Suburra

Set in 2011 in the port of Ostia (Rome) we meet a plethora on ne'er do wells from politicians, gang types, and just low downs caught up in a bigger plan. That plan is to turn the port into a modern day Las Vegas (I mean really!!). This entails a gangster called Samurai in buying up all the real estate in readiness to cash in.

The problem is the politicos have a taste for young flesh, hard drugs, money and power which equals corruption. Throw into the mix the Vatican connection a whole 'traveller' network of crime types and you have all the ingredients for a roller coaster of a film.

I thought this was superb, the acting and style were all seductive. The violence visceral and brutal – yet seemingly expected. It is one of those films where the time just flies by and almost makes you hold your breath. It has made such an impact that, according to IMDb, Netflix are making a series to follow this up, I am glad a that I subscribe as if it is half as good as the film it will be well worth the fee.

Boy, was that a good film. Italian. Neo-noir. Dark. Masterfully shot. Omnipresent debauchery and depravity of all sorts have rarely looked this good on screen. What's not to love?! I have a soft spot for Italian cinema of the good kind, and that leaves me constantly hungry for more, considering the fact that except for Maestro Tornatore's magnificent opus the last few decades have been... Well, disappointing to say the least. Enter Sorrentino (I firmly believe "La grande bellezza" is one of the top 5 Italian films ever made, with "Youth" not so far behind), and now Sollima too. The only reason to give "Suburra" 9 stars instead of 10 is the microscopically imperfect acting in a few instances, but other than that the film is practically perfect. No need for a wordy review, just go see it. It grips you by the innards and doesn't let go. If you happen to be fluent in Italian and especially the Roman dialect, that adds at least 30% more enjoyment. A big, heartfelt THANK YOU to everyone who worked on this fantastic film!

I had this on my list on Netflix because we are headed to Rome in the spring. Thought we would see some on the Roman sights but this is NOT "3 Coins in a Fountain". It is an excellent movie...very good acting, interesting but not likable characters, fascinating story line. I would not normally recommend a movie where almost all the characters are anti- heroes. The pacing and interesting camera shots move the movie along and we really could not stop watching. My wife and I both really liked this film. It involves much of what we think of as the disreputable portions of many great cities; politicians, gangs and their rivals, organized crime and even the church. I was surprised that no major US critics reviewed the movie which is a shame. It is very good, gritty film making.

Suburra it's one of the best crime / drama movie of the last year. The story is settled between Rome and the suburbs and it's a web of relations between politics, mafia boss, prostitute, criminals and normal people. But it isn't a movie of gangster or mafia boss , I mean there are a boss and criminals but it's more a movie about how the common people from the richer to the poor interact with the criminality in some ways for their pettiness. Solima is the same director of Gomorrah the series, so the style is pretty much the same..the movie starts with different stories that start to became a dense plot with a common story. I don't want to spoiler too much about the story and the character because I think it's a must watch movie. Bytheway the cast is great and works very well, the direction it's sublime and some shots and cinematography are really greats. It's definitely not suitable for children since some sex act and nudity, drug use and violence. The soundtrack is done by french M83. If you liked Gomorrah the series you have to watch this movie.

This is the first time I happen to be writing the first review for a film on IMDb and it is so fitting I am doing it for a film on which I have so many thoughts to throw out there.

Finally Italian cinema has something to boast really proudly after the two slightly underwhelming years that followed the masterpiece that is "The Great Beauty", of which we will speak more later. Talking solely about cinema "Suburra" is such a great addition to the Italian canon, it takes into account everything that came before it and quotes it really respectfully, especially some of Fellini's work and even more Sorrentino's.

This film's review can be summed up in one phrase in my opinion: it takes you by the throat from frame one and never lets go until the end, gripping it slightly too hard sometimes. Now let me explain this statement with all the positives and negatives it takes into account.

Firstly, there is no denying how intense this film is. It is some of the darkest stuff I've seen in quite a while. People might contradict this, but to those I would respond that they don't actually understand what dark stuff is. We are not talking about murder, drugs or graphic violence, even though here there are aplenty. Truly dark stuff is what makes you feel dirty or dead inside, it is what makes you twitch, it is what makes you doubt your beliefs. Now that can often go hand in hand with violence etc., and it does here, but lets not forget why it works in the first place, which is because it goes deep into exploring human nature and behavior and what goes behind it. In the same way, even if not to the same extent, something like "Requiem for a Dream" uses the drug background to rip your soul apart, "Suburra" uses its story to explore themes that will not leave a smile on your face, even more so if you're Italian.

To this I might add that I felt the movie to be slightly too heavy hitting at times. It really is pessimistic, or at least that is what I caught from it. It is engaging to be offered such an interesting and passionate point of view though such a well crafted film, but honestly sometimes it was a little too much. There isn't one single element that tries to counter what is going on and because of this the result is absolute, pitch blackness. It isn't necessarily a negative element of the film, but it is one that I noted and got uncomfortable with.

It is wonderful to see a true story told this fantastically right. By that I mean that it doesn't put the emphasis on TRUE. It uses it as a background and never shoves down your throat emotional beats that feel manipulative, wrong or educational. Furthermore it tells its story perfectly, never loosing you even if you have no idea beforehand what the film is about.

Stylistically the film does have many clear inspirations and for the most part they are welcome, never being over-emphasized. I think it is impossible to make an Italian film after "The Great Beauty", especially if set in Rome, and not in anyway quote it. Sollima takes a lot, really a lot, from it but handles it really well and manages to give a truly personal stamp on the movie. Especially the opening which is a directorial triumph. With amazing photography, editing and even better use of music the director, at least for the first half of the film, manages to convey so much with actual cinema, through visual medium. He adds really a lot of subtext and makes the first hour a riveting and almost scary experience, because of what is being implied.

Talking about the second half of the film, it is where it kind of gets to caught up into its plot and forgets what it was doing so well earlier on which is the thematic aspect of what is going on. It becomes really one note and mechanic, leaving you slightly hungry for what you had been given earlier on, even though it partially picks back up in the conclusion. Don't get me wrong, it hits that one note really well, performances, characters, technical and story are all fine, but it just misses what it is about.

Still I beg you to check this film out and support good Italian cinema, you will not be disappointed to do so and will come out with quite some thoughts to stir in your head.