Comedy / Crime / Drama
When a good-natured factory supervisor living in Milan with his Northern wife returns to his native Sicily, a decades' old oath forces him to fulfill a nightmarish obligation.
Alberto Sordi as Antonio Badalamenti
Italian 2.0
Reviewed by Chris Knipp 8 / 10 / 10
Sordi goes south
Italian cultural icon and cinematic great Alberto Sordi (1920-2003) was in peak form when he starred as Antonio Badalamenti, a Sicilian who's become a successful FIAT executive and efficiency expert in Milan and goes on a two-week vacation to his hometown of Catanao in Sicily with blonde northern wife and two little blonde daughters. Laughs and thrills happen when they're welcomed back into Antonio's family – and the good graces of Mafia boss Don Vincenzo. It turns out Antonio not only owes the Don a favor for getting him the job up north, but is regarded by the local Cosa Nostra as a piciotto d'onore, a kid who distinguished himself in the ranks (maybe you could loosely translate the phrase "good old boy") and he also happens to be the best marksman the town has ever known. What starts out as a broad comedy and a warm social satire on the Italian south turns more serious and intense as the hero fits right in and his initially standoffish wife starts liking the family and bonding with one female member whose beauty she's able to bring out. Fine writing, direction, and use of locations add up to a seamless film. You're never bored for a minute and most of the time you're hugely entertained, so it makes sense that Mafioso is going to have a revival release in the United States. It's unseen here, not on DVD and would be worth seeing not only for the fun it provides but for the display of Alberto Sordi's range and fluency as an actor. Sordi starred in Fellini's early pair, The White Sheik and I Vitelloni. Andrew Sarris has said Lattuada is "a grossly under-appreciated directorial talent." Il Mafioso shows the writing skills of Marco Ferreri and Rafael Azcona, working with the team known as Age & Scarpelli (Agenore Incrocci and Furio Scarpelli). Their screenplay may be tongue-in-cheek, but it nonetheless provides insight into the Mafia, and the film's picture of Sicilian town life (in wonderfully rich grainy black and white, high style for the time) is vivid and authentic-looking and -feeling. Music by Piero Piccioni, another mainstay of Italian cinema (Il bel Antonio, Salvatore Giuliano, Una vita violenta). Produced by Dino De Laurentis with Antonio Cervi; this can also be seen as a product that reflects the energy and spirit of Italy's postwar "economic miracle" period when so much was exciting culturally in the country – cinema, literature, design. Shown in a handsome new print as part of the 2006 New York Film Festival. I would give this a 9 out of ten but the overall plot somehow seems too incongruous.
Reviewed by bookphile1 10 / 10 / 10
Other Reviewers Missed
Contains Spoiler I just saw this movie which was certainly as wonderful as most of the other reviewers are saying. But one thing several of the other reviewers seemed to miss (to me, at least) was that the entire culture of his hometown was invested in his doing his little errand for the Don. The societal structure is based on doing "favors" for each other. The Don does a favor for his parents, his parents in turn, turn on a dime in their treatment of their Northern Italian daughter-in-law in order to get her to be willing to stay for a few extra days. His father presumably has some idea of the kind of errand he's actually going to be going on. Everything operates from a complex web of familial and social obligations, guilt and fear and he's completely trapped. Not just his wife and children but his parents and sister could all be forfeit if he doesn't do what they want him to do. He only has one skill they care about; his marksmanship. His humanity, his pride, his love for his family; none of that means anything to them. This is a scathing indictment of what brutality, not just Mafia brutality, can do to the human spirit and the acting is wonderful.
Reviewed by tc2019 10 / 10 / 10
just go see this! Best of 2007 for sure.
How wonderful it is to start the year and to know that you have possibly already found what is going to be your favorite movie of the year: MAFIOSO is that movie! I had never seen the film and never seen much of director's LAttuada's work either. I am Italian yet in Italy LAttuada is not really considered as one of the great directors...well it is about time this changed. We have to thank the folks at Rialto Pictures (who id re-releasing the film in the US) for rediscovering this great talent. I wish they started rediscovering him also in Italy...well, too often a country doesn't appreciate its talents! Anyway... LAttuada directs with a great sense of storytelling, every shot has its reason to be and is there to bring the story forward. His capacity of being in control and keeping all the aspects of the film together is exemplary: The cinematography is incredible, manages at the same time to create a mood and to be absolutely concentrated in serving the script. The way the film uses its musical score is super modern (I would like to mention the genius score by Piero Piccioni) The editing is exceptional, never a flaw, never a scene that lasts too log or too little. The overall feeling at the end is that of a perfectly cohesive film. And one that makes you think too...and think a lot! I am not a big mafia movie fan, but this one is different from any other I have ever seen, has a way of turning comedy into tragedy and tragedy into comedy that I have not seen too often on the screen. Alberto Sordi is one of the best actors Italy has ever had: please go and discover his talent and his genius. I say MAfioso is well worth your time, if you don't go and see it it is your big loss!