Mike T. (michaelcorleone)

The Coen Brothers' new venture is fairly straightforward and stylistically simple, and it's all the better for it. A grim, extremely eerie film filled with moody subtleties and unconventional directorial choices. Gorgeously shot, extremely memorable and equally well-penned. One of 2007's finest.

This is not an exceedingly inventive or groundbreaking film, but it has a special tenderness to it that I found irresistible. Carey Mulligan is a brilliant lead, playing effectively on a range of emotions and proving herself to be a highly charismatic actor. Although the movie starts off as a slightly clunky comedy of manners, it evolves into a genuinely moving and morally intricate drama. It isn't forceful or insincere. It's a smartly written, well-acted and thoroughly entertaining piece that deserves mention as one of 2009's best releases.

Describing the greatness of this film is an impossibility. This is a crime-drama masterpiece, a Shakespearean character study and a cinematic landmark in every sense of the term. This is a tense, intriguing examination of family ties and treachery. This is quite possibly the greatest cast ever compiled - Brando, Pacino, Duvall and Caan are all at the top of their game here. Films like this remind us why we go to the movies. Coppola brings an ideally dark aura to the story, employing the use of underexposed footage and painstakingly perfect pace. Pacino's most understated character work is in this film - he portrays Michael in all the tortured complexity that Puzo wrote him.

This is a more complex and darker film than its predecessor. Gordon Willis' contrasting cinematographic methods for the flashbacks and main story work incredibly, and the screenplay provides us with detailed, vivid characters who are acted to perfection. Although we are distanced emotionally from Michael Corleone in this film, Pacino's performance ensures that we are still fascinated with him. Although Pacino is undoubtedly the stand-out, there is an abundance of remarkable supporting performances here, particularly from John Cazale.