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Salvo

Play trailer Poster for Salvo 2013 1h 48m Crime Drama Romance Play Trailer Watchlist
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75% Tomatometer 24 Reviews 47% Popcornmeter 250+ Ratings
A mafia assassin give his latest victim's sister her sight back.
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Salvo

Salvo

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Critics Consensus

Stylish and inventive, Salvo parcels out the thrills that genre fans seek while anchoring its story with satisfying, slow-building tension.

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Critics Reviews

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Kate Muir Times (UK) With Salvo, the first-time Italian writer-directors Fabio Grassadonia and Antonio Piazza have created a Mafia thriller that takes a surprising turn from business into salvation and miracle. Jan 2, 2018 Full Review Manohla Dargis New York Times A soulful romance, an existential action flick and something of a miracle movie - the appealing slow-burner "Salvo" hovers at the crossroads of genre. Aug 21, 2014 Full Review Sherilyn Connelly Village Voice Viewers looking for a shoot-em-up will be disappointed, but those hankering for an old-school Italian broodfest will find plenty to soak in. Aug 19, 2014 Full Review Nicholas Bell IONCINEMA.com Its brooding ambience traipsing into a shallow narrative coma, there's much to be desired as concerns this mafia tinged love story of unexplained events and feelings. Rated: 2/5 Sep 4, 2019 Full Review Ben Nicholson CineVue It's technically excellent throughout, but the style and strong performances aren't enough to entirely compensate for a distinct lack of narrative purpose. Rated: 3/5 Mar 8, 2019 Full Review Louis Proyect rec.arts.movies.reviews Very stylish Sicilian mafia movie. One part Antonioni and one part Calvin Klein commercial. Aug 21, 2014 Full Review Read all reviews

Audience Reviews

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Audience Member Awesome and captivating Italian noir. It reminds of Melville's "Samurai" with Alain Delon. Rated 5 out of 5 stars 02/08/23 Full Review Audience Member This review may or may not contain spoilers I would describe the film as interesting as I continued watching the movie a few days ago. The film had a good start with a good amount of dialect in the beginning and somewhere in the plot. The scenery and the setting is what I expected on the protagonist's occupation and that is what drew me in on watching this film in the first place for research. I will admit that this movie has confused me at first, but after thinking while continuing on watching the movie, I slowly began to understand on why the lack of dialect. I would say that both Salvo's and Rita's personalities best suit the film's plotline. Though, while watching the movie, I was pondering if Salvo had a bit of romance since I felt the two characters were slowly getting close near the end of the film. Of course, that is just my opinion. Although I do like action and adventure films, I do enjoy some type of drama in a film; it's what makes movies complete. Even if the movie was a bit slow. But of course, I would like to watch a little more action and hear a little more dialect. Rated 3 out of 5 stars 02/13/23 Full Review Audience Member Atmospheric, but not really effective. Rated 2.5 out of 5 stars 01/13/23 Full Review Audience Member Italian directing duo Antonio Piazza and Fabio Grassadonia mark their feature debut with Salvo, a mob thriller more concerned with sensual tactility than machismo and bloodletting. Painted in the dark colours and deep lines of the Renaissance painters, Salvo is a film of imagery and atmosphere, with a minimal plot utilised to knit its more spiritual feelings together. The eponymous Salvo - a mesmerising Saleh Bakri - is a mafia hitman dressed in black and relentless in his cold-blooded pursuit of a target, as an electrifying opening chase sequence testifies. But Salvo is forced to question his life, and very nature, when confronted with Rita (Sara Serraiocco), the partially sighted sister of his latest target. After navigating around her in a pitch-black house sheltered from the stifling Palermo heat - in a nerve-shredding, single take scene shot intimately over the shoulder - the hired killer mysteriously spares her life and instead chooses to imprison her in a run down outbuilding. Salvo's intentions are left deliberately abstract, but far from sexual he seems more fascinated with the purity and helplessness of this beautiful creature - finding solace in caring for someone who is so far removed from his mortal sins. In a minor, but deeply significant, scene Salvo patches up a bullet wound to his abdomen, and drifts off to sleep - but as the blood swiftly seeps through his crisp white Lacoste polo shirt he is forced to revert to his standard all black attire. Rita may have brought a change upon him, but a dark past is not so swiftly forgotten. Predominantly a film of the visual, much of the credit for its success falls with cinematographer Daniele Ciprì, whose colour palette and shadows bring the experience to life with an expressive, palpable texture. The heat is oppressive, the dark is claustrophobic and Salvo' s bright eyes pierce through it all. Bereft of much dialogue it's these sensory interactions that tell the story. While this is the film at its most lyrical, there is a tinge of disappointment that the initial surge of adrenaline - and more generic elements - are not expanded upon. Piazza and Grassadonia have steered consciously clear of making the traditional reformed hitman movie, but on this evidence their talent for action deserves further expansion. Centred on a laconic, but captivating Bakri, his stony face forms the film's lasting image. Required to do little more than brood and stare he is nevertheless able to shape this into a performance as intriguing as the expertly captured photography. With the themes of vision and morals enthusiastically toyed with throughout, Salvo is a film to become lost in, as the odd relationship between captor and captive works to an unpredictable conclusion - and, perhaps most impressively, shuns the more obvious melodramatics. A stylish and considered drama, Salvo may reveal itself as partially shallow if inspected too deeply but, for the atmospheric journey it takes us on, the Italian debutants deserve the highest of praise. Rated 4 out of 5 stars 01/28/23 Full Review daniel t quite disappointing movie, more from the critics who write about their interest in the style. The movie has little dialog, and mostly the main character walks around looking at people, and you are suppose to know what is being said. Could have been a short subject movie, given it's slow pace and little revelations about his ability to heal his prisoner. Rated 3 out of 5 stars 03/31/23 Full Review Audience Member The gangster and the inconvenient girl. Motivations are left too much to the imagination but there's some good moviemaking in play here. Rated 3 out of 5 stars 01/12/23 Full Review Read all reviews
Salvo

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Movie Info

Synopsis A mafia assassin give his latest victim's sister her sight back.
Director
Fabio Grassadonia, Antonio Piazza
Producer
Massimo Cristaldi, Fabrizio Mosca
Screenwriter
Fabio Grassadonia, Antonio Piazza
Production Co
Cité Films, Cristaldi Pictures, MACT Productions, Acaba Produzioni, arte France Cinéma
Genre
Crime, Drama, Romance
Original Language
Italian
Release Date (Streaming)
Mar 9, 2016
Runtime
1h 48m
Aspect Ratio
Scope (2.35:1)
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