Romanzo Criminale

Michele Placido. If it weren’t for the reissue of “The Octopus" on the shelves, I wouldn't have thought of him for years to come. But, for the second time this year, he really impressed me. First by performing in The Unknown Woman, and now with this criminal saga, based on real events about the rise and fall of several expendable small street criminals who are fed up with doing as they’re told and with waiting to fall out of favor, so they start their own outfit. It's nice and raw, without embellishments, and possibly even realistic. Too long, excellently acted, and almost fantastic. Still, it doesn’t receive top marks. One reason is that it’s overpopulated with characters, and the other is that it’s completely cold and de-personified. All I cared about was the fate of the "family" as a whole. Which may have been Placido's intention, but I believe emotions are simply part of these mafia opuses. But it did give me the impulse to read the original, that is true. P.S.: I'd appreciate the obligatory round up during the final credits on the fate of the survivors. I had to look them up online, which isn't exactly audience-friendly. (27.07.2008)