A Seat at the Table

Al Ruddy is working as a programmer at the Rand Corporation but sees an opportunity to produce TV shows and movies. Mario Puzo is a struggling author whose wife gives him an idea to write a book on the Mafia. Joe Colombo is a rising crime boss. Their three worlds are about to collide.

An excellent start to the series. I watched this because it tells of the making of one of the greatest films of all time, The Godfather, and I am a keen follower of cinema and the film-making process. However, I was half-expecting a dry documentary-like telling of the making of The Godfather so didn't set my expectations very high.

How wrong I was. The plot, whose writing involves input from Al Ruddy himself, is very interesting and engaging. The writers and director Dexter Fletcher, aided by some great performances, give the whole thing a great vibe and energy. The three-character focus (Ruddy, Puzo, Joe Colombo) makes for an intriguing, fateful meeting of careers and worlds. There's a smoothness that is immediately riveting.

On the downside it is maybe too smooth. Ruddy never puts a foot wrong. When questioned he immediately has a great story and sell, even if he hadn't thought of the question before. One or two moments of analysis on his part would have gone a long way.

It's a minor negative though and the only thing from making the opening episode perfect.

One episode in and I'm hooked. I didn't expect that. I thought this would be cheesy and sophomoric.

The casting is just outstanding. Matthew Goode has Bob Evans down to a 'T.' I don't know much about Al Ruddy, so Miles Teller had a blank canvas, but I like what he's done with it. Dan Fogler IS FF Coppola. Burn Gorman captures the highly eccentric Charlie Bluhdorn. The only portrayal I'm not liking, and this also surprises me, because I like the actor, is Giovanni Ribisi, as Joe Columbo. Ribisi is playing a stereotype as opposed to a character.

If you are a big Godfather fan the 'inside baseball' stuff is particularly satisfying. If not, then you're probably not a big movie fan and this series might not be for you.

Having watched The Kid Stays in the Picture multiple times, I am very familiar with Robert Evans' physicality, voice, elocution, and demeanor. In this episode (the only one I've seen thus far), Matthew Goode's portrayal is startling. Not a single word or movement reads false. It is as if Evans came back from the beyond to play himself.

The writing is great and the cast was carefully curated for both looks and talent, but Goode's precision in his performance is attention- and award-worthy. I had no idea who he was before tonight, but boy oh boy, he does his homework.

A mixed bag. Matthew Goode is great as Evans but I wish it focused more on the creative side over contracts and deals. I suppose it's because it's based on the memoirs of producer Al Ruddy which is too bad because the energy flags every time the story focuses on him (Coppola, Puzo and above all Evans are such big characters that Ruddy is dull in comparison).

Greetings from Lithuania.

First episode of mini series of The Offer titled A Seat at the Table was an entertaining and well paced episode. It sets the tone for the whole series. And what can I tell from it, it's going to be a fun and entertaining series. About the accuracy of events, well, probably not so much. More like pulp about creation of arguibly the best film ever - The Godfather.

Series uses a lot of real names from 70's Hollywood era, and it's a fun to watch for me because I'm a movie fan. I heard most of the names seen in first episode before.

Overall, entertaining if not the most accurate story but fun to watch so far.