Bella Mafia

when i saw this movie when it was released as a mini series,i was elated to find that this italian mafia film had plenty of sustenance and not filler like many minis do.plot was strong,acting well done,and all the ladies were gorgeous.i'm ready for a second installment, like a book II perhaps.

'Bella Mafia' was a TV mini-series that is available on VHS tape in two versions: one an apparently truncated version of 117 minutes on one tape while the preferable version is over two tapes and 180 minutes or three hours (but that includes seven minutes of previews of other films). One could think of this as a poor cousin to 'The Godfather,' but from the point of view of the women. These women are the wives or would be wife of the Luciano family. The men, father and sons, are all killed and it is up to the women to even the score. It has a nice look to it, but seems to overly draw from 'The Godfather' by using the name Michael and without compelling supporting character actors. Unfortunately for 'Bella Mafia' there are no equivalents of Al Pacino to be found here or anything resembling the presence of Marlon Brando. Hence, the movie is dominated by two presence's: Vanessa Redgrave as the matriarch of the family and Nastassja Kinski, one of her daughters-in-law. With the end of the first half of the movie, it is more than obvious what will eventually happen in the second half. The only question being what will be the details? In that sense, the movie unfolds very predictably and there is little suspense. It is a problem that the author of the novel, Lynda La Plante, never overcomes because she is also credited with the 'teleplay.' It is then a matter of appreciating the performances. All of the male actors seem to be weak and are easily overshadowed first by Vanessa Redgrave and then by the take-control of the film by Nastassja Kinski. Nastassja's performance is intelligent, as usual, and exceedingly even throughout at an elevated level. She is more than believable and has at least given a very good performance, covering lots of emotional range. Make no mistake, this is no 'Godfather' or anything close. Just never mess with Nastassja's Sophia character, otherwise one is likely to end up dead.

Unfortunately the acting of the main characters is the only reason to recommend this film. Vanessa Redgrave was at her elegant best, but the dialogue of her role left her with little/no opportunity to demonstrate her art. The same can be said for Nastassja Kinski and Illeana Douglas. Meg Tilly (whose character was never a part of the book), provided an adequate dose of comic relief. James Marsden can be complimented on his eloquent portrayal of the unnervingly human demon, Luca.

But those were the only good sides. The director of "The Last Don" did poorly with this venture, as did the screenwriters. Not only were the characters underdeveloped, but their setting, behavior, and movements were utterly unbelievable. I do not know what the director was thinking, but when the a set of four women remains unchanged and un-aging through the interval of twenty years--the viewer may well question the quality of the film. The accents, so well done in "The Last Don" were misplaced or absent here. To make a long story short (too late?), the actors struggle valiantly against overwhelming odds to do a good job in the mess of a script they must work with, but their battle is lost.

The only thing I have to say about the film BELLA MAFIA is that it is utterly amazing. This is no doubt in my opinion the best drama that I have ever seen. The cast was superb. The writing amazing. The movie drew me in from the first scene. And I admit that I didn't expect it to be good at all. I was sort of just looking for a film to past the time.

The one thing I loved the most was the development in character. As a viewer, I saw all of the characters lives change in great detail. From Sofia to Luca to Moyra. Even though the plot had some violent scenes, the writer managed to put in aspects of loyalty and love which made you kind of root for vengeance against the opposite characters. All in all. One of the best, if not the best in my opinion. If you want drama and action, see this movie.

What can I say! This movie is one of the best movies that I have ever seen. No matter how many times I see this movie I just love it more and more. Nastassja Kinski is absolutely delightful as Sofia. Vanessa Redgrave is a great matriarch and James Marsden is great at being the evil and insane Luca.

A JOY!