What I’m Watching: The Offer (Series Finale)

The Offer: Season 1, Episode 10 “Brains and Balls” (B+)

I liked that this episode opened with Evans purporting that he’s always calm, something that was not at all the case just one month earlier when they were trying to figure out a way to get the movie out and have it be a success. The idea of block booking a huge number of theaters so that the first day would be a juggernaut and everyone would see it at the same time was a bold move, but one that paid off spectacularly well. It did help Evans’ mood that, even though Ali showed up to his exquisitely-catered dinner with divorce papers, she opted to attend the premiere with him to give the press something to write about one last time. Kissinger changing his plans from Moscow to come to the premiere was a boon for both the film and for him given its resounding success. I know the Oscar history and how Bob Fosse defeated Francis for the Best Director prize, but this brief snapshot of the show with the belief that “Cabaret” was just too popular and would eclipse “The Godfather” for the top prize was effectively edited and poignant. Ruddy deciding not to do the sequel so that he could trade the rights for the projects he wanted to do was a surprising but smart move, and it’s nice to know that he had a long and prolific career that included another Best Picture trophy for “Million Dollar Baby” three decades later. It was nice also to see that Ruddy invested in Bettye’s next step, and that she was able to have her own wondrous success in the wake of all this. I’ve very much enjoyed and appreciated this series, and I hope it earns some deserved recognition for its supporting players when Emmy nominations are announced.

Series grade: A-
Series MVP: Matthew Goode as Bob Evans

What I’m Watching: The Offer (Penultimate Episode)

The Offer: Season 1, Episode 9 “It's Who We Are” (B+)

Things took a dramatic turn from the start of this episode, when Ruddy got nervous about dealing with a very different mafia with a far more vicious and all-encompassing influence, to the thunderously-received screening where the success of the movie was cemented. It didn’t seem like Evans was going to come back, and Barry wasn’t interested in hearing what the creative forces behind the movie had to say. Thanks to Ruddy’s intervention, Bob showed up at exactly the right time to make his case and impress Bludhorn, and more importantly the dubious Barry, that Ruddy and Francis knew best and should be respected. It was entertaining to see some of the proposed cover art that definitely did not have the same effect as the one that was ultimately used. It’s difficult to imagine what comes next for Ruddy since this has been such a huge investment with the potential for disaster, and Bettye thinking of her career beyond that makes sense because success just isn’t assured, even if those watching know it is. Hearing Caesar say that it was the best movie he ever saw was a surefire sign of approval, and hearing the signature theme from the movie was an important moment. I don’t know how much is left to be resolved in the finale and if there will be consequences for this screening, but there shouldn’t be too much more to be surmounted ahead of the release of this film that came to define an entire generation and inspire so much more cinema after that.

What I’m Watching: The Offer

The Offer: Season 1, Episode 8 “Crossing That Line” (B+)

Well, one problem that was going to be crippling for Ruddy presented itself and then was resolved by the end of the episode, thanks to Caesar taking out Gallo before he was able to squeeze out of Mr. Producer what he thought he had been set to pay Joe, who may be alive after all. Gallo showing up with his men when Ruddy just wanted to get some rest had the opposite effect, and even though things are mostly going well, he still doesn’t need any more stress. Right now, the biggest thorn in his side is Evans, who, as he correctly noted, hasn’t been doing well since he went to go visit Ali in Texas and is still just as over-the-top as ever. I did like that he was pitching another film that we all know will become successful, “Chinatown,” describing it as a movie about water, which doesn’t make it sound great, and came out several years before Polanski fled the country while facing rape charges. While Barry tried to get Evans disciplined for firing Jack without his approval, Bludhorn didn’t seem to care much about it. I enjoyed hearing Marlon speak his thoughts, but the most compelling on-set incident was how Ruddy and Francis chose to deal with Gianni hitting his costar. The fact that Gianni was thrilled that James Caan beat him up showed that he hadn’t learned his lesson, but hopefully Bettye was able to impress upon him the seriousness of the warning he had been given.

What I’m Watching: The Offer

The Offer: Season 1, Episode 7 “Mr. Producer” (B+)

Among the many obstacles to “The Godfather” being made in the first place, it’s crazy to think that Al Pacino’s questionable star power was one of them. I like that Francis knew exactly what to do with that and how to get him to up his game when Bludhorn was there watching, and he got the seal of approval from the man who apparently doesn’t like anybody, which is a very big deal. Working with the mob has his advantages and disadvantages, with Caesar freaking Bettye out when he brutally beat up her mugger and then figuring out an easy solution to the problem of the restaurant owner who wanted them out before they shot by locking him in a closet. Unfortunately, it also means that certain allies, like Joe getting shot during a rally by Gallo, who was able to reach an agreement with Carlo Gambino and then fired the gun while Ruddy looked on. In her visit to the set, Rosie couldn’t quite piece together what Ruddy really did, and I enjoyed her brief conversation with Bettye. Despite the apparent loss of Joe, Ruddy is in much better shape now, with Bludhorn’s seal of approval and toxic elements like Aram and Jack definitely dismissed from the set. Lenny also turned out to be just the right person to come in and take over a role, even if, like Brando, wasn’t going to be memorizing his lines. While the production is doing well, Evans is seeing his personal life implode, something that’s very much his fault.

What I’m Watching: The Offer

The Offer: Season 1, Episode 6 “A Stand Up Guy” (B+)

Ruddy may have been caught off-guard by Joe’s press conference, but his reaction was among the tamest, with Bludhorn angrily smashing his TV indicative of the fury that was boiling in him. He proceeded to fire anyone in proximity, Barry exempted, and he was not at all happy to hear that three of the four offers had fallen through and the one remaining person wanted to lowball him to take advantage of the situation. Fortunately, things did manage to work out, and some combination of Evans’ speech and seeing the footage actually being filmed inspired him to give the project another chance. Ruddy’s commitment was also notable, showing back up on set even though he had been fired to ensure that Joe would allow things to get moving again, and Bettye proved her worth by going to Joe on behalf of the production even after Ruddy was harsh and spoke down to her. Sinatra not remembering Ruddy was a sign of how far things have come, but Joe’s support will only go so far if Gallo is motivated to respond violently to Joe’s attempt to resolve the situation with a scorched-earth approach. While what we saw of the movie actually being filmed was minimal, there was a certain excitement that it was finally happening, and even though Jack continued to pile on Pacino as a physically small and ineffective performer, Pacino too seemed to feel something. There’s nothing quite as infectious as Francis’ passion, and he seemed ready to forget all the recent obstacles when he saw his vision coming to life.

What I’m Watching: The Offer

The Offer: Season 1, Episode 5 “Kiss the Ring” (B+)

As if there wasn’t already enough going against this production, now things are finally getting underway and there are a considerable number of new obstacles popping up. We got to meet, among others, Eric Balfour’s production designer Dean Tavoularis, who had to deal with the suddenly missing permits and other outrageous hurdles and demands. Ruddy was particularly displeased with the idea of having a working kitchen that cost $75,000, and Francis agreed very quickly to Bludhorn’s financing offer that leaves them very much on the hook if the film doesn’t make back its money. More problematically, Joe found a way to make peace with Biaggi and to make it abundantly clear that Italian-Americans support the making of this film, with an unexpected footnote about the proceeds from the film’s premiere that is going to squeeze Ruddy into an even tighter inescapable spot. Getting into business with the FBI wouldn’t be a smart move for him, and it’s a good thing that Bettye discovered the multiple people on the payroll with the same social security number so that she can get ahead of it. For all the trouble that came up, we did get to see a preview of how the product is going to be spectacular. Francis could barely contain his excitement during the Corleone family dinner, and now Pacino is fully on board, which took plenty of convincing but is obviously going to work out well for his career. Bob’s enthusiasm and role keeps changing, and he’s also dealing with his own issues at home with his inability to focus on and appropriately support Ali.

What I’m Watching: The Offer

The Offer: Season 1, Episode 4 “The Right Shade of Yellow” (B+)

Knowing what I do about this era in terms of the films that made it big, “Love Story” is an important release and one that predated “The Godfather” by two years, which means there’s still plenty of time for this project to get off the ground as Ali has to deal with Bob ignoring her to take phone calls from Jack Nicholson. Ruddy continues to get Bob upset by going around him to have Bluhdorn greenlight casting decisions he doesn’t agree with, and Marlon Brando, played entertainingly by an unrecognizable Justin Chambers from “Grey’s Anatomy,” is absolutely going to be difficult even if he’ll be key to the success of the movie. Ultimately, Bob does support Ruddy, and even managed to stave off Jack from becoming a supervising producer who might not have let him do much of what he wanted to in pursuit of Francis’ true vision. It’s probably for the best that Ruddy and Françoise had an important conversation about the boundaries in their work, even if that didn’t go particularly well and is sure to lead to more drama down the road should she return from Paris at some point soon. Crazy Joe does seem ready to cause problems for Joe, which in turn will be a problem for the movie, bringing the mafia into this moviemaking process in a way that will most definitely feel too real and likely make those who were already skittish about waking up to dead fish more worried about whether this whole thing is worth it.

Take Three: The Offer

The Offer: Season 1, Episode 3 “Fade In” (B+)

Well, given that this is Ruddy’s story, it would have been strange for him to end up dead in a ditch somewhere after being forebodingly forced into a car to go meet a mobster, and what happened instead is extraordinarily interesting. Ruddy’s offer for Joe to come read the script made him far more open-minded than he might otherwise have been, changing the conversation and the odds of the film being made in a big way. Bettye stepped in to distract Charles Bludhorn at exactly the right moment so that Joe and his entourage could enter the office in a non-surreptitious manner, and Ruddy offering to get the word “mafia” cut out was apparently enough to endear him to his new friend. There are bigger hurdles to clear now, namely Bob not being fired since it means that he won’t even watch footage of Al Pacino and won’t read a script that’s 117 pages long. He also did not respond well to the unsolicited pitch to have Sinatra star from Françoise, whose newfound professional endeavors are also irking Bettye, even if Ruddy isn’t yet ready to do anything about it. The news about Brando being in may help, but there’s another threat coming, and that’s to Joe, who will now have to contend with Crazy Joe Gallo targeting him. When I was on the red carpet at the premiere of this series, Joseph Russo, who plays Crazy Joe, was the first actor who came over to talk to me, so I have a soft spot for the portrayer of a character who’s considerably more unhinged.

Round Two: The Offer

The Offer: Season 1, Episode 2 “Warning Shots” (B+)

Ruddy seems intent on making this movie even as more warning signs come up, and while he’s trying to do whatever his director wants, he’s not being open and honest with Francoise, who may well be his best asset. No much how charming he is, it’s still not easy for him to convince Italians that he’s going to be able to portray them respectfully in the movie, and now he’s in a car at gunpoint going to a meeting that likely won’t be so polite. For all the efforts he’s putting in to get it made, there’s still some trouble brewing, namely with the casting process and a small theater actor named Al Pacino being the only person Coppola wants for the lead role, which even he doesn’t think he’s ready for at this stage in his career. They lost their other would-be lead thanks to pressure from the Italians, and Barry and Jack crashed the meeting to insist that the film couldn’t possibly shoot in New York but might have to have Kansas City or St. Louis stand in for it in a different time period. Bob may have been willing to stick with the project just to piss Barry off, but that rat in his bed from the mob might have been enough to convince him that it’s time to back off, if he even has any power left at all. We all know that the movie did get made in the end, so I’m curious to see how these obstacles are overcome.

Pilot Review: The Offer

Check out my one-minute take on every new pilot, which is embedded below and you can also watch by subscribing to movieswithabe on YouTube.

What I’m Watching: Parenthood

Parenthood: Season 5, Episode 18 “The Offer” (B+)

I’m not sure there’s ever been a more fitting description of the Braverman family as Hank comparing them to Starbucks. This episode was full of mostly positive developments, even though some of them involved miserable moments. As the house went on the market and attracted an unexpectedly eager buyer, Camille and Zeek finally saw eye to eye, remembering pleasant times that made up a happy life together. It’s still going to be a challenge, but it’s nice to see them on the same page for the first time in a while. Sarah’s nervousness over how the job would turn out could have been made worse by Hank’s behavior, but instead he proved to be quite supportive, and they seem to have found a happy medium somewhere in between the differing feelings they have for one another. Drew’s situation has turned much less comical, and at least he has Amber looking out for him to try to get him back on track. Drew is becoming much more musical lately, and it’s all the more worthwhile given his role in one of the best films I saw at Sundance this year, “Rudderless,” which involves plenty of music. Max wasn’t in great shape in this hour, but the aftermath of his meltdown in which he articulated that he thinks he’s a freak because someone peed in his canteen and people don’t like him even though he’s supposed to be smart was highlighted by the loving nature of Kristina unbuckling her seatbelt to come hug him in the backseat. Joel getting Victor a phone was definitely not a productive solution for his newfound anxiety, and it was unfortunate that Sydney lashed out and blamed their parents’ problems on his arrival. Joel had his own great parenting moment at the end of the episode, signifying some hope in a bleak situation.