On the select list of the most acclaimed of all time, The Godfather (1972), the mini-series The Offer tells the story of the production of the legendary film.
Starting in Paramount Pictures of the early 1970s, a time when glamor was still analogue and the American dream was at its high, we meet the young Albert S. Ruddy (by the always competent Miles Teller), a young programmer who, in the midst of the big movie studios in California, ends up working as a producer in Hollywood. After a successful series on television, Ruddy convinces Robert Evans (Matthew Goode), head of production at Paramount Pictures, to hire him to make films.
Ruddy has just been appointed to adapt the biggest bestselling novel of the moment, The Godfather by writer Mario Puzo (Patrick Gallo), a ‘renegade’ production for being considered offensive to the mafia, followed by the immigrant community of Italian descendants in the United States, and finally Frank Sinatra – whose book devoted half of its pages to portraying the singer as a mobster.
The Offer has several sub-plots in its ten episodes and one of the main ones is the production relationship with the Italian mafia in New York. In the first chapter, we are introduced to Joe Colombo (Giovanni Ribisi), leader of one of the five American mafia families, who, pressured by Frank Sinatra, decides that the adaptation of The Godfather for cinemas is an affront against Italian community.
After bringing in Mario Puzo to write the script, Ruddy convinces Francis Ford Coppola (Dan Fogler) to adapt and direct the film.
With an explosive atmosphere, The Offer follows the misadventures of producer Al Ruddy, aided by Bettye McCartt (Juno Temple), to get the film done as production problems accumulate and several times threaten the making of The Godfather. In addition to the mafia, the duo also has to deal with the not-so-delicate presence of Charles Bluhdorn (Burn Gorman) and Barry Lapidus (Colin Hanks), executives who own Paramount Pictures.
Even knowing that The Godfather has become one of the most acclaimed productions of all time, The Offer manages to deliver an interesting narrative to fill ten episodes.
Movie fans will also enjoy the presence of numerous impersonations of historical figures that permeate the series’ episodes, from the exotic actor Marlon Brando (Justin Chambers) to the young Al Pacino (Anthony Ippolito). This setting of the series becomes one of its main strengths, mainly because the series unfolds not only on the sunny West Coast, but also in New York – cultural exponents of America. The small participation of Italy in the series is also delicious, when the production decides to travel to Sicily in search of authenticity.
Although The Offer fantasizes the real story in favor of entertainment – which may bother some puritans, the series becomes excellent entertainment for those looking for human stories where everyday life is impregnated with charisma without having to resort to fantastic dystopias and magical realities.
Far from the seriousness and authorial quality of the adaptation from The Godfather, The Offer is worth watching for its unpretentious and almost scoundrel fun, which well reflects the backstage of society at the time and of course, especially Hollywood.
