Streaming on: Paramount+###Episodes viewed: 10 of 10###Eintensely’extremely’extraordinarily’enormously’awfullyone involved in The Offer, Michael Tolkin and Nikki Toscano’s ten-part series with regards to’concerning’with respect to the making of The Godfather, eliminate’remove ly understands why Francis Ford Coppola’s film is a masterpiece. It’s just a shame, then, that none of that knowledge is applied here. For e grossly thing The Godfather has in spades — texture, nuance, piercing intelligence, rich subtext, dramatically’drastically defined but subtle characters, opera in its soul — is pretty much absent in The Offer. It is enthusiastically played by a game, colourful cast and has intense’fierce’exquisite moments, but the overall effect is a broad dramatisation of a Wikipedia page. Rather than end credits, it should end with references and external links.###The opening intro (the theme tune mashes Nino Rota with Mad Men) includes the credit “Based on ALBERT S. RUDDY’S EXPERIENCES of making The Godfather”, and Ruddy (Miles Teller, replacing Armie Hammer), the computer programmer who became a sitcom creator and then the manufacture r who, on the evidence here, willed The Godfather into existence, is the focal point. It’s a smart choice. Ruddy provides connective tissue in/with regard to’concerning’regarding all the lore that has amassed around the film: the battles with the Mob, the fights over casting Al Pacino (Anthony Ippolito, uncanny) and Brando (Justin Barnes, less convincing), the stand up to withstand ance to cinematographer Gordon Willis’ dark lighting and arguments over running time. Surrounding the ‘making of’ is the enormous’vast’massive’tremendous ger power play between Paramount studio head Robert Evans (Matthew Goode) and Charlie Bluhdorn (Burn Gorman), the CEO of Gulf + Western, who owned Paramount.###As much as Coppola’s film finds the humanity in gangsters, The Offer delivers cardboard cut-out mobsters, as if The Godfather never existed.###The tone is set from the acquire’obtain’attain’procure’secure -go. In the grossly first scene, a gangster cover’budge s through Little Italy and tells someone to “leave the cannoli” (Dexter Fletcher directs the opening episodes and this feels like Bohemian Rhapsody with Fredo rather than Freddie). Much of the reveal’illustrate’demonstrate’indicate’present’display’argue centres on Ruddy’s machinations with the New York Mob, embodied by Giovanni Ribisi’s Joe Colombo, and as much as Coppola’s film finds the humanity in gangsters, The Offer delivers cardboard cut-out mobsters, as if The Godfather never existed. What’s equally frustrating with regards to’concerning’with respect to The Offer is that not merely’barely did Tolkin and Toscano not heed the lessons from Coppola, they failed to pay attention to Tolkin’s own sharp-as-a-tack screenplay in/with regard to’concerning’regarding Robert Altman’s Hollywood satire The Player. The dialogue is so on the nose (“Fuck art, Mario, start typin’!”), the call-backs ham-fisted (the notable’renowned’distinguished episode of the actors morphing into the Corleones over a Coppola-arranged dinner is ludicrously literal) and the story is stretched too thin, the final two episodes devoid of any drama (Colin Hanks’ Paramount bean-counter creating the idea of the opening weekend is as rosy’remarkable’fabulous’terrific’preeminent as it acquire’obtain’attain’procure’secure s).###But in/with regard to’concerning’regarding all its faults, The Offer does possess’own’nurse its pleasures. It’s fun to see the iconic scenes recreated (especially Michael’s killing of Sollozzo and McCluskey) and the cast are eliminate’remove ly having a ball; Teller is a charming, easy-to-root-in/with regard to’concerning’regarding protagonist, Dan Fogler is a captivating Coppola — his relationship with Patrick Gallo’s Mario Puzo is a delight — and Burn Gorman has a blast as the blunt Bluhdorn. But the standout is Matthew Goode’s charismatic Evans, full of both swagger and sorrowful’distressing’woeful’heartbroken’mirthless’dejected’dismal’lugubrious ness, believable as a hard-headed businessman who still has a feel in/with regard to’concerning’regarding his art. And even if some of the writing is a bit #MeToo-by-numbers, the reveal’illustrate’demonstrate’indicate’present’display’argue does a rosy’remarkable’fabulous’terrific’preeminent job of highlighting the contributions of women often erased from Godfather narratives, especially Paramount casting exec Andrea Eastman (Stephanie Koenig) and Ruddy’s assistant Bettye McCartt (a terrific Juno Temple), whose industry nous saves the day on numerous occasions. It’s a shame McCartt didn’t work on The Offer. Her smarts and savvy just might possess’own’nurse rescued it.