Bella Mafia

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!

It was the summon of a bevy of beauties, led by the superb Vanessa Redgrave that caught my attention. To have THEM as the mob bosses was both intriguing, sexy and a bit different.

The colour's turned up too high, you hardly ever feel that this family is connected and the accents are well dodgy. The blatant way murder plots are carried out so amateurishly is astounding - you don't really go into a court, visibly bribe the security, announce that the gun is under a seat and then show the thing! Yes, we know it's there, we're not blind or stupid! Then, when you shoot someone but miss and someone else finishes the job off for you, you DON'T get let off scott free.

Despite that, this Mafia tale for the Jilly Cooper parade (is that too harsh?) is not without its moments. Jennifer Tilly, to me, is always very watchable and Denis Farina as Redgrave's husband actually looks and plays the part. He's been in 'proper' Mafia flicks, you know!

I did lose interest a bit two-thirds in and lost count of the bodies and who was doing what to whom. I didn't really care. But for a winter's afternoon viewing as the wind and rain was howling, it provided very amiable entertainment indeed.

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.

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 extravagant look, sunny locations and the "distant lands" atmosphere make this movie a great escape on a winter's day. Le Plante is tied by US law but succeeds in keeping the story flowing with some sweet touches here and there. Being a big Carmen Argenziano fan, there's plenty to drool over and he plays the part of an influential Don with style. Others players add little but on the whole this is an enjoyable piece.