Author! Author!

Lately, I have been on an Al Pacino binge. I have watched through all the 'Godfather' movies, 'Serpico', and 'Author Author'. I'll admit that the fact that the latter two are on Netflix instant played a major role in my watching them. I am not about to say that I love all of Pacino's movies, I read through the list and there are several that look pretty bad. But of the five that I have seen, I've loved him. I am going to focus on 'Author! Author' for several reasons. First, I feel like blogging about how great 'The Godfather' is would be redundant. (For the record 'The Godfather' is in my top five). Second, I feel like 'Author! Author!' is unique because there are very few comic roles that were filled by Pacino. Lastly, 'Serpico' was my least favorite of the bunch. It was a good cop movie, very engaging and entertaining, just not something I feel like analyzing! So, without further lead up, let's get to business.

'Author! Author!' is a movie about a playwright. Al Pacino plays Ivan Travalian, the playwright, who is balancing a threatened stage production with a threatened family unit. Ivan is married to a woman who brought several children from several marriages into his home. Along with his own son there are plenty of kids to fill up a small New York home. This movie addresses the effects of broken homes on the children, the stress of providing for a family, and the troubles of married life. I know that so far this sounds bleak, but it is in fact a comedy. Pacino's character is a fantastic father to all the children and there is a thoroughly adorable chemistry between the lot of them. I find the movie to be highly quotable, being so full of good lines. Also, I think that the story in very good! It's engaging, lovable, entertaining, and interesting. I know that my opinion is not normal. If you Google this movie there are many less friendly reviews out there. I think that those people are just having trouble seeing Pacino in a more docile comic role. I, for one, found him to be very convincing and easy to attach to. I cared deeply for the characters. In all honesty, I have seen this movie several times! It's bordering on a go-to movie for me. To avoid saying too much and spoiling things for you, I will stop now. To end, this is a great movie and I highly, highly recommend you watch it!