GodFather Review – Watchable Political Drama

BOTTOM LINE
Watchable Political Drama

OUR RATING
2.75/5

CENSOR
2h 37m, ‘U/A’ Certified.

What Is the Film About?
Godfather is a political drama where the story revolves around the post of Chief Minister. When the incumbent CM PKR of the Jana Jagruthi Party dies, there is a scamper to pick the next one for the chair. 

How Brahma (Chiranjeevi) enters the situation and turns into a kingmaker changing the fortunes of various players Satya Priya (Nayanthara), Jaya Dev (Satya Dev) and Verma (Murali Sharma) is the movie’s basic plot. Who is Brahma, and where did he come from is an exciting subplot.

Performances
Chiranjeevi continues his passive-aggressive form as an actor with Godfather. The subtlety and sincerity shine more than the intensity. The new look is alright. It settles fine after a bit of time taking initially. There is a visible effort to show restraint, but it doesn’t hamper the movie’s flow. It aids in taking the narrative forward smoothly. When the moment arrives to show the drama, Chiranjeevi is as effective as he has always been.

Godfather is also a rare movie where we don’t have the usual dances from Megastar Chiranjeevi. There is also no romantic interest, which makes it an interesting outing for the fans.

Nayanthara appears briefly in the movie’s first half. However, she has a good presence post-intermission. Irrespective of the length, her casting adds weight to the film’s appeal. Regarding performance, there are a couple of moments in the second half which show why she is one of the best in the business when it comes to emoting.

Satya Dev is a wonderful and perfect addition to the cast of Godfather. He plays the main antagonist in the movie, opposite Megastar Chiranjeevi. It is a big step up for the actor to feature in such a biggie, and he has grabbed the opportunity with both hands. Satya Dev has done well to stand his ground and also surprise at the key moments. The more significant thing to notice here is that if a regular villain had been cast in his place, the narrative would have become miserable to sit through.

Analysis
Jayam Mohanraja directs Godfather. He made his directorial debut with a Malayalam remake in Telugu, Hanuman Junction. Two decades later, Jayam Mohanraja repeats history with his latest outing. 

First things first, changes have been made from the original Malayalam version to the Telugu remake. It is reflected from the start itself, where we have a quick hero introduction. However, the core points remain the same, and Godfather’s narrative builds on them. 
The political setting movies are not new to Telugu cinema, but the presence of Megastar Chiranjeevi lends it a different flavour. The fact that one doesn’t miss a heroine or the song and dance routine featuring Chiranjeevi is a telling sign of the engaging backdrop and the narrative. 

The confrontations between various characters and the drama surrounding them run the show in the first half. The fresh casting helps the cause and also holds the attention. One is engaged as the story keeps moving on. 

We also notice during these same portions that there are no ‘big’ sweeping highs that are usually a staple in commercial Telugu cinema. The opportunities are aplenty, but the director chooses to keep things grounded, not go overboard. 

Post intermission, which is alright, things resume after a brief detour. We see a glimpse of another star presence via Salman Khan. More about him later, but initially, he is fine. 

Jayam Mohan Raja has made changes in the Telugu remake, which are visible via cutting down of characters. Some plot development is also redone differently. These changes are minor but eventually, get to the original’s roots. 

Everything seems fine until we reach the final half an hour. The block is like an extended climax with only a single thread left, i.e. finishing off the villain. Here Salman Khan is reintroduced. His arrival derails the narrative as there is a serious change in tone. Suddenly, the proceedings turn into a b-grade masala fare with an item song and guns exploding. The visuals, too, lack the finesse with poor VFX to boot. 

The whole thing leaves a wrong aftertaste kind of feeling after all the neat work done before. It also feels rushed, mainly if one looks at the big end reveal related to Brahma’s character. 

Overall, Godfather is a drama-driven mass fare with Chiranjeevi and good primary casting involving Satya Dev and Nayanthara. They hold things together until the end, when the narrative collapses into mundaneness. It is a decent one-time watch and offers something to cheer for Mega fans after the star’s last debacle.

Performances by Others Actors
The narrative has many known faces like Sunil, Brahmaji, Samuthirakani, Anasuya etc. They have minor roles and appear only in parts. They do their jobs adequately as they are supposed to, without any issues.

Music and Other Departments?
SS Thaman provides music for Godfather. It is his first full-fledged work for Megastar Chiranjeevi. Considering this, one has to say that he has been disappointed musically. However, Thaman makes up for the lacklustre songs with the background score. It is loud but serves the purpose.

Technically the movie is slick. Nirav Shah cranking the camera gives classy visuals with mass intact. Marthand K Venkatesh’s editing is alright. The climax disappoints, though with poor visual effects. The writing is decent, but one can’t help but feel it could have been better.

Highlights?
Casting
Tight Narration (For Most Part)
First Half

Drawbacks?
Salman Khan Track
Weak Ending
Final half hour

Did I Enjoy It?
Yes

Will You Recommend It?
Yes

Godfather Telugu Movie Review by M9News