The movie Matt Damon calls “really amazing”
There aren’t many things Matt Damon can’t do, as showcased by a career that’s seen him tackle almost every imaginable genre at least once. An Academy Award-winning writer, a two-time acting nominee, and a one-time nominated producer, the star has also headlined one of the century’s most accomplished blockbuster franchises. In addition to his tenure as Jason Bourne, he has lent his name to a string of critical and commercial darlings.
Whether he’s randomly popping up for cameo appearances in the likes of Eurotrip, Finding Forrester, or Deadpool 2, Damon has never been far from the spotlight for going on 30 years. Being rescued so often that it’s almost become a subgenre unto itself in Saving Private Ryan, The Martian, and Interstellar, or hanging out with lifelong best friend Ben Affleck, he is always a part of the conversation.
Damon has never been one for hyperbole or shameless self-promotion, though, which might explain why he named The Godfather Part II as one of his favourite movies by describing it as “really amazing”. That’s quite the understatement given the towering legacy Francis Ford Coppola’s seminal sequel holds in the pantheon of cinema, but it does fit Damon’s personality to a tee.
When quizzed by Rotten Tomatoes on his personal top five, the return of the Corleone family was the first title out of his mouth: “Well, I’ve always said Godfather II. I think that movie’s pretty near perfect. It’s an impossible thing to answer, your five favourite movies, but I would put that one, just for its direction, its writing, and its acting, its production value.” While his assessment is undoubtedly accurate, “really amazing” is nonetheless one of the lesser appraisals the film has had.
Damon even got the chance to work with Coppola fairly early on in his Hollywood days, playing the lead role in the John Grisham adaptation The Rainmaker. The legal thriller was hardly a proving ground for actors who wanted to go method, but the star revealed during an appearance on Hot Ones that the filmmaker responsible for his favourite-ever feature decided to try and enhance his performance anyway.
Regaling the tale of Coppola’s insistence, Damon made it sound as though it wasn’t really necessary: “I was walking into a meeting, and then the setup, it’s a long conference table. These formidable people with this incredibly formidable guy in the middle of them, right?” he continued. “Francis put rocks in my shoes and then just told me to walk normally. You just want to be uncomfortable and try to act as comfortable as you can because you don’t want them to see how uncomfortable you are.”
Marlon Brando, Robert De Niro, and Al Pacino didn’t have to put rocks in their shoes when working with Coppola, but at least Damon was afforded the opportunity to work with the legendary mind behind a movie he holds so dearly, even if his posture had to suffer.
