With the way people are fascinated by the mob and organized crime these days, films about gangsters and mobsters are a dime a dozen. Some of these movies haven risen to the heights of movie glory ("The Godfather") while others not as much ("A Brooklyn State of Mind"). Then there are the gangster flicks that fall somewhere in between, like the 1997 CBS mini-series "The Last Don". Adapted from the novel of legendary "Godfather" author Mario Puzo, it centers around powerful mafia Don Clericuzio (played by Brooklyn native Danny Aiello) and the journey of his family through the decades. With his magnetic prescience, Danny Aiello is able to play the Don (in a rare starring role for him) as someone who not only has the wisdom and intelligence of an ancient tribal chief, but also as a baron or prince who will not hesitate to be ruthless when the occasion calls for it. In other words, he perfectly captures the type of Don that you'd expect to find in Mario Puzo's world. But the series isn't just about the Don, it's also about the journey of his family. Through the Don's narration and the film's series of events, we get a good look at the members of the family.
There's Pippi (Played wonderfully by Joe Mantegna), the Don's nephew and main enforcer; Cross (the competent Jason Gedrik), the Don's grandnephew and manager of the Vegas casino; Dante, the Don's blood thirsty and mentally disturbed grandson (Played very well with a punk like zeal by Rory Cochrane); Rose Marie (Played by the beautiful Kirstie Alley), the Don's mentally train wrecked daughter and mother of Dante; and Giorgio (Played with administrative zeal by David Marciano), the don's son and consigliere. In addition, the movie boasts an amazing cast that includes but is not limited to Daryl Hannah as Cross' love interest, Burt Young as one of the Don's lieutenants, Michelle Burke as Cross' tough lawyer sister, a pre-"Law and Order: SVU" Christopher Meloni, and Mike Starr. To be sure, the series does not quite capture the glory and splendor of "The Godfather" or any of the other mob epics, like "Goodfellas" or "Casino". In all fairness to the movie though, it was probably made on a low budget since it was after all, a mini-series for network television. Had it been made for theaters or for HBO or any of the other deep pocketed premium channels, it probably would have had a grander look. Never the less, the series is very memorable, due to the caliber of its actors and it's ability to tell a good mob story without the hard hitting violence and profanity that we're used to seeing in "The Godfather" or "The Sopranos". The story fascinated me so much, that I am interested in reading the novel. It's for these reasons, that I recommend "The Last Don" as not only an entertaining mob film, but also as a movie about the price of power and wealth. The movie is available on you tube as well as on DVD, which is strangely an Australian released disc but one that works in all regions. So watch, be entertained, and remember to always respect the Don.
There's Pippi (Played wonderfully by Joe Mantegna), the Don's nephew and main enforcer; Cross (the competent Jason Gedrik), the Don's grandnephew and manager of the Vegas casino; Dante, the Don's blood thirsty and mentally disturbed grandson (Played very well with a punk like zeal by Rory Cochrane); Rose Marie (Played by the beautiful Kirstie Alley), the Don's mentally train wrecked daughter and mother of Dante; and Giorgio (Played with administrative zeal by David Marciano), the don's son and consigliere. In addition, the movie boasts an amazing cast that includes but is not limited to Daryl Hannah as Cross' love interest, Burt Young as one of the Don's lieutenants, Michelle Burke as Cross' tough lawyer sister, a pre-"Law and Order: SVU" Christopher Meloni, and Mike Starr. To be sure, the series does not quite capture the glory and splendor of "The Godfather" or any of the other mob epics, like "Goodfellas" or "Casino". In all fairness to the movie though, it was probably made on a low budget since it was after all, a mini-series for network television. Had it been made for theaters or for HBO or any of the other deep pocketed premium channels, it probably would have had a grander look. Never the less, the series is very memorable, due to the caliber of its actors and it's ability to tell a good mob story without the hard hitting violence and profanity that we're used to seeing in "The Godfather" or "The Sopranos". The story fascinated me so much, that I am interested in reading the novel. It's for these reasons, that I recommend "The Last Don" as not only an entertaining mob film, but also as a movie about the price of power and wealth. The movie is available on you tube as well as on DVD, which is strangely an Australian released disc but one that works in all regions. So watch, be entertained, and remember to always respect the Don.