James Caan, Adieu
Watch Thief, an under-appreciated classic
I loved James Caan, particularly as Sonny Corleone from The Godfather. His titanic rage was somehow endearing — probably because a slight against a family member is what sparked it most often. When Sonny goes out to defend his sister’s honor and put a hurt on her no-good husband Carlo, you know he’s likely to be killed. Still, you love him for it. You love him and his gory demise at the tollbooth is hard.
Caan gave Sonny an affectation telegraphing his anger. He bites his own finger. From other actors, it might’ve been hack-y but not from Caan. He sells it, making the character’s temper at once scary and amusing. It’s good detail from a thoughtful, seemingly working-class performer.
I don’t know much about Caan as a man, but I saw him interviewed a few times. He didn’t strike me as Method. He struck me as meat and potatoes. Which I like. Caan seemed to be of the same school as Gene Hackman, another guy who — while he might’ve been in some bad movies — was never bad in them.
Hackman retired, but he’s still kicking. Caan died today at 82. I’d like to pause on this occasion to recommend a movie of his that wasn’t The Godfather — and, no, it’s not Elf, although that one’s good too. It’s Thief from 1981.
