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‘I’m going to make an ice-blue, terrifying movie about people you love.’
What’s an ‘ice-blue, terrifying movie’ you ask? I have no idea. And I’m not sure the man who said it – the Oscar-winning producer of The Godfather, Albert S. Ruddy – has a clue either.
But the bizarre description comes at a crucial point in Michael Tolkin’s 2022 series The Offer, which has just been added to ITVX.
Albert (Miles Teller), or Al as he is referred to throughout, is pitching the idea for what would later become one of the greatest movies of all time to the president of Paramount Pictures – Bob Evans, played by the delectable Matthew Goode.
It’s a moment that scarcely seems believable, much like the rest of this stranger-than-fiction true story about the making of the 1972 film.
Following Al, who found early success in television before becoming a producer for The Godfather, The Longest Yard and Million Dollar Baby, the series follows the numerous different roadblocks he faces in getting the movie made.
Civic-minded Italian-American groups like the Sons of Italy and members of Congress, who thought the movie would perpetuate gangster stereotypes, threaten to boycott the production of the film.
Studio execs like Charles Bludhorn (Burn Gorman) and Barry Lapidus (Colin Hanks) constantly threaten to pull the plug on the movie as well.
But uniting together with his fierce assistant Bettye McCartt (Juno Temple), the producer manages to unite Mario Puzo (Patrick Gallo) and Francis Ford Coppola (Dan Fogler) to make the film.
A bloated mess or underrated gem?
Our TV reporter Milo Pope has his say on The Offer…
A great deal of criticism was levelled against Michael Tolkin’s The Offer when it was initially released in 2022.
Boasting a star-studded coast, that included Miles Teller and Juno Temple, critics were hardly praiseworthy of this stranger-than-fiction true story about the making of The Godfather.
The Guardian notably described it as ‘overly long’ and ‘endlessly cliche-ridden’.
You could certainly make an argument that this series did not need to be 10 episodes long. Similarly, some of the dialogue in places can feel a little corny and over simplified, especially towards the start of the series when Mario Puzo penned his famous book The Godfather.
But following the arrival of The Offer on UK streaming platform ITVX, the Paramount Plus series could well undergo a late bloom and earn a name for itself as an underrated gem.
For all of its flaws and slow pacing at times, The Offer sings with real heart and is an absolute must-watch for anybody interested about the 70s Hollywood scene and process of making films.
Matthew Goode, the star of Netflix’s recent series Dept. Q, may well have turned in his best performance ever as the head of Paramount Pictures, Robert (Bob) Evans. It feels impossible to take your eyes off him when he dances through the screen in immaculate suits.
There’s also an undeniable chemistry amongst the cast and an intoxicating energy as we join a behind the scenes thrill ride to get this Oscar-winning movie made.
If you watch this purely for Goode’s performance alone, it would be worth it, but The Offer is a scintillating watch.
Taking to Google reviews, several fans of the series have hailed its exploration of the shocking true story from more than half a century ago.
syd9907 wrote online that the series is ‘bloated as hell and I love it!’
They said: ‘I got sucked in with The Offer. Incredible sets and definitely period correct.
‘Yes there’s some exaggerated performances, and it’s bloated as Hell with subplots, and I don’t know why, but that’s what makes The Offer fun.
‘I’m hooked, flaws and all. I love period pieces, I’m a movie and a Godfather lover from way back.’
SecretlyBitten added: ‘Matthew Goode is a gem as Bob Evans. It is some wonderful casting and he has the persona and voice down.
‘If you are interested in how movies are made and who the people are behind them you’ll find this fascinating. If you aren’t, you won’t.’
An official synopsis for the series reads: ‘The Offer chronicles the tumultuous production of the 1972 film, The Godfather, from the perspective of producer Albert S. Ruddy.
‘The ten-episode series focuses on the struggles and challenges Ruddy and his team faced, including opposition from figures like Frank Sinatra and the mafia, casting disputes, and pressure from the studio.’
All episodes of The Offer are available to watch on ITVX.
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