Liam D
While not one of the best crime thriller epics (especially coming from Italy) due its runtime that drags a bit but the great performances and well done needle drops make it worth watching
Rated 4/5 Stars •
Rated 4 out of 5 stars
04/05/24
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In 1970s Rome, four young delinquents, nicknamed Ice, Lebanese, Dandi and Grand steal a car. Crashing through a police road block, the driver, Grand is crushed by the steering column. Back at their hideout, a small disused caravan near a beach, they are discovered by the police. Cold, Lebanese and Dandi run away, but are captured. Grand, who is mortally wounded, dies in the caravan. Roll opening credits. Some years later, in the 1970s, Ice is released from prison and joins up with Lebanese, who tells him he has come up with a plan to kidnap and hold to ransom Baron Rossellini, a wealthy aristocrat for whom Lebanese's parents worked. He has formed a gang with Dandi - they are Black, Bright Eye, Ricotta, Bufalo, Rat and Ciro and Aldo Buffoni. After negotiating the ransom of 3 billion lire, the Baron is shot by one of the Cannizzari brothers who have been entrusted by Lebanese to guard him. Nonetheless, they take a picture of the dead man with a newspaper and get the 3 billion lire. However, the local Police Commissioner Nicola Scialoja manages to record the serial numbers of the ransom money before the gang receives it, setting out to capture the gang. As the gang divide up the money, Lebanese proposes to split 500 million lire between them, and use the remaining 2.5 billion to build a foothold in the criminal underworld of Rome, starting with drug dealing. However, the drugs racket is owned by the dealer Terrible, and so the gang wipe his gang out apart from Gemito, who Lebanese bribes to help them. After his home is raided and his body guards killed, Terrible wakes to find Ice, Lebanese and Dandi in his bedroom. Cornered, he reluctantly agrees to let give control of the racket to the gang...
"Romanzo Criminale" is based on Giancarlo De Cataldo's 2002 novel, which is in turn inspired by the Banda della Magliana true story. The Magliana gang was one of the most powerful Italian criminal associations, dominating Rome's drug, gambling and other kinds of crime activities from the early 1970s to 1992 (death of Enrico De Pedis). The gang's affiliates start their career kidnapping rich people, drug dealing (hashish, cocaine, heroin, etc.) from the 1970s they started working with the Italian secret service, fascists, terrorists, the Sicilian Mafia, Camorra and many more. Some gang members are still alive, as inmates of an Italian prison, or justice collaborators.
This Italian mob film suffers from a wobbly storyline, wobbly editing, wobbly acting and a wobbly scene structure. Just poor in my eyes.
Rated 2.5/5 Stars •
Rated 2.5 out of 5 stars
02/21/23
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People!!! You don't know what you are rating! This is a very good work, an exciting and true to the facts tv series presenting an important chapter of Italian history of organized crime. This doesn't happen often, as usually it's all about the fiction and the action! If you are looking for Al Pacino kinda fiction, this is not it.
Rated 5/5 Stars •
Rated 5 out of 5 stars
02/19/23
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Un canile. Accorsi urla soltanto, la migliore è Patrizia (perché doppiata). Si salvano Stuart e Santamaria giusto perché si possono guarda'. Bella la trama.
Rated 2.5/5 Stars •
Rated 2.5 out of 5 stars
02/01/23
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Una produzione italiana con un cast d'eccellenza. Si distinguono regia, montaggio e fotografia che rendono la narrazione avvincente, ammiccante nei temi politici e il ritmo sostenuto. Spiccano Favino e Santamaria più di Rossi Stuart.
Rated 4/5 Stars •
Rated 4 out of 5 stars
01/20/23
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Audience Member
Based on the true story of an infamous band of criminals, the movie is Another Italian mafia movie but with the excitement of a stylish aesthetics and a strong group of actors.
Not a bad movie at all
Rated 3.5/5 Stars •
Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars
01/16/23
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