Milano: il clan dei Calabresi

I'll never grow tired of watching Italian Poliziotteschi movies from the seventies, even though – admittedly - they are practically all alike and don't feature much of a plot. With "The Last Desperate Hours", the relatively unknown director Giorgio Stegani nevertheless tries to be somewhat different and original. Next to featuring the same old familiar – but beloved - themes, like blood vengeance, gang rivalries and cat-and-mouse games between crooks and coppers, this hidden gem features an additional and interesting "race-against-the- clock" theme. Paolo Mancuso, terrifically depicted by the underrated Antonio Sabato (senior), is an all-round gangster/gentleman, particularly specializing in drugs and prostitution. One night, whilst one the run for a handful of enemies after a failed assassination attempts, Paolo breaks into a science lab to hide himself, but accidentally gets bitten by a virus-infected rat. The next day, he learns via the radio that the still unidentified victim of the bite only has 24 hours left to live without the right medical intervention. Rather than going to the hospital, which basically means reporting to the police, Paolo decides to go on a quest to annihilate who ever betrayed or double-crossed him. Unfortunately, however, he quickly discovers that this includes pretty much everyone he knows… Like the other reviewers already righteously pointed out, this (sub-) plot obviously isn't 100% original and got used in other movies before, but I don't care and think it's perfectly suitable for the Poliziotteschi genre. This is a hardcore action/thriller movie with only despicable characters, raw atmosphere throughout and unhappy plot twists and endings. The soundtrack is fantastic and actually on par with the better ones in the Poliziotteschi genre, even though composer Gianni Marchetti is lesser known and acclaimed than, say, Stelvio Cipriani or Bruno Nicolai. Antonio Sabato gives a wondrous performance as the sleazy protagonist, but he also receives sublime support from the rest of the cast; most notably Pier Paolo Capponi as the rough and tough police inspector. Capponi portrays his character like, I imagine, Milanese police inspectors must have been during the seventies: merciless, emotionless and verbally aggressive against everyone they meet! The film contains numerous violent highlights, including some harsh execution sequences, but the most memorable sequences are undoubtedly the last ones. Seriously, after having sat on the edge of your chair for an entire movie already, you'll still unprepared for the most perplexing and overwhelming lynch mob scene since "M" (1931)

The Eurocrime genre effectively started out when Italian filmmakers started making their own versions of the 1971 classic Dirty Harry; but once that was exhausted, some filmmakers decided to delve into American crime films further and we started ending up with Italian versions of other films - and what we have here is Elia Kazan's 1950 classic Panic in the Streets fused with the unmistakable Italian styling's. The result is fantastic! This film is nothing if not intense and director Giorgio Stagani sets the perfect tone right from the word go! The film focuses on Paolo Mancuso, a sleazy pimp that dabbles in girls, drugs and murder. Naturally he has made himself a few enemies and while out one night he is the victim of an assassination attempt. While running from his would-be killers, Paolo stumbles into a medical research centre and is unfortunate enough to be bitten by a lab rat. He later discovers that he has been infected with a deadly virus and thus begins a manhunt and a race against time for the criminal to save himself.

The Last Desperate Hours benefits immensely from two great leading performances; chiefly Antonio Sabato in the lead role. Sabato fits his character like a glove and comes across excellently as the detestable sleazebag at the centre of the film. He gets great backup from Pier Paolo Capponi as the lead cop on the case. The atmosphere created by Giorgio Stegani is just great and he manages to create an impression of Milan that is as downtrodden and corrupt as the lead character. The film features the Spaghetti style that most genre fans will appreciate - the score by Gianni Marchetti is truly memorable. The plot flows quickly throughout and none of the ninety minute running time is wasted. The director ensures that we always know the central figure is on a deadline and he keeps things interesting by keeping up the cat and mouse game between cop and criminal, as well as implementing a good few murder scenes - one involving a medical saw is a particular highlight! It all boils down to a surprising, yet fitting ending and overall this crime flick is one of the best Eurocrime entries that I've seen and is well worth the trouble of tracking down!

Groovy soundtrack and no nonsense scriptwriting easily lift this one above the worst depths of Italian crime films (even if the plot is a rip off of D.O.A (1950 & 1988), or should I say Kazan's Panic in the Streets)(1950). Lots of authentic seventies scenery, interiors and cars never hurt any film, either! Bad acting, however, does just that, denying this flick a place in the genre pantheon helped by the gritty but somewhat unimaginative direction.

For fans of the genre, well worth the effort!

Released on video in Finland in the early eighties.

He once lived in dire poverty in Calabria, but now Paolo Mancuso (Antonio SABATO) has become rich through drug dealing and prostitution in Milan. He boasts to his lover Laura (Silvia MONTI) that he is now untouchable. But on his way home at night he is attacked by the henchmen of his opponents (including the German CINECITTA divo Peter CARSTEN, known from the West German military films "08/15" of the 1950s). After a wild chase through Milan, Mancuso ends up in a research laboratory by chance. There he is bitten by a rat infected with a deadly viral disease. Mancuso manages to escape, but the next morning he learns from the news that he only has a few hours left until his death. He decides to take revenge on his former comrades who have now betrayed him. The Commissario (Pier Paolo CAPPONI) also has little time to prevent an impending pandemic in Milan. Will Mancuso's ex-wife Lidia (Nicoletta RIZZI), his companion from the times of poverty, be able to bring her ex to his senses?

The Italian actor Antonio SABATO (GOLDEN GLOBE 1967: nomination for GRAND PRIX) was a busy CINECITTA divo, but was never considered a great actor because of his wooden acting. In this exciting thriller by Giorgio STEGANI from 1974 (cinema release: November 29, 1974 / Box Office: 560 million ITL), however, he is asked to do much more than usual. And lo and behold, he does quite well. Recommended!

Here's a premise not often witnessed in a Eurocrime film: Antonio Sabato is a mobster trying in vain to fend off a rival gang from moving in on his territory, but during an attempt on his life, he tries to escape by breaking into an experimental laboratory. Inside, he is bitten by a diseased rat and has only a few hours to get revenge before he dies of some terrible disease!

The cops get wind that someone has been bitten but they have no idea who, but Antonio learns he's infected via a radio appeal made by the cops, and also finds out who is real friends are as he has to deal with his gang double crossing him, as well as just about everyone else turning on him as he's a walking dead man. Cue Antonio getting some good old revenge on everyone while getting increasingly sick.

I've been hard on Antonio Sabato in the past for his slightly dodgy acting* but here he gives it his all. He's not playing a put upon good guy, he's playing a bad guy who would rather kill traitors than give himself up to be treated. The pace is fast as we get car chases, gunfights, and even a bit of gore thrown in for good measure. I couldn't have made up the ending if I tried either. Not much to say storywise, except there's a bit of drama in there between Antonio and his long-suffering wife, but this one keeps on going until the strange ending.

*Compared to his son, Antonio Sabato Jnr, however, he's like Lawrence Olivier. Junior appears in SyFy channel films so dire even I won't watch them.