Bonanno: A Godfather's Story

By golly, if you watch this movie, you will end up thinking Joseph Bonanno was the most moral and fairest of men, who spent his Mafia days talking others out of killing. No joke. Now, here at IMDB, I see why. This writing credits for this film go to Joseph Bonanno and his son Bill Bonanno.

Toni Nardi, who plays Joseph Bonanno, from ages 35-61, is as likable as can be. (I think he also narrates it, but am not sure.) Why Martin Landau got top billing is beyond me. He plays Mr. Bonanno in his 90s, has few scenes and no lines! Why didn't they just make Mr. Nardi look much older? I'm sure a make-up person could have easily done so. Moreover, why is Toni Nardi not even pictured on the movie poster? He carried the whole film!

Mr. Nardi is a perfect Mafia boss for those who wish to believe Mafia godfathers are great family men, out to help others succeed in life; certainly not the criminals law enforcement agencies want everyone to believe. In the beginning of the movie, his wife is shown, as is his daughter. His wife is an intelligent, interesting person.

After son Bill becomes an adult and part of the Mafia, however, his mother and sister are no longer seen in the movie. Why did they become non-existent characters? They didn't die in real life! Is this suppose to be strictly a guy movie? It does have some very violent scenes, which I fast-forwarded through.

Finally, one highly interesting part of the film concerned the assasination of JFK. According to this story, JFK was killed by the Mafia. Lee Harvey Oswald was nothing but a patsy, and Jack Ruby was working for the Mafia when he shut him up. They were furious at Kennedy because of the Valachi hearings, and because Joseph Kennedy told them his son would be a friend to the Mafia if elected. So, they worked to get him elected. He did not become a friend. They had him shot dead.

its about joseph bonanno a smart sicilian boy who escapes the sicilian army and comes to america for a new life but ends up being a bum in america until he becomes a made man and eventually the don. its a great movie to buy it, its worth the money

Very well done acting and directing. This is a cross between "The Last Don" and " Godfather 2".One large plus for this production is that it is claimed to be a true story of Joseph Bonanno. With a better music score to create mood, it could have been a rival for both Godfather movies.

I found parts of this movie rather slow, especially the first part; the second part seemed to go a lot faster, but it's not totally clear to me as to why one part was faster than the other. I somehow managed to find it enjoyable. The acting was good, the writing was good (yet vulgar). There was also another good side to it: it was easier to understand than say, the Godfather movies. You knew who was on whose side, etc. All in all, the movie wasn't half-bad.

Hollywood has turned the Mafia in to a production line of output ranging from the banal to the excellent and despite some good acting and a reasonable script (much of which is - for a change - true!) this "home entertainment" effort has to fall slap bang in the middle.

The script is not only obvious (all of the checklist boxes end up being ticked), but spends a lot of time trying to create a pastiche of the best of other people's work. The Godfather being the most obvious, but there are other references too. I won't bother naming them. Nevertheless it is a good taste borrower! The producer seems to set a quota for gunshots and murder (one at least every twenty minutes?) and the ending is weak and "so what?" I am told there are various versions of this production so that maybe that is just the version I have seen.

Gangsters don't make money they take money. Usually by fear. Some seem more in to the murder and mayhem side of the business than making money. They were the ones that were the first to go (in real life and here). "You can't make money with a gun in your hand" says Charlie 'Lucky' Luciano at one stage. One of the smarter gangsters, although all things are relative. He was a skilled white slave trader and a drug dealer before being bundled home to Italy.

The old school "moustached Pete's" were picked off by the new bloods who wanted the power and the money for themselves and to break free of the straight jacket of Italian/Sicilian power (rarely doing business outside themselves). The young Turk knew they needed to be allied with other groups (most notably "the Jews" who knew how to launder money) and this is at least referenced and acknowledged. What isn't made so clear is that most immigrant groups had their own Mafia's - but most of them made their money and went legit. And why not? Who wants to die in jail?

Joseph Bonanno was a ruthless man prepared to kill if needs be , but not an unfair or stupid one. His story was tragic in that he could have made money in the over ground world and he showed a special skill in avoiding getting killed. With a little bit of luck attached, naturally.

Despite the range of respectable names and three actors in the title role (Bruce Ramsay, Martin Landau and Tony Nardi) there isn't the charisma or the talent to bring us in and feel anything. We are - merely - passive observers in a life we are glad not to have lead. The people shown here were born in to a cruel world but their only mark was to make it crueler.

If you can't get enough of the gangster genre that will be better than watching Godfather 1 & 2 for the tenth time and it is even better -- as basic entertainment -- than the horrible misfire that was Godfather 3.