al Pacino.
It’s a wonderful surprise of a movie and it demands your attention because it’s an underrated gem of a movie.
Nothing will ever match “The Godfather” and anybody who thinks so is just deluding themselves, but until we get something of that caliber again; these other movies should at least hold your interest.