Runtime:
101 minutes
Directed
by: Fernando Di Leo
Starring:
Gastone Moschin, Mario Adorf, Barbara Bouchet, Frank Wolff
From:
Cineproduzioni Daunia 70
First
things first, I have to mention that a few days ago I took advantage
of something on my laptop and for the next few months I am a free
member of Netflix so I'll be using that service to watch various
films via Netflix Instant Streaming. This was the first one I picked
out, as I heard about it on a forum. It's a famous example in the
poliziotteschi genre; it was popular in Italy in the late 60's and
70's and it deals with such things as the police, corruption, the
mob, antiheroes, violence, being a vigilante, and so on and so forth.
The
plot of this film is simple yet effective; a gangster just out of
prison after serving a 3 year term (Moschin; not that I watch the
show but I was told that he looks like Dean Norris of Breaking Bad
fame) is believed by both his mobster buddies and the police that he
has 300,000 bucks hidden which belong to an American drug syndicate
boss, despite his strong protests that he doesn't have the dough.
Along the way you see him meet up with his buddies and his lovely
galpal Nelly (Bouchet); youalso you get to know his enemies,
especially the crazy and menacing Rocco (Adorf, looking like a darker
haired and tanned and unibrowed and mustached Jay Leno!). I don't
want to give away too much but not everything is as it first
appears...
This
is one of those slow-burn movies which is never boring. Time is spent
with all sides and you get to know them; for example, the police
don't always agree on how to do things. When you do get violence it
is memorable and it is pretty violent. Why I enjoyed the movie was
that it was always interesting and I enjoyed the Milan setting; the
characters were also memorable, especially Rocco. If you're not
hooked on the movie after you see the awesome opening 5 minutes,
where you get to see just how vicious the mob can be if things don't
go their way, then the movie is just not for you. Besides, this is
the only movie out there where the lead argues with a police
commissioner and the commish tells him, in reference to his hot
girlfriend, “Go ahead and leave and hang out with her and play with
her dangling dingleberries!” Apparently there are multiple meanings
to the world dingleberry.
I
know I'll be checking out some more poliziotteschi films.
I'll
be back Tuesday afternoon.
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