Toni

This movie is a jumble,a dreadful pot-pourri of incompetent playing (Béatrice Dalle,in a pointless part),writing (as many plot holes as in Swiss cheese) and scoring (syrupy strings , angelic hymns or Italian solo singer).

The only reason to watch this movie is Raf Vallone's performance.He is no longer the handsome man he used to be but he retains charisma,humor and mischievousness.The maffia stuff has become a hackneyed topic nowadays.It's not the final melodramatic coup de théâtre (predictable anyway)that can save such a "déjà vu" story.

Do not mistake this 1999 movie for the eponymous Jean Renoir classic(1934);and,no,it's not a remake.

Toni arrives in Paris coming by train from Calabria. He enters an Italian restaurant and kills the owner who is member of the Minelli family. For no obvious reason he stays in Paris and meets an old man who is living in kind of an asylum because he murdered another Italian family many years ago. Only the mother of that family survived. The old man tells him that the Minelli family will seek revenge and try to kill him. Toni now meets the Minellis again and talks with them. He gets nervous and kills 3 more family members. He continues to talk with the old man who tells him that the killing was necessary and that Toni's family always considered Toni a bastard because he was an illegitimate child. Because of that they sent him to Paris to get rid of him. The only way to achieve reconciliation would be to kill a certain Buffo. After that his family would forgive him. Overall the story is entertaining to follow but it's the kind of story where you are not allowed to ask too many questions - like e.g. why doesn't Toni himself know anything about the bastard story. I haven't seen any real plot holes, though. I found the acting to be OK and the overall impression of the movie was mediocre. Besides the talky relationship between Toni and the old man there is some action and a little romantic subplot where a French girl falls in love with the Calabrian guy and surprisingly they talk without any language problems. The French authorities never interfere so that the murder plot can continue.

Recommended if you have some time to kill and like any of the actors.