Mafioso

Mafioso

You've got to hand it to Turner Classic Movies. They have been incredibly consistent in following their remit. They show nothing but classic films and they've been doing so since they began. Not many cable channels can say that. AMC used to show uncut classic films but now they have tons of commercials and original programming. Which isn't bad. I love Mad Men. But sometimes I miss there being an alternative to TCM. Bravo used to be an excellent channel for catching films like Weekend or Shoot The Piano Player along with Twin Peaks reruns. Now all Bravo does is reality shows. When they do show a movie, it's more often than not going to be Lethal Weapon rather than Breathless. Sad.

So it's good to know that TCM still does what it does. They show Citizen Kane and Treasure of the Sierra Madre or Casablanca nearly once a month but they also bust out some overlooked gems like Mafioso too.

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The general story is Alberto Sordi plays Antonio Badalamenti, an inspector at the Fiat factory in Milan and is a model employee, eager to please his boss. Before he leaves on holiday to visit his family in Calamo, Sicily his manager asks him to also deliver a special gift to Don Vincenzo , the local mafia boss, who slowly coerces Antonio into performing a hit to repay him for a favor.

But the real story is in Antonio bringing his wife Marta and two girls to finally meet his family. He has obviously not been home in a long time and is insecure about his modest beginnings. Much of the movie is Antonio trying to smile through or explain away his family's unsophisticated and provincial behavior. There is just as much dramatic weight given to the mafia story as there is to whether or not Antonio's mother will accept Marta in to the family.

And Antonio has quite an eccentric family. Lets not lie, they're peasants. Mama is quiet in a "slowly passing judgment" kind of way. Papa is a grizzled and stubborn old thing and his sister Rosalia would be married to her lazy boyfriend by now if she didn't have such a hideous moustache (I know how to pick movies with female moustaches!). To lift them from their poverty, Papa has a plan to buy some land to turn into a homestead.

Antonio takes his father to meet the man selling land. He says he now wants 200 Lira per acre instead of 50 because the land contains mineral water. Antonio has to stop his father from getting in an old man fight. After breaking them up, his father angrily takes off on his donkey, abandoning his cowardly son.

As Antonio starts to walk away he is greeted by Don Liborio. They go in to town and chat. Don Liborio asks, does Antonio remember being a "good son" to Don Vincenzo during World War II? Of course, says Antonio, I respect Don Vincenzo as I do my family.

The next day Antonio is summoned to Don Vincenzo's villa. The man selling the land is there and deeply apologizes; he'll honor his original price. Antonio pledges his gratitude to Don Vincenzo. Leaving church, Antonio is invited on a hunting trip by his old friends. Isn't hunting season over, he asks? Not for Don Vincenzo. Antonio hesitates but Marta insists he should go as she'll be busy giving Rosalia a makeover. Just when Antonio wishes they could leave, Marta begins warming up to the family.

Antonio wakes up early to meet his friends but is met by Don Liborio instead. He takes Antonio to Don Vincenzo who asks him to repay his favor. He'll be perfect for this job since he no long lives in Calamo, no one will suspect him. All he needs to do is deliver a letter for Don Vincenzo. That's not so bad.

He's taken to an airplane. A man tells him to get inside a large crate. Antonio can't believe it. Does he need to go to the bathroom? He says no. And with that he's put inside. His flight is conveyed in a 5 second POV shot of the wooden slats of the crate. When he's let out of the crate he immediately crabwalks to the lavatory. Then he's taken to a car. As they drive he sees exactly where he's been brought to; New York City!

He's taken to an apartment and eagerly delivers the letter. The man at the door simply takes it and rips it up. He's then shown photos of a man who is an enemy of Don Vincenzo. He must kill this man before he can return to his wife and family. Everything has been planned out. All he must do is act out one simple part of the plan.

He's brought to a barber shop where the man from the photo is vulnerable in the barber's chair., getting a shave. Antonio hesitates at the door just as the man knows something is up. Antonio pulls the trigger. He runs outside and is picked up again by the car and immediately flown back to Sicily. That's his trip to America.

When he arrives home, he finds that his mother has embraced Marta since she waxed Rosalia's moustache and made her more confident. It's a happy ending for Marta but Antonio has just been coerced into murder. So it's all bittersweet as returning home has reunited him with his family but cost him his soul.

The entire cast are great. Alberto Sordi was a legendary Italian comedy star and plays Antonio with the perfect amount of bluster, naivete and discomfort. Every facial expression tells a story. I'll certainly check out any other films he has been in.

I'm not very familiar with Italian Cinema aside from some of the classic Fellini and Antonioni films, so this was a treat to find bouncing around on cable. The comedy and drama are intertwined masterfully. Everything works together to make the story complete.